A Vent Comes to Haunt
by Miriam1
Summary: This fiction is inspired directly from You're-not-so-big's two-shot crossover of Danny Phantom and Harry Potter in her fic entitled "A Vent for ADD." It is dark, it is scary, but I think I can swing it.
1. Chapter 1

A Vent Comes to Haunt

Summary: This fiction is inspired directly from Youre-not-so-big's two-shot crossover of Danny Phantom and Harry Potter in her fic entitled "A Vent for ADD." It is dark, it is scary, but I think I can swing it. Thank you so much for the jump-start.

It happens some time after TUE, but before Kindred Spirits. It is an AU year six in Hogwarts.

Disclaimer: I do not own either _Danny Phantom _or _Harry Potter_.

Chapter 1

Danny couldn't believe it. He was beyond shocked, hurt… There was nothing to describe what he was feeling. Everything – well, almost everything – Clockwork helped him fix was destroyed. But this time, his evil future self from an alternate timeline wasn't the cause.

But there would be time to deal with these thoughts later. Now he had an impossible task ahead of him. Or, at least, it felt that way: he had to knock on Vlad's door. He closed his eyes, wrinkled his brow, and knocked.

Within seconds, Vlad opened the door. "Daniel, what do you think you are doing here?" he demanded.

Danny looked up at him tearfully. "Vlad… I have nowhere else to go." Wait a minute. Daniel was crying? He'd spied on the boy for months, and this is something he'd never seen. But more to the point, he was showing this weakness before his arch-nemesis? Something was up.

Giving him a side-long look, Vlad asked, "What are you talking about?"

The boy closed his eyes, allowing the tears to flow freely. After a moment, he opened them again and tried to center himself. "Vlad… they… these people came to Amity Park and they killed… everyone! My parents, Jazz, Sam, Tucker, other people in town…"

Vlad's expression changed immediately from challenging to sympathetic. It was then that Vlad looked down and noticed Danny's luggage. Two medium-sized suitcases and a dufflebag held as much as Danny thought to bring with him. Vlad would send someone to get them later. Now he had other things to deal with.

Taking Danny's hand, he led the boy into his mansion in Wisconsin into a sitting room. "Daniel, what people are you talking about? What happened?"

Danny was surprised. He never heard this sincere, gentle tone from Vlad, ever. Still, he trembled as he answered Vlad's questions, tears still flowing freely. "Lots of people wearing black robes and freaky white masks showed up out of nowhere. They stalked around and shouted nonsense words, pointing sticks, and people ended up dead. I don't know what happened.

"I went ghost and started blasting back, but the damage was already done. I didn't sense them. _They weren't ghosts._ They were human and they did this." Danny couldn't go on, for sobs overtook him.

Vlad was quiet, reflecting over Danny's words. Jack was dead. Even though he taunted both Jack and Daniel about this often enough, he never expected Jack to die. At least, not by any hand other than his. Maddie was dead. This was something he could not deal with. Not yet, anyway. The love of his life was gone! And so…senselessly, it seemed.

But Daniel… without either of his parents, or even his responsible sister Jasmine to watch him, the guardianship of the boy would naturally fall to him, the long-time family friend whom the children sometimes called "Uncle." He always wanted Danny to be his, but not this way. And now he had to deal with a hysterical child. He would sort through his own feelings of loss later.

Vlad stood and walked up to where Danny was sitting. He put what he intended to be a comforting hand on Danny's shoulder. He had trouble pulling his thoughts together. What could he possibly say that Daniel might find comforting? The child had always considered him an arch-enemy, and with good reason. So how was he supposed to give succor to the boy whom he was sure didn't trust him?

Another knock came at his door. "Oh, Cheese Doodles! I'll be right back, Daniel." He evaporated and teleported to the front door. He prepared a rant to direct at anyone business related, or some such. He expected no one today, and he had his hands full! However, he was honestly not prepared for the sight that greeted him when he opened his door.

A man dressed in periwinkle robes with long white hair and a long white beard (looking like what he assumed Clockwork to look like in 'old-man' form) stood and said, "Good afternoon, Vladimir Masters is it? I'm afraid I owe you and the poor boy who came here an explanation."


	2. Chapter 2

Disclaimer: I do not own either_ Danny Phantom_ or _Harry Potter_.

Chapter 2

Vlad narrowed his eyes. His first act as Daniel's guardian began now. "Who are you, and what do you want with said 'poor boy'?"

The man answered, "My name is Albus Dumbledore. I need to tell you and the remarkable boy who escaped certain death this morning about the people who attacked his town."

"What would you know about it?"

The man sorrowfully bent his head and closed his eyes. "The people who attacked were Death Eaters." Vlad raised an eyebrow at this. "If the young fellow described it, he might have mentioned people wearing black cloaks and masks, waving wands, casting spells."

"Alright. You have my attention. Come in, and I DO expect a full explanation of what happened in Amity Park." Vlad brought Dumbledore to the sitting room where Danny was. The tears had stopped, but Danny still looked miserable. Vlad waved at Dumbledore to take a seat, but stood protectively by Daniel, putting a hand on the boy's back. (Where did this come from? He wasn't sure, but it seemed to be the right thing to do.)

Danny looked up at Vlad, surprised and a little shocked at this gesture, but noticed the other figure in the room. The robes looked similar to the ones the people he saw wearing them earlier, but the color distracted him. It was odd, but he appreciated the almost…protective gesture, even if it _was_ from Vlad. "Wh-who are you?" Danny asked.

Dumbledore's eyes twinkled kindly. "I am Albus Dumbledore. I am a wizard. You both need to know what happened this morning. An evil wizard, known as Voldemort, has made his presence known by cruel killing sprees of his followers, the Death Eaters." Even Danny gave him a sardonic look at that. "Most of the attacks have been taking place in Britain, but he must be very bold indeed if he has been promoting attacks in the Americas." He studied Danny for a moment. "Through a network of wizards whose primary aim is to stop Voldemort and his reign of terror, I heard that you were hit by a particularly potent curse, and you miraculously survived it."

Danny responded, "Yeah, I _was _hit by something. It stung, but I shot back at the person who hit me." Dumbledore was taken aback. The Killing Curse only stung?

Vlad smacked himself in the face. "Daniel! What do you think you're doing!" Danny jumped guiltily.

Dumbledore glared at Vlad. "Mr. Masters, what do you think _you're_ doing?" he asked coolly. Vlad's face flushed in anger as Dumbledore looked at Danny. "To date, the only other person who has been hit with this curse and lived was physically scarred for life, and his mother – a powerful witch – gave her life in a particularly powerful, life-protecting spell. There ARE no witches or wizards who live in Amity Park, Illinois, so there is no way that a similar solution would exist for you." He peered over the rims of his half-moon glasses. "The only reasonable conclusion is that you are not fully human, but also part something else that could survive the Killing Curse." Vlad spluttered, and Danny stared in disbelief. "And since the ghosts of Hogwarts tell me of two powerful half-ghosts who were involved in a fiasco involving 'the Ghost King,' and the one most seriously involved in the defeat of said Ghost King is a young half-ghost named Danny Phantom," Danny gasped. "Danny Phantom is known to live in Amity Park. The connection has been made by those in the Wizarding World before this morning's incident.

"So, Mr. Masters, Danny telling me of shooting back at the Death Eaters is _not_ an exposure of your and your charge's deepest secret."

Vlad frowned. He would NOT be chastised in his own home. He turned into Plasmius, his far more intimidating form. "Now that I know _you_ know our secret, what is there to prevent me from destroying you?" Danny's eyes went wide. He was sure this would end badly. Neither he nor Vlad expected Dumbledore's response.

He smiled, his eyes twinkled, and he answered, clearly amused. "First of all, Mr. Masters, I am not the only one who knows your secret. Second of all, while I am unfamiliar with what I am told are your considerable ghostly powers, it is clear that you are equally unfamiliar with my wizardly powers. It would be a far fairer fight than you would probably anticipate."

At the words "far fairer fight," Danny smirked. He remembered the first time _he_ had such a thing against Vlad, involving a Specter Deflector. But he said nothing. He decided not to antagonize Vlad, who he saw as the only "family" he had left. There was Aunt Alicia in Spittoon, Arkansas, but for some reason he felt closer to Vlad. It seemed so wrong, but there it was.

Ignoring Danny, Vlad narrowed his eyes and folded his arms.

Dumbledore took off his glasses and rubbed them with a handkerchief. "It should comfort you to know that it isn't the _whole_ of the Wizarding World that knows your secret. The Hogwarts ghosts told me in confidence, and told me it was only to be shared with the organization I told you of before – the organization to stop Voldemort and his followers." Danny sighed with relief. Vlad remained suspicious.

"What do you want?" Vlad asked. He did not appreciate not having the upper-hand, and it was clear that he didn't have it and wasn't getting it back.

Dumbledore put his glasses back on and looked seriously at Vlad and Danny. "I come to offer you both protection against an evil that has no compunction against capturing you, attempting to enslave you and harnessing your considerable powers for his own uses, which include the death and destruction of innocent lives. While it is doubtful that he could actually kill you, as you are already half-ghosts, there is Dark magic that actually can petrify ghosts. I am uncertain as to whether it could cause you pain, but it could certainly incapacitate you.

"After witnessing Danny's resistance to the Killing Curse, Voldemort's Death Eaters have almost certainly reported back to him about a person seemingly immortal. Voldemort is obsessed with the concept of immortality, as you can see by the name he chooses to give his followers. He would probably stop at nothing to get his hands on you."

Danny shuddered and closed his eyes. 'Not again. _Really_, not again,' he thought.

Vlad looked at Danny. He knew how that could be. Danny was that desirable. But he himself became a prize to no one. Not to the Ghost King, not to this Voldemort character, no one. Viewing the pained and frightened visage of young Daniel, Vlad decided to explore Dumbledore's offer of protection. "What will this protection consist of?" Vlad asked, interested but skeptical.

"Danny could attend Hogwarts, the School of Witchcraft and Wizardry, of which I am Headmaster. With all the wards and protections around it, it is said that there is nowhere more safe in all of England, if not the world."

"What do you want in return for this protection?"

Dumbledore blinked. "I want nothing but the safety of two particularly tempting targets of Voldemort's wrath."

Vlad shook his head and reverted to human form. "Please. I am a businessman, and the one thing I know for certain is that nothing comes for free, especially when it is 'freely' offered."

"For Danny, the cost would be nothing but the price of his books, robes, and supplies. If you wish to give something in return… I suppose… Well, we are always looking for a new teacher for the class on Defense Against the Dark Arts."

"Are you mad? Neither of us is magical in any way! What are you thinking?" Vlad fumed.

Professor Dumbledore looked thoughtful. "Oh, I don't know about that. That might have been true at one time. But ghosts – or in your case, half-ghosts – are indeed beings in the Wizarding World. You have powers that most ghosts we are familiar with DON'T have. I'm certain that with a clever mind, you could learn the basics and some details that both you and your students will find interesting. Further, you have your OWN ways to defend yourself against Dark magic.

"I'm sure a schedule can be arranged where I or one of my two closest and best trusted instructors could teach you. You would teach classes, years one through seven, and you might spend special time teaching Danny to use his own powers."

"Mr. Dumbledore," Danny said, and both adults turned towards him. "I thank you for your offer of protection. Right now, I think that would be great. I have a couple of problems, though. This September, I would have started eleventh grade. If… Uncle Vlad was to teach the years you mentioned, it sounds like the students my age would be in their sixth year. That would be five years of magic lessons that I would be behind, not to mention that – besides the ghost stuff – I have no special magic I know of. What would I be learning?"

Vlad stared at him. "_Uncle_ Vlad?"

Danny shrugged. "Is that okay?" Vlad looked thoughtful.

Professor Dumbledore watched this exchange. Something significant was happening here, and he wasn't privy to it. He might ask about it later. But Danny _did_ ask him some important questions that needed answering. "If I may…" The half-ghosts turned back to the professor. "As you were born a Muggle, a non-magical person, you would not be able to do wandwork. But it would benefit you to hear the various spells and learn what they do. Still more to the point, there are other subjects you could thrive in with nary a wand wave. Let's see… You could surely learn Potions, which is not unlike Chemistry, Herbology, which is much like Botany, Astronomy – "

"Really?" Danny's face lit up.

"Absolutely. Your class has lessons every Wednesday at midnight on the Astronomy Tower." Danny beamed. "You might also take Muggle Studies. You might have much to contribute, as it is more of an introduction to all things non-magical to students who are ignorant of the ways of the world as you know it. History of Magic is Wizarding history." The professor grinned. "Professor Binns is our longest standing professor who is a ghost. Whether or not you care for the history of the Wizarding World, you might ask him to teach you some history of ghost lore. Actually all of the ghosts would be willing to share all kinds of ghost lore." He murmured, "Except, perhaps, Peeves."

Danny started. "There are ghosts at Hogwarts?" He remembered hearing a comment about that vaguely, but it seemed hours ago since it was discussed.

"Indeed, there are. And all of them are inclined to think highly of you. Apparently, you've earned yourself a reputation among them." Danny blushed. "But besides our resident ghosts and the professors, no one will know of either your or your uncle's secret."

"Yes, well…" While Vlad was proud of his charge, there is only so much shameless adulation for his young rival that a guy can take. "All of this magic sounds wonderful, and yes, I intend to take teaching Daniel about his powers to help him develop them in hand. But what of non-magical subjects like Math and English? These things can't be left out of a well-rounded education." With a hint of satisfaction, Vlad watched Danny wince as he mentioned math.

"Of course we have Arithmancy. We don't have literature courses, _per se_, but I'm sure you can look through the library and put a curriculum together, if you like. We _do _have a course on Ancient Runes, if Danny would be interested to learn them. But Danny might learn more Latin and Greek by paying attention in Charms and any other class where he could learn about spells." For the first time since Astronomy was mentioned, Danny shifted uncomfortably. Professor Dumbledore noticed. "Danny, some of the courses you will take would necessarily be modified, but there are others you can take that will be fine for you.

"If this arrangement is satisfactory to you both, we can have you moved in tomorrow."

Vlad closed his eyes and put a hand to his forehead. "Wait a minute. I can't just pick up and leave. I'm a billionaire. I have corporations to run, bank accounts to maintain. How can I afford to go into hiding?"

"Mr. Masters, the Wizarding World is not without a banking system. You can take as much money as you like, and open an account at Gringotts, the Wizarding bank. Your own safety would necessitate putting your usual business on hold. If you have associates you would trust to run things until the danger passes, I would suggest contacting them as soon as possible.

"As far as maintaining your accounts, you will be paid as a professor at Hogwarts. Have no fears on that matter. And the goblins who run Gringotts are impeccably fair and efficient when it comes to exchange rates between Muggle and Wizarding currency."

Vlad looked askance at Professor Dumbledore. "Your Wizarding society has its own currency?"

Dumbledore nodded. "Among other things. The Wizarding World is a secret society. Muggles don't know of our existence, and we like to keep it that way. There is a whole government, with a Ministry of Magic, currency, a justice system… everything a society is expected to have. There are creatures that non-magical people think are mythical. Wizards not only know of their existence, we keep them well hidden so that the non-magical society is not terrified and paralyzed by things and ideas they aren't ready to handle."

Danny thought about this. "Like most of the world isn't ready to know of the existence of half-ghosts. The Guys in White… would have 'lots and lots of painful experiments' to try and figure us out." He shuddered at the thought.

"Exactly, Danny. And the Wizarding World has had to put up with such scrutiny before the Secrecy for hundreds of years. Although, to be honest, the Wizarding World at large isn't ready to deal with half-ghosts, either." Vlad raised an eyebrow.

"The concepts of hybrids and crossbreeds are often not well received, much to our shame. That is only one of the many reasons to keep your secret so well guarded. And trust me when I tell you that you wouldn't be the first to suffer such discrimination."

With a wistful expression, he continued, "One of the finest Defense Against the Dark Arts instructors Hogwarts has had in many decades resigned out of fear of parental reaction to the untimely revelation of his identity as a werewolf." Danny stared. "He was and remains one of the finest men and wizards I have the honor of knowing, working with, and teaching during his years as a student."

Vlad narrowed his eyes. "And who made this revelation?"

Dumbledore said sadly, "A contemporary of his and a childhood rival. As adults and fellow professors, I rather expected better of them. Unfortunately, I hadn't counted on childhood grudges to be held so tightly after all these years."

"And this is the society that is to keep Daniel, me, and our secret safe?"

"The society? No. I, my school, my staff, and the organization? Yes."

Vlad folded his arms and argued, "You just said that members of your staff, your fellow professors, exposed a well-kept secret because of a grudge. I, myself, have made a number of enemies. How can I count on you, or these people you work with, to protect a secret that the society your school belongs to rejects out of hand, simply for existing?"

Dumbledore sighed. Vlad had a point. "While you may indeed have enemies, you have _no_ pre-existing enemies in Hogwarts. While the ghosts in Hogwarts don't speak of you in the same glowing terms they use describing Danny, it is clear that they respect you." Fear was the more accurate description, but when it came to comparing Vlad to Voldemort, the ghosts sided with Vlad. "And the fact remains that whether or not you choose to trust me, the safest option regarding yourself and young Danny is indeed to come to Hogwarts."

Danny sighed. Why does everything have to be so complicated? "Okay – I get it. We don't really have a choice. This guy Voldemort has followers all over the place, and they killed my family and friends and lots of other people all over Amity Park. From your description, it sounds like Voldemort is more persistent than the Guys in White, which is _so_ wrong, by the way. And because he and his followers are wizards, no one ELSE seems to know about him, or probably can't do anything about him. _And_, the only way to get away from these Death Eater people is either to 1) go to the Ghost Zone, where humans without a portal can't follow, or 2) go to your school, where we get to stay in the Real World, learn more about these guys, and help figure out a way to defeat them.

"I mean, what's the difference between the world as we know it and this Wizarding World? Where we are, if people knew our secret, they'd hate us for being ghosts. In the Wizarding World, if people knew our secret, they'd hate us for being _half_-ghosts. But if no one – but a select few – knows our secret, we have a place to be, you have a job, and … I don't know. I guess I'd get a chance to start over again. I don't know if anyone from Casper High survived." He thought for a minute. "Maybe Valerie, 'cause she lives in Elmerton, not Amity Park, and I don't know if she was at work today… it _is_ Saturday…"

"I can check to see if Valerie survived," Vlad said kindly.

"Thank you," Danny responded quietly.

Both adults sat in silence as they digested Danny's outburst. Apparently, he took in everything that was said and formed not one, but two battle plans that would take him to safety, although going to the Ghost Zone was an option neither adult had considered. But Danny's eyes glowed green when he mentioned the concept of defeating Voldemort. Although the styles of both children were different, Danny reminded Dumbledore of Harry Potter. Without a prophecy or a plan, Danny was ready to do what was necessary, so it seemed.

Vlad noticed that Danny's logic leapfrogged the conversation. Here he was, carefully weighing the pros and cons of this new option, which he wasn't yet certain he was satisfied with the ramifications, and Danny jumped in, ready to lend his powers to a cause he didn't yet understand. He rolled his eyes. This was typical, for Daniel. While going along with Danny's new plan would mean new responsibilities for Vlad, it also ensured him that Daniel was not completely crushed by his loss. This was reassuring. He would check to see if Danny's teacher Mr. Lancer survived as well; if Danny could do the right thing as far as the _world_ was concerned, he could do the right thing as far as Daniel was concerned. Of all the teachers in Casper High, William Lancer seemed to care the most for his most distracted student. Vlad knew of Daniel's grades, and knew of Lancer's attempts to get him to improve them. He wondered if the care between teacher and student was mutual.

Danny closed his eyes again. This day just got weirder and weirder. The death of _everyone_, going to Vlad, meeting Dumbledore, this new school… "Let me ask you something. It is only July. Where are we going to stay? Even your school doesn't start until September, right?"

Woken from their assorted thoughts, Vlad and Dumbledore focused on Danny once more. "Hogwarts is in a castle, and there are dormitories. Some of the staff lives there all year long. You would have a 'place to be', as you put it." Dumbledore explained.

Vlad sighed. For better or worse, it seemed that this Hogwarts plan seemed to be moving forward. "You said that we could be moved in by tomorrow, assuming all our affairs are in order. Even getting my own plane ready takes a day of fueling and inspection before flight. A plane can't be ready until tomorrow, and we couldn't get there until the day after tomorrow."

Dumbledore smiled enigmatically. "We'll be travelling much faster than going by plane. I Apparated here, myself, but when you are ready to go, we will go by Portkey." Danny and Vlad looked at each other.

"I suppose you'll tell us what you mean later?" Vlad asked.

"Absolutely. But for now, I suggest you get your affairs in order." This seemed to end the bizarre audience. Danny went outside to retrieve his luggage. Vlad walked out of the room, first to his lab, and then to his office to make some phone calls. He had a lot to do before tomorrow.


	3. Chapter 3

Disclaimer: I do not own either _Danny Phantom_ or _Harry Potter_.

Chapter 3

Once Vlad was in his lab, he had a few contacts to make. His first call was to Valerie. He supplied her with her first suit and set of ghost hunting weaponry. He maintained ties with her – she was a useful pawn, indeed. But not today. Now, she was Daniel's lifeline to his past, if she still lived. He called her, and she was fine: she and her father spent the day out of town, and she didn't come to work. A blessing for her! He would tell Daniel later.

He called the school as a concerned guardian. The principal answered the phone. Since the attack, lots of parents called to announce that students were alive or dead, and staff members called to confirm their own survival. Someone had called on Mr. Lancer's behalf. He did not survive.

Vlad then summoned Skulker, a ghost in his employ. He informed the hunter that he was going to England on business and that he was taking Daniel. Out of respect for the people who survived the attack, no ghosts were to further menace Amity Park until his return. Or else. He never needed to specify what else; the threat was enough.

Upon returning upstairs, Vlad passed back to the sitting room where he left his guests. After fetching his bags, Danny sat back in the seat he was in before. He sat sullenly, fiddling with his hands, looking into his lap. Vlad left the other guest to his own devices. He approached Danny, who looked up at him. "I have good news and bad news for you. Which do you want first?"

Danny considered. "The bad news, I suppose." It was best to get it over with.

"Mr. Lancer, the teacher who took an interest in your grades, didn't survive." Danny closed his eyes again. Of all that Clockwork fixed for him, what was left? Himself, he guessed. But to what end? He shook his head in further mourning.

"Now for the good news," Vlad continued. Danny opened his eyes and looked up. "Valerie is fine. She and her father were out of town for the day; neither she nor her father were at work during the attack." For the first time since he arrived, Danny's eyes lit up with hope. Even more happiness shone in his eyes than when he learned that astronomy would be amongst the subjects he would learn in his new school. "You can call her from here. I have more calls to make. I'll be in my office." And with that, Vlad left, turning word to deed.

Danny noticed Professor Dumbledore in the far corner of the room fingering through a book on the Ghost Zone. He felt he was in relative privacy when he pulled out his cell phone to call Valerie. "Valerie?"

"Danny?"

"I have never been so glad to hear your voice! Are you okay?" Danny's urgency confused Valerie.

"Sure, Danny, I'm fine. What's wrong?"

"What's wrong? Did you see the news? There was a massacre in Amity Park today!" Danny's tears returned, but he held himself back from sobbing. "People came and killed half the town. My family, Sam, Tucker, Mr. Lancer… other people…"

"Wow, Danny, that's horrible!" Val realized what a blessing it was that she had other places to be than the Nasty Burger that day. "That means when we're finished, I have all kinds of calls to make."

"Yeah."

"Oh, Danny! Who are you staying with?" She worried for her one-time boyfriend.

"Vlad Masters. He…" There were so many things Vlad was. He searched his mind until he came up with an acceptable explanation. "He's a long-time family friend. I guess he's my legal guardian, now." Valerie whistled in appreciation. Danny looked across the room at Dumbledore. "Tomorrow, we're going to England. There's a boarding school I'm going to be enrolling in."

"You're leaving tomorrow? But it's so soon!"

"I know. I need to talk to Vlad about funeral arrangements and stuff. But after that, we're headed to England."

"When you find out what time the funerals are, let me know. I have to go, now. I … thanks for calling. I'll speak to you later."

"Bye." Danny didn't even think of funeral thoughts when he put his bags together. He just knew he had to get to Vlad, as he flew across state borders. He sighed heavily and stared off in the direction of Vlad's office.

Albus Dumbledore closed his book, as he heard the mournful sighs of the orphan on the other side of the room. He walked over to give solace to young Danny. "Is there anything I can help you with?" he asked.

Danny looked at Dumbledore and thought. "Maybe. I need to try to talk to Vlad first." Dumbledore nodded. For the second time that day, Danny had the unenviable task of knocking on Vlad's door.

Vlad impatienty asked who it was. He would have far more patience for Daniel, at this point, than for the wizard he left in his sitting room. His expression softened when Danny came in and asked about funeral preparations for his family. Vlad generously laid out expenses and made plans and arrangements for three funerals in Amity Park the next day. He would call Maddie's sister Alicia, and send a helicopter for her. As far as getting there themselves, Vlad decided a Portal to Portal trip through the Ghost Zone would be the fastest. And, it might have the added benefit of shocking the stranger who offered to take them away from their lives in America. Well… That wasn't entirely fair. He WAS bringing them to safety. But considering the fact he was taking them to a world unlike any they had been a part of, he thought it was only right (and immensely satisfying) to return the favor.

Bringing his attention back to Daniel… He asked the boy if there were religious services his family attended regularly. It would give Danny the most comfort to have a service in the way of his or his family's choosing. Pained, Danny admitted that while his family celebrated Christmas, "he wasn't very good at this religious stuff." In the end, they chose a minister from the Unitarian Universalists to perform the service who spoke of God, and love, and had no problem with a set of funerals the next day. Danny surprised Vlad by preparing eulogies for all three of his family members.

At the end of the cemetery service, Danny insisted on visiting Sam's family. Sam was Jewish, and was buried in a different cemetery than the Fentons. They found Tucker, too, so Danny could say his farewells. Valerie seemed to be at the same locations as Danny – they arranged to be in the same places at the same times.

Both Vlad and Danny ran out of people they wanted to see before they left. Danny hugged Valerie tearfully before they went their separate ways. Vlad and Danny met Dumbledore back and Fenton Works.

* * *

Professor Dumbledore regretted the need to throw the lives of Danny Fenton and his newly acquired guardian and "uncle" Vlad Masters into what would seem to them to be more chaos. But as it was, Voldemort now had two primary targets: Harry Potter and Daniel Fenton. And, apparently, Vlad would be on the list if Voldemort became aware of his existence as a half-ghost. However, Sir Nicholas assured him that both Danny and Vlad's secrets were better kept than that of the entire Wizarding World, and that was saying something.

He watched as they made their assorted preparations. Apparently, Danny was prepared to move. He followed Danny's flight as a ghost by broomstick – he had the foresight to take it with him when he Apparated to Amity Park. Poor Danny was entirely out of sorts – this was a very hard day for him. He was glad that Danny saw the merit of coming to Hogwarts. This would make Dumbledore's task of protection of the halfas so much simpler. It was the best way he knew to get them ready for their own defense, and possibly as well as the safety of the school.

Vlad's choice of transportation from Wisconsin to Illinois for funeral preparations was interesting to say the least. This was the Ghost Zone that was only mentioned in passing by the ghosts in Hogwarts. If his traveling companions – who were good enough to carry him as they flew in ghost form – were not in mourning, he might have asked questions or indulged in expressions of wonderment and awe. The swirling green sky and the floating purple doors, and islands of rock and buildings in mid-air were among the many things he would have to ask about when he got home. He noted the solid humanoid specters that stayed a respectful distance from them as they flew. He noticed the curious looks aimed at him, the hateful glares and sympathetic looks aimed at Danny, and respect and fear at Vlad. Once they arrived at their destination, he waited in the living room as Danny and Vlad took care of their plans.

Towards the evening, the two weary and wary half-ghosts joined the wizard in the Fentons' living room. "Do you need to do anything else?" Dumbledore asked solicitously.

"I think I'm as ready as I'll ever be," Danny admitted.

Vlad thought aloud. "I can move money from the banks in London to acquire what I need once we get there."

"Very good," Albus said, as he pulled a spare set of glasses from a pocket from somewhere in his robes. "This is a Portkey. Once activated, it can take us anywhere instantly, magically. Actually, a Portkey can be made from any ordinary object – to make it inconspicuous to Muggle eyes. Be sure to touch it, and I'll start the countdown."

Danny looked apprehensive. "But how am I going to carry all of this and still have a spare hand for this Portkey thing?"

Vlad sighed. "Daniel, considering the costume of our professor friend here, we will need entirely new wardrobes once we get where we are going." Noting Danny's look of panic, Vlad raised a hand to cut him off. "Don't worry – I'll take care of your expenses there, too."

Danny looked pained. "Can I repack the dufflebag? I won't need clothes, as you just said. Just a few… reminders…"

Vlad rolled his eyes. "Fine, but be quick about it. We have a schedule to keep." Danny glared at Vlad, but dragged his bag back to his room. He made a printout of his ghost files, pulled a couple of his NASA posters from the wall (and packed the model spaceship he built as well), and a few framed pictures he left behind the first time. He had one of his family, one of his friends, one of himself and Valerie. It was hard to decide what in his life would make the cut, and what wouldn't. He didn't know if he would ever be back, so he had to make his decisions count.

Fifteen minutes later, Danny came back down the stairs with his bag full of memories (and a set of pajamas and underwear) and his heart heavy. "Let's go," he whispered. He reached for the glasses, dufflebag slung over one shoulder. Vlad took hold, and Albus counted down from three. Danny felt an unpleasant tug as if a hook pulled him from his navel. The business lasted a whole ten seconds as the three of them were transported to Dumbledore's office.

5


	4. Chapter 4

A hearty thank you to all who reviewed and put me and this fic on your alert and favorites list!

Alas! I have come to the end of what I have prewritten. I intend to update, but unlike "A Ghost in Middle-earth," I didn't finish writing THIS from start to finish before I started posting it. I hope to be able to update later this week, but make no promises other than I'll do my best.

Disclaimer: I do not own either _Danny Phantom_ or _Harry Potter_.

Chapter 4

Both Danny and Vlad landed unceremoniously in Professor Dumbledore's office. The professor offered them seats and then excused himself for a moment. Looking around at their new location, Danny took note of the large, circular room with books lining the shelves nearest the walls. Small whirring noises drew Danny's attention to various silver instruments on tables with spindly legs. On the walls were portraits of people who were…snoring? Near the desk stood a perch with a gorgeous red bird that appeared to study the new comers. Danny decided that his day couldn't get any weirder.

His ghost sense informed him that ghosts were in close proximity. As Danny perked up to look for them, Professor Dumbledore returned with a stern looking man and woman, and four ghosts. These ghosts, however, looked different than any ghosts he had ever seen. All four looked human, but they were translucent and wearing clothes reminiscent of centuries gone by. Their faces beamed with pride and joy at him. He noted that they drifted towards him and gave Vlad wary glances. Vlad raised an eyebrow at this but said nothing.

Professor Dumbledore said, "After today's very trying day, both of you deserve well-needed rest. We need to figure out where you will stay. The dormitories for both the professors and the students are located in the arrangement of four Houses, named after the four Founders of Hogwarts: Godric Gryffindor, Salazar Slytherin, Rowena Ravenclaw, and Helga Hufflepuff. Here with me are Professor Minerva McGonagall, the Head of House for Gryffindor and Deputy Headmistress and Professor Severus Snape, the Head of House for Slytherin and Potions Master. The four House Ghosts are Sir Nicholas de Mimsy-Porpington of Gryffindor, and as they choose to be known, the Bloody Baron of Slytherin, the Grey Lady of Ravenclaw, and the Fat Friar of Hufflepuff. They are present at every Sorting, and you need to be Sorted into which House you shall be staying."

Professor McGonagall took the Sorting Hat from its shelf and put it on the desk. Danny looked on curiously, and Vlad looked in disdain at the old, worn hat, until it began to sing.

"_Professor and student, brought in the dead of night_

_Both need to find the places that for them the fit is right._

_Perhaps you go to Gryffindor, who are of a bold sort_

_With bravery and chivalry as their way to comport._

_Or maybe in Slytherin is where you find your friends_

_Driven with ambition until your goal has reached its end._

_Ravenclaw is where you'll be if you're particularly clever_

_For you and your fellows shall slack in your studies – never._

_Or, still yet in Hufflepuff, where words and deeds are loyal_

_And your Housemates, with good cheer, are not afraid of toil._

_So put me on, and I will think and delve into your mind_

_And tell you where you best belong to be with your own kind."_

Danny and Vlad looked at each other, partially in shared shock of watching an article of clothing sing, and partially to size each other up and guess in which House the other would land. Professor McGonagall remarked, "You, Mr. Masters, would be the second Hogwarts professor in several centuries who was not first a student here before he was a professor. The first would be Firenze, the centaur who is one of our two professors of Divination." She sniffed disdainfully at the mention of the subject that was one of the fuzzier branches of magic. Shaking herself briefly out of the moment, she offered the Hat to Vlad.

Glancing at it distastefully, Vlad said, "You mean every one of you has worn this _thing_?"

Professor Snape clucked his tongue, but said in a silky voice, "Indeed, every one of us. _We_ have all been blessed with magical ability, and were students here ourselves, many years ago. Now, if you please, let the Hat Sort you. I don't know what time it was where you are from, but it is 2:30 in the morning, here." Snape was not happy that he was passed over yet again for the position of the teacher of Defense Against the Dark Arts to be given, this time, to a half-ghost with NO magical talent.

Vlad narrowed his eyes at this professor. He didn't trust Professor Snape, as he deemed the professor untrustworthy. He knew the type, being such a character himself. Nonetheless, Snape spoke the truth. It was late here, and both he and Danny had a long and difficult day that would only end once they could go to sleep. And _that_ could only happen, so it seemed, if he wore this battered, old hat and allowed himself to be Sorted.

He sighed, shook his head, took the proffered hat, and put it on. His eyes widened as it spoke to him, reading his and expressing its own thoughts.

'Ambitious, very ambitious, with a serious dark side. Not much stops you from attaining your goals.'

'Except for Daniel,' Vlad thought.

'Indeed,' replied the Hat.

'I am not interested in revealing this "ambition" to these… wizards. I have enough to figure out without advertising myself to them further. They already know too much about me.'

'Your ambition would have been learned, regardless of your placement,' the Hat explained. 'Nevertheless, at your request, you will not go to Slytherin. You have a brilliance and flare for studying, especially when it comes to things that interest and benefit you. You would fit right into RAVENCLAW.' The last word was spoken aloud, such that the others present in the office heard.

The Grey Lady nodded, saying, "Very good. Very interesting…"

Danny looked at Vlad, surprised that he didn't end up in the House defined by ambition. But with a thought, painful though it was, he had to admit that Vlad _was_ good at improving the technology and weaponry he stole from Danny's parents. That human-ghost shield that trapped Jazz and him a few months ago… It hurt to be flung into it so often, as it shocked him every time he came into contact with it, but blocking humans was a clever feature that his parents never thought of. Of course, his parents never sought to imprison humans, either…

A throat cleared, and Danny's attention snapped back to the present. Danny looked at Professor Dumbledore, who nodded encouragingly. His face shone with eager curiosity, as this appeared to be a "once in a lifetime" experience. Professor McGonagall placed the Hat on his head in a well-practiced move. She must have done this countless times. The Hat slipped down over his eyes so that all he could see was the inside of the hat.

'Interesting. Very interesting. Now, where shall I put you? You have a good deal of intelligence, but left to your own devices, you would choose not to study. You are loyal, extremely so, and you can work hard – when properly motivated. And oh, my, yes – you have courage. You have performed many deeds of valour and courage, despite the lack of appreciation others might have had for you and your deeds. But you also have a very strong thirst to prove yourself.'

'I have to,' Danny defended. 'If I don't do certain things, who will?'

'Your strength of determination speaks well for you, though it sometimes leads you to use unorthodox methods to accomplish your goals.'

Danny thought briefly of the time Dash shoved him into a locker, and then Danny overshadowed him, embarrassing Dash in front of Paulina. The memory brought a smile to his lips. 'Yeah, sometimes unorthodox.' But then, just as briefly, he thought about his evil future self and shivered. 'But I won't use it for evil.'

'Of course you won't. Based on where your strengths lie, I say you are cut out for SLYTHERIN.'

Everyone but the Bloody Baron started in surprise at the Sorting Hat's selection for Danny, who said, "Yes, I thought that might be the case. We will settle up later, Sir Nicholas. But for now, we will show our new Housemates to their assorted rooms."

The two younger professors and the four House Ghosts left the headmaster's office, leading Danny and Vlad down a circular staircase that moved of its own accord, not unlike an escalator, but in a spiral. Once at the bottom, the wall sealed itself and a stone gargoyle jumped in front of the place where the door should have been. Both Danny and Vlad started at the sudden movement of what they assumed was an inanimate object that was not obviously possessed by ghosts.

"Oh, have no fear," Sir Nicholas soothed. "Magic has infused itself into the castle for over a thousand years, and some items are spelled to move as they do. Lots of things Muggles are used to being stationary often have lives of their own, so to speak. Staircases move regularly, doors change places, and the subjects of portraits talk, move, and visit each other. These are only a few examples, but you get used to it. The Muggle-born witches and wizards always do.

"Perhaps tomorrow, after you purchase your robes, supplies, books, and wands, we'll give young Daniel the ten Knut tour of Hogwarts. Professor Masters, you might prefer a more sedate tour of the faculty facilities that will end in a tour of the rest of the castle."

Danny was flattered at the attention he was being shown by these ghosts. He couldn't recall a ghostly encounter this friendly since Clockwork, or the Christmas party in the Ghost Zone. Well, maybe Dora… When Danny first met Dora, she and Prince Aragon's henchmen distracted him with bows and arrows and battle-axes. He and Dora got along far better later in the adventure. But these ghosts reminded him of Clockwork, he decided, as they were genuinely friendly with him from start to finish. The ghosts at the Christmas party were friendly enough, but he could tell that they were itching to "resume their hostility." No such feeling came from these ghosts. Unlike the other encounters, Clockwork only had Danny's welfare in mind. That is the impression he got from the House Ghosts.

Vlad was pleased with the deference Sir Nicholas and the other much older ghosts accorded to him as a professor, and he hadn't even learned anything about this Wizarding World or about the Dark Arts and the defenses against them yet. But he had noticed their zeal to spend time with Daniel and their polite reluctance to extend the same courtesy to him. He rolled his eyes, but saw the sense in the separate explorations of their new residence. The ghosts offered to entertain the boy, while he would be treated to a far more dignified situation.

Danny asked, "Why will we need wands? Mr. … um, Professor Dumbledore said that I can't do any wandwork."

Vlad was about to snap back with an answer, but Professor McGonagall got there first. "Mr. Fenton, in order to protect your secret, you and Professor Masters will be required to carry 'wands' at all times. Professor Dumbledore explained that none but the Heads of Houses, the ghosts, and select professors (besides the other members of the Order) should know of your half-ghost status as a safety measure, and this was one method to keep that secret that was decided upon. Perhaps tomorrow or later this week you will meet Professor Flitwick, Head of House for Ravenclaw and professor of Charms. He needs to – and therefore does – know why you will fail to produce any results, despite your best efforts." Danny grimaced. He could see the sense of it.

In the Main Hall, Professor McGonagall and Sir Nicholas headed for one set of stairs. The Fat Friar took off for patrolling duties. The Grey Lady started to lead Vlad to a different staircase while Professor Snape and the Bloody Baron started to lead Danny off to the dungeons. "Wait!" Vlad shouted. He had just taken guardianship of Daniel, and he felt discomfited as he watched a man he didn't trust and a strange ghost begin to lead the boy out of his sight.

Professor Snape and the Bloody Baron stopped and turned to him. "Can I help you?" Snape asked.

"Where are you taking him?" Vlad demanded.

The professor smirked. "The Slytherin dormitories are in the dungeon. Everything is in order." Vlad and Professor Snape stared at each other. Snape could tell, but wasn't exactly sure why, that 'possession' of his newest student was important to this man. As such, he found that it delighted him to show attention to this new Slytherin, as nothing would annoy the older half-ghost more than sending him into a harmless fit of jealousy. "You will see him in the morning at breakfast. Come, Daniel, let me show you to your room."

Danny looked at the two men. He wasn't sure what was going on yet, but it involved Professor Snape and the lack of frission with Vlad. He knew he should be grateful, but it was hard to shift his way of thinking about his arch-enemy. Or, former arch-enemy, at this reckoning. Still, he owed Vlad big time for all that he did today.

He smiled and waved. "Don't worry, Uncle Vlad. I'll be fine," he assured sincerely. "I'll see you in the morning. Good night!" He was far too chipper about this for the addressed man's taste. With that, the professor, student, and ghost turned and descended to the dungeons, leaving a fuming Vlad in their wake to ascend with the Grey Lady.

"Wait!" Both of them stopped on the step they were on. A second or two later, Danny reappeared, puffing slightly and holding his small bundle of night things in one hand, and his dufflebag in the other. Danny ran up the stairs. "Um, Vlad?" Danny started tentatively. Vlad looked at him curiously. "Could you… hold onto this for me? I just… I don't know. The things here are too valuable to me, and I don't know about the other students. I know they're not here yet, but…"

The man stared, touched. The boy, whatever else he might say or think of him, was handing him his bag of treasured memories, for safekeeping. He could understand that children could be cruel, and pranks could be pulled… But Daniel voluntarily parted with all that meant something to him in this world, _and handed it to HIM_.

Vlad held up a hand, cutting off Danny's babble. "Not to worry. I'll take care of it. Maybe tomorrow, I'll show you where I will put it."

Danny sighed gratefully. "Thanks." The Bloody Baron came out of the floor to collect him. "I have to go. Good night."

Vlad put a hand on his shoulder. "Go ahead, little badger. Good night." Danny went ghost to join the Bloody Baron as they sank through the floor, back into the dungeon. Vlad continued up the stairs with the Grey Lady, his thoughts on this last exchange.

6


	5. Chapter 5

Disclaimer: I do not own either _Danny Phantom_ or _Harry Potter_.

Chapter 5

Morning came far too early. Still, Professor Snape knocked on Danny's door. The professor led him up the stairs to the Great Hall, which was just off the Main Hall. The room was huge, but there was only one table down the middle. When Danny looked up, he saw the sun blazing in the East, and the sky was a shade of blue that matched his eyes. "The ceiling of the Great Hall is spelled to look like the sky. You would appreciate it on a clear night, I'm sure, but it is interesting to look at during the rain or snow," the professor explained.

Presently, they joined Vlad, Professor Dumbledore, Professor McGonagall, and a few more people Danny hadn't met yet. Professor McGonagall handed a list to Danny. "While it is true that you were not here to take the Ordinary Wizarding Level exams, all of the courses you will take will be rather intense. As such, you may choose to take a total of up to eight courses. Professor Dumbledore has determined that for you, Charms, Defense Against the Dark Arts, and Potions will be mandatory. You can choose up to five more. Due to circumstances, Transfigurations, the class I teach, has been left off the list."

Looking over the list, Danny saw some things that looked familiar, other things that didn't, and things he wasn't sure he wanted to get involved in. He chose Astronomy with no hesitation. Thinking a little of Sam, he decided to take Herbology and Care of Magical Creatures. Vlad pressed him to fill all eight classes, so he filled the other two slots with Muggle Studies and History of Magic. Just the _name_ Arithmancy made Danny shudder. Satisfied as he was going to be, Danny handed the list back to Professor McGonagall.

Danny said to her, "I don't mean to ask the obvious, but I'm five years of lessons behind everyone in my year. How am I going to catch up?"

"This is a problem. You will need to read the textbooks for each year of the past. (It is a good thing that the books in Defense Against the Dark Arts from what would have been your Second and Fifth years are not at all necessary.) I suppose that for a week, we can call back the professors to help you on your studies." With a smirk at Professor Snape, she continued, "I believe after a week, we will call in some students who need extra credit to help tutor you."

Danny had a chance to meet Professor Flitwick and Professor Sprout, the other two Heads of House and his professors in Charms and Herbology, respectively. The other two professors present, Professor Hagrid and Firenze, were deep in discussion with Professor Dumbledore. As eager as Danny was to make a good impression, he was still uncomfortable with all the attention focused on him. He appreciated what was being done on his behalf, or at least he hoped he did, but dealing with teachers who lived in a school year 'round was still a bit beyond him.

Breakfast was soon over, and Vlad was anxious to head to London. While Daniel went over his class list with Professor McGonagall, the older half-ghost put together a few thoughts of his own for Daniel's education. (He knew he wanted custody of Danny, but the concept of his whole world revolving around the boy began to fray his nerves. He wondered if Daniel had any appreciation of what was to happen on his behalf.)

Hagrid, who – when he stood – seemed too big to be allowed, came to Danny and Vlad's end of the table. "Good to meet yer, Danny, Professor Masters. It's my job to take you to London today. I hear it'll be yer first glimpse of Diagon Alley. I think you'll like it, Danny. Come to think of it, the last student I brought there was young Harry."

Danny looked curious. "Harry who?"

"Why, Harry Potter, of course! Everyone in the Wizarding World knows of Harry Potter, who defeated You-Know-Who." Vlad crossed his arms and raised an eyebrow. "Ah, but you'll learn of him, and a good deal else, I reckon, before the start of the new term. But now we're off to Hogsmeade."

With incredulous indignation, Vlad said, "Hogsmeade? I thought you said we were off to London!"

Patiently, Hagrid explained, "We _are_ off to London. But unless we take the Hogwarts Express, which takes the better part of the day, we need to go to Hogsmeade to get to London by Floo."

Danny shook his head, trying to make sure he heard right. "By flu?"

"Floo powder. There's a fireplace in Hogsmeade that goes straight to Diagon Alley." A fireplace? Confused, Danny said nothing. He wondered when things would feel like they started to make sense, but he was sure that today wasn't the day.

"Hogsmeade is the only town in all of England that is entirely populated by witches and wizards. Students Third year and older who get permission from their parents or guardians get to go on various occasions during the school year. The fireplace _we_ want is in the Three Broomsticks, a pub run by Madam Rosmerta." Vlad and Danny let Hagrid go on about Hogsmeade and things related as they walked. They weren't going to understand what he said, but he didn't seem to notice.

Hagrid reminded Vlad irritatingly of Jack. He rolled his eyes at this realization, but let him go on. At least he didn't have to pretend to be friends with the overgrown oaf.

When they got to Hogsmeade, Danny decided that it resembled something from out of the Renaissance. Nothing was powered by electricity, but no one seemed to notice the lack of modernity. Most of the shops had shingles hanging outside. Lots of stores were boarded up, but the Three Broomsticks seemed busy enough.

"Since You-Know-Who's been back, lots of people have gone missing. Others just don't feel safe. It's a shame. You might've liked Zonko's Joke Shop." Hagrid sighed, looking at Danny. He nodded in appreciation. Danny guessed that this mysterious "You-Know-Who" person was Voldemort. From the little he knew of him, Danny didn't have any problem envisioning Voldemort being scary enough to warrant people being afraid to even say his name. Not the HE would stand with such silliness… But it made him sad to think about it.

Hagrid walked over to the main fireplace, took what appeared to be a flowerpot from the mantle, and offered the dirt inside to Danny and Vlad. "Go on, then." Danny and Vlad shared a glance.

"What are we supposed to do?" Danny asked.

Shaking his head, Hagrid apologized. "You've never done this before, have ya? Right then. Take a handful of Floo Powder and throw it into the fireplace."

Danny shrugged, took a handful of what looked like ash, and threw it into the fireplace. Nothing happened. "Now what?"

Hagrid grimaced. "But that's not… Galloping gargoyles! Ya can't take _anything_ for granted! I forgot," he lowered his tone considerably, "that yer aren't wizards. Here, I'll get it started for ya." Hagrid took a pinch of Floo Powder – with hands the size of garbage can lids, a whole handful would be overkill if he took it – and threw it into the fireplace. With satisfaction, he smiled as the powder burst into green flames, reminding Danny of Skulker's hair. "Now, step into the flames – don't worry, it won't hurt ya – and say 'Diagon Alley,' slowly and clearly. It'll take ya to the Leaky Cauldron. This bit is voice activated: it should work whether _you're_ wizards or not."

Danny went intangible as he stepped into the flames; Hagrid said that they wouldn't hurt him, but dealing with real magic performed by humans was a little frightening, not to mention seriously counter-intuitive. He took a breath and stated, "Diagon Alley!" He felt himself sucked into a swirling whirlwind, as glimpses into other fireplaces flew by. Onward he was hurled until he hit the ground. Much like the place he left, Danny found himself in an old-fashioned inn. He stood up, dusted himself off, and looked around. The lighting was darker than in the Three Broomsticks. Out of sorts, he stared at the fireplace, waiting for Vlad and Hagrid to emerge.

Soon enough, Vlad showed up, not at all happy with the uncomfortable swirling. With his talent of teleportation, it was unnecessary, but at least he was in the right place. Hagrid joined them.

"Now to Gringotts!" Hagrid announced.

Vlad rolled his eyes. "No. The weirdness of the Wizarding World will have to wait. I'm going to Lloyds of London so that I can take out what we need. Further, while I appreciate the need for robes and magical _accoutrements_, Daniel and I need some _normal_ clothes and whatnot. It may have escaped _your_ attention that we came to England with nothing but the clothes on our backs, but we _will_ be properly outfitted and taken care of." With that, he oriented himself, spun on his heel, and headed to the street.

Danny was taken aback. Vlad meant what he said when he told him that he would take care of Danny's expenses. Danny's emotions roiled within him. He wasn't sure what to make of Vlad's generosity. An arch-enemy, a guardian, a benefactor… His head spun with the role shift. Two days ago was one thing. Even yesterday was different; Vlad could receive public recognition even as he helped Danny. But this act of true kindness from Vlad unnerved him. He was so dazed by his own torrent of emotion that he failed to notice the grandeur of one of the most famous banks (and insurance syndicates) in the world.

Distances meant nothing, if you knew your way around and could teleport. Grasping Danny's shoulder, Vlad arrived at a mall. After going to the bank and withdrawing what he'd need and want to deposit in this mysterious "Gringotts," Vlad felt more in his own element. He sighed and turned to Danny. "Look, Daniel. I have a date with a haberdashery and a few errands to take care of. Go where you like and pick out what you want. In an hour, I'll call you."

'Butter biscuits!' he thought. 'Roaming charges!' Working out cell phones on a British plan was simple enough to do, but it temporarily slipped his mind.

"The only thing I will insist on is that you get at least two dark formal suits. When this insanity is over, you will need to dress appropriately for job interviews." Danny jerked his head at this, but Vlad ignored him. "Now go. You have an hour." And with that, Vlad disappeared in a whirl of mist. How he managed to do this when no one noticed mystified Danny, but Vlad DID have more than 20 years experience with this sort of thing.

Job interviews? They weren't immediate in Danny's thoughts, but it made sense. He would want to be independent at some point, and his guardian WAS a businessman, no matter how many deals were not at all above board. These were thoughts for another day, he decided.

Vlad might have put financial resources beyond measure at Danny's disposal, but he remained the same kid he always was. It didn't take Danny long to find a store that carried clothes not unlike those he had at home. He was pretty sure this wouldn't take him a whole hour. Once he figured out the British sizing system. He sighed. This WOULD take a while.

As good as his word, Vlad called him one hour later. (He wasn't sure how Vlad had his number, but Danny couldn't be bothered to care.) Vlad found Danny at his department store of choice, his selections filling a cart. Still unencumbered by clothing purchases, the billionaire paid for Danny's things with pounds and pence out of pocket. What Danny DID notice Vlad had, were two large bags from Barnes and Noble. Danny couldn't help but wonder. "Where's your things?"

"I'll pick them up later. They already have my specifications. Don't worry about it." Duh, Danny thought to himself. Vlad is an international businessman – VladCo was recognized all over the world. Either he's been to London to buy clothes (apparently tailor-made) before, or he gets them from a company with an outlet that could send the pertinent information to the London branch. "Now to get back to that…inn."

Danny took hold of the bags of his new things and Vlad touched his arm. They disappeared and rematerialized in an alley not far from where they began their London trip. Both Vlad and Danny were good at noticing landmarks – this skill kept them on target when flying. What disconcerted both of them is that the Leaky Cauldron disappeared. There was no sign of it. Vlad swore under his breath. How could a whole storefront DISAPPEAR?

Danny was torn between being concerned about returning to the Wizarding World and being amused as Vlad's temper turned him different colors. Still determined not to draw Vlad's anger quite yet, Danny suggested, "Maybe Hagrid will come and get us. And if not… it's not like we couldn't walk through the wall to try and find that inn." Vlad stopped to consider when Hagrid appeared from a door that was not there until he opened it. Vlad thought, it was like Hagrid opened a portal. But how…

"Knew you'd be back soon. I looked out for you every 15 minutes. The Leaky Cauldron is spelled to be invisible to Muggles. You wouldn't be able to get back in on your own. Unless, of course, you operated like ghosts and walked through the wall." Danny smirked. He was right!

"Wait a minute!" Vlad growled.

"Let's get in first," Hagrid said simply. Vlad's eyes flashed red and Danny gasped. Vlad could be quite scary when he set his mind to it, and it was moments like now that usually portended a sneak move and a lot of pain for him, when HE was the target of such anger. Was he that angry with Hagrid?

Slamming the door shut behind him, Vlad, in his anger, caught Hagrid's attention. He held a large hand up, catching the furious half-ghost off-guard. "Gimme a minute. Tom!"

A man from behind the bar greeted him. "Hagrid! Do you want your…Is that Harry?"

"Not today. But we do need a private room, and a round of drinks."

"Right this way." Tom led the trio up some stairs and into a room away from other patrons. There was one table and three seats.

Looking at Vlad and Danny, Hagrid said, "Thanks, Tom. I think two firewhiskeys and one butterbeer will do the trick." Tom nodded and left to fill their order. "As you were sayin'…"

Hagrid invited Vlad to continue his rant? There was something wrong with this picture, Danny concluded.

Vlad exploded. "How many of you professors _know_ of our being half-ghosts? I thought that Dumbledore said our secret was safe!"

Frowning at the almost disparaging comment about Professor Dumbledore, Hagrid hissed, "Don't speak against the Headmaster! A better man than Dumbledore you'll never find!"

Vlad still fumed, but he felt a power shift. It wasn't as dramatic as it was with Dumbledore. He calculated that in a pinch, he could take down this large man. But now he was curious. It wouldn't do to take out the man with the answers to your questions. In a much more dangerous whisper than his previous outburst, Vlad asked, "Then how do _you_ know?"

Hagrid sat back, unconcerned. "Of the living professors, no one knows but Dumbledore, the four Heads of House, Firenze, and me."

"And how did you and the centaur get to be so lucky?"

Hagrid sighed. "Because like you, we are also half-breeds and can help you relate to the Wizarding World from that perspective. My mother was a giant, so I'm a half-giant. You kin figure out Firenze on your own." He turned from Vlad to Danny. "So how did you guys become half-ghosts, anyway?"

A small smile came to Danny's lips. "A lab accident with my parents' Ghost Portal. For Uncle Vlad, it happened in college. For me, it happened in my parents' basement lab. My friends kinda encouraged me… but I was curious, anyway. Getting shocked by the non-functioning portal and having ectoplasm bond to my DNA wasn't a part of the equation I counted on."

Oddly, the words 'Uncle Vlad' seemed to calm the man more than anything. 'I can get used to that. Especially when he says it so sincerely and frankly,' he thought. The three of them fell silent when Tom knocked on the door and brought them their drinks.

6


	6. Chapter 6

For those interested in the calculations of Muggle money to Wizard money, I used the money converter at HP Lexicon, or http: / www . hp-lexicon . info / wizworld/ galleons . html

Also, when I wrote it, the conversion between American dollars and British pounds was 1 pound = 1.97 dollars, and 1 dollar = .51 pounds. I don't believe shillings are still in use, but I remember that they were difficult for me to think about when I first learned about them.

Disclaimer: I do not own either _Danny Phantom_ or _Harry Potter_.

Chapter 6

Apparently, the firewhiskey WAS what was necessary. Vlad was a lot calmer (although most of that had more to do with Danny's casual reference to him as "uncle.") Now that he was pretty sure fireworks wouldn't go off, Danny felt it was safe to ask Vlad what was really on his mind. "Vlad, you have a lot of books. Does Barnes and Noble have anything left?"

The man smiled at Danny's impertinence. The boy was coming back to himself. "Ah, ah, ah. If I told you now, it would ruin the surprise for later." He smiled while Danny rolled his eyes. "Now, let's see the list of supplies you need." Danny shrugged and handed him the list. "Three sets of plain black work robes. Fair enough. One plain pointed hat for day wear. A pointed hat? Seriously? Bah! A pair of protective gloves of dragon hide? You better hope Skulker didn't find your friend Dora."

Danny flushed. "You've got to be kidding me. He couldn't hit the broadside of a barn, or I'd be 'a pelt on his wall' a long time ago."

"Has it never occurred to you that the reason he never fulfilled all those threats is that I commanded him not to?"

Danny cocked his head, working on a snappy comeback when Hagrid shook his head. "Ya haven't been at this family thing long, have ya?"

Mirthlessly, Danny laughed. "Not exactly."

"Not another word, Daniel," Vlad said sharply. "These people – excuse me – SOME people may know our secret, but there's no need to air dirty laundry, hmm? Now, I think it's time to see if we can get our things checked before we head into this Wizarding World."

Hagrid shook his head again. If Professor Masters wanted to keep his relation with his nephew private, that was his business. He arranged a bag check with Tom and brought them to a door on the far side of the ground floor. He led them out a door to what seemed to be an alleyway. "This is another door ya couldn't open yerselves, but ya COULD phase through, if ya were of a mind." He took an umbrella out of a deep pocket from somewhere in his robes and tapped some of the bricks. From Hagrid's concentration, the halfas decided that there appeared to be a specific order or something. When he finished, a small hole appeared in the brick, and it grew until it produced an archway. "Welcome ta Diagon Alley!"

Danny saw a sign that announced Hagrid's greeting. "It says 'Welcome to…' Is this for real? Diagon Alley… Diagonally." After missing a salient pun or two, like "M. Bersback" and "Bert Rand," he was on the lookout for such things. "And don't tell me that you find dark stuff on Nocturne Alley."

"How did you know? But that's not a reputable section of town. We'll be stayin' away from Knockturn Alley, as you won't have ANY business there."

Danny looked like he sucked a lemon. "I was kidding. I didn't know it was really there."

There were people all over the place. There were boarded up shops, but not as many as in Hogsmeade. The atmosphere was subdued, as Hagrid mentioned that people WERE worried, but there were still all kinds of witches, wizards, and other creatures that appeared to be not-quite-human. "This is where you'll come back and get your things." Hagrid pointed to a row of shops.

"But now, it's off to Gringotts for ya!" Following Hagrid's finger, Danny noticed a huge white building. It was tall and majestic. "Gringotts has been around for centuries. It's the safest place for storin' just about anything in the world, except Hogwarts, o' course."

He wasn't sure if it was the butterbeer or his natural wonder and curiosity about the Wizarding World, but Danny paid attention to the detail. He saw the poem on the second set of doors upon entry to the bank, warning against thieves.

"_Enter stranger, but take heed_

_Of what awaits the sin of greed._

_For those who take, but do not earn,_

_Must pay most dearly in their turn._

_So if you seek beneath our floors_

_A treasure that was never yours,_

_Thief, you have been warned, beware_

_Of finding more than treasure there._"

Danny looked at Vlad, who read the poem and looked thoughtful. Would Vlad take it as a reassurance or a personal challenge? Danny was curious, but he wasn't sure he really wanted to know. "These are bold words. I appreciate security. What kind of defenses are there, to back up such a bold statement?" The question didn't give Danny the answer he wanted, but he wasn't going to ask.

Hagrid answered, "There are all kinds of enchantments. Goblins may not be wizards, but they've got their own magic. Also, they say there are dragons."

Interesting, thought Vlad. But on to business. He marched in with an aristocratic confidence. Danny trailed behind, looking around. So _these_ are goblins. You learn something new every day.

Vlad approached the tallest counter to discover another goblin manning it. "I would like to speak to whomever is in charge of this establishment."

"That would be me. How can I help you today, sir?" Danny blinked as he heard the goblin's voice. He never heard a voice be quite so baleful and yet helpful at the same time. It was as if the goblin was proud of his work, but resentful of something.

"I want to open an account. I'm starting with a rather large sum, and I want this done correctly."

"Yes, sir. That is what we do." Vlad handed the goblin a certified bank check from Lloyds of London for three million pounds. "I assume you want this converted to Galleons, Sickles, and Knuts."

Pausing at the unfamiliar terms, Vlad said, "Yes. How much would that be?"

The goblin gave him a curious but mistrustful look. "With a customs rate of 5, the rate is 1 Galleon to 5 Muggle British pounds, and 1 Muggle British pound is only 3 Sickles and 11 Knuts. In short, 3 million pounds works out to 6 hundred thousand Galleons. Regardless of the exchange rate, within Wizarding currency, there are 17 Sickles to the Galleon, and 29 Knuts to the Sickle."

Vlad followed the 3 million to the 6 hundred thousand. Apparently, Galleons were worth five times more than even British pounds. But the Galleons to Sickles to Knuts… "Those inter-Wizarding exchange numbers seem rather random."

With a sneer, the goblin spat, "And tell me that pounds, shillings, and pence make _more_ sense. All currency exchange is arbitrary, but to the people who set them."

Vlad really couldn't argue with that. The money he was most used to, American dollars and cents, worked on a decimal system since its inception. Britain had since used a decimal system of pounds and pence for years, but news of such things seemed to come slowly to the Wizarding World. Either that, or the goblin was having a laugh at the ignorant Muggle's expense. Vlad felt sure it was the latter, but he would not be moved by it. It would be unprofessional to dissemble about business matters. Besides, Vlad would ask the Grey Lady about it when they returned to Hogwarts. If he found out he was cheated, he'd come back and blast the goblin later.

Schooling his features into a more businesslike expression, the goblin analyzed the bank check. He held it to the light, he tapped it, and he ran a finger over it as if checking for textural irregularities. He pulled it taut, let it slack, and pulled it taut again a few times. Danny looked on curiously, but Vlad was becoming annoyed. "What are you doing?" he asked. He sounded only mildly impatient.

"You are starting an account with an awful lot of money. There is nothing wrong with that, but I have to make sure it isn't counterfeit. Goblins may not be wand-carriers, but we ARE capable of a few spells for this purpose. Humans may think nothing of cheating each other or other species, but if you are opening an account here, it _will_ be done honestly." The menace and contempt for all things human and wizard could not be more clear. And neither could his intentions be more clear. He continued his inspections. Vlad looked to Hagrid, who just shrugged. That was just the way things were.

When at last the goblin concluded that the bank note was indeed genuine, he turned to Vlad. "What is the name of the holder of this account?"

"Vladimir Masters."

"Very good, sir." The goblin reached under the counter, pulled out a key, and ran a finger over it. The key developed grooves and intricate patterns. "This is a key to your new vault, Mr. Masters. Your vault is 1397. Gornuk will take you to it, so you can inspect the coins and withdraw what you like." The goblin narrowed his eyes. "The Wizarding World doesn't take paper and plastic, Mr. Masters. Gornuk, show these… wizards the way to Mr. Master's vault."

Gornuk appeared from what seemed to be a back room holding a lantern, and led Hagrid, Vlad, and Danny to a… well, it reminded Danny of nothing so much as a mining cart, on tracks. Hagrid turned a little green just looking at the cart. "Do ya want me to stay with ya, or will ya be okay on your own? I really don't care for the ride if I don't have ta go."

Vlad looked at Danny, the goblin, and back at Hagrid. Walking up to Hagrid, Vlad asked quietly, "Will _he_," gesturing his head at Danny, "be safe? Can these… goblins be trusted?"

Hagrid nodded. "There's no finer bankers anywhere. Goblins an' humans may not always be on best terms, but trust them to know their job. They don't care to cheat wizards, or folks using Wizarding money. It's a matter of pride for them. The ride is safe. It just… is a little fast. Go on. You'll be fine." Vlad noted that Hagrid was sincere.

"Right then." Turning to Gornuk and Danny, he said, "Fine. I'm ready when you are." They got into the cart and waved at Hagrid. The cart took off like a shot. It was like a roller coaster! The cart swung up, it took dips, it made sharp turns. Despite their keen senses of direction, neither Vlad nor Danny thought they could figure out how to get here on his own, which was the point. A burst of light down a tunnel caught Danny's attention. From the shape and color of the burst of light he could tell there WERE dragons here! He would have to tell Tuck this was better than Floody Waters. But then he remembered – Tuck wasn't there anymore. The ride was still fun, but Danny felt a bit more sober.

The cart came to a stop in front of vault 1397. They all got out. Gornuk held out his hand. "Key, please." Vlad cocked his head. "I take it you're new at this, sir. None can open any vault here, save for a goblin. If you want access to your vault, I have to open it. So hand me your key, please." Vlad handed the goblin his key. Gornuk put the key in the hole and turned it. They heard a series of clicks, and then a ponderous door opened.

Gornuk stepped away from the door, allowing Vlad and Danny to come in. On the floor, there were three massive mounds: one of gold coins, one of silver, and one of bronze. "The gold coins are Galleons. The silver coins are Sickles, and the bronze coins are Knuts. There are 17 Sickles to the Galleon, and 29 Knuts to the Sickle. And this," Gornuk pulled a leather pouch out of a pocket, "is for you. Professor Dumbledore thought you might appreciate this, as you opened your account today. It is spelled to not tear, no matter the weight of the coins you put in it."

Dumbledore arranged for a moneybag to be given to Vlad? The older half-ghost said, "I'll have to thank him when we get back." He thanked the goblin as he took the pouch from him. Vlad tried to figure out what would be necessary. This exchange rate would give him a headache. He would ponder over it later. But for now, five large handfuls from each pile ought to work. If not, he could always come back later.

Danny looked in awe. He had never seen such a collection of gold and silver, and even the bronze looked impressive. Danny looked at Vlad. "This isn't even close to all of it, is it?"

Vlad studied Danny for a moment. "No, it isn't. But this is what 3 million pounds looks like in Wizard money. That is more than 6 million American dollars. And you know I have billions. You may not be good at math, but we'll work on that. Not right now. Now we need to get back and get your schoolbooks, supplies, and uniforms, and… robes. Come. " They left the vault. Gornuk closed the vault behind him and gave Vlad back his key. Handing Danny the lantern, Gornuk set course for the ground floor. It was the roller coaster ride in reverse. Danny still enjoyed it. Vlad's face was impossible to read. They met Hagrid in the chamber they started from, not far from the desk.

Upon leaving Gringotts, Danny realized that he didn't know where to go. There were many things on his list. Vlad took the list from him again. "If we plan this logically, it would make sense to start with what might take the shortest time, least expense and weight."

Danny looked at his list. "I guess that means that wands should come first."

Hagrid grinned. "You're gonna like this one, Danny. I'll show you. Come this way." They walked past a building with a title that read, "Ollivanders: Makers of Fine Wands Since 382 B.C." Vlad cleared his throat, but Hagrid kept walking. A few storefronts later, Vlad tried again. Hagrid didn't seem to notice.

"Excuse me!" Vlad exclaimed. "The wand shop is this way! Where do you think you're taking us?"

Hagrid raised his eyebrows and spoke quietly, so that only Vlad and Danny could hear. "I'm takin' ya to get yer wands. But ya might keep summat in mind: Ollivander's isn't goin' to be able to help you. First of all, Mr. Ollivander has been missing for a month. Second of all, yer not wizards. A proper wand would be useless to you, and it could be turned as a weapon against ya. Where _we're_ goin' is Weasleys' Wizard Wheezes. This _is _a joke shop. They'll sell you things that look like wands, but won't really be. An' I think you'll get on famously with the twins, Danny. Here we are."

Danny saw a display that reminded him of a picture he once saw of Times Square, with the lights and the business. Danny read the huge purple sign outside. "WHY ARE YOU WORRYING ABOUT YOU-KNOW-WHO? YOU SHOULD BE WORRYING ABOUT U-NO-POO – THE CONSTIPATION SENSATION THAT'S GRIPPING THE NATION!"

Danny murmured, "It looks like someone took a bad situation and had some fun with it. The ad… U-No-Poo?" He giggled. They entered the store.

"Fred! George!" Hagrid bellowed. Two tall red-headed gentlemen appeared in front of them. "I'd like to introduce you to Professor Masters and Danny Fenton. And these fellers here," he turned back to Danny and Vlad, nodding at the red-heads, "are Fred and George Weasley."

"Ah, we've been waiting for you." Said one.

"We'd ask you to step into the back room where we can speak freely." Said the other. Danny looked at them. They were identical. He shrugged and followed them back. Once all five of them were in the back room, Fred closed and locked the door. "We are members of the Order, so Professor Dumbledore told us about you."

George continued, "As such, we've prepared special wands for you. Free of charge. They are Order business, and therefore necessary." He pulled two wands from a shelf. "All of our fake wands are spell activated. But if someone disarmed you, they would normally be able to figure out that these weren't real. From one use, the wands usually turn into a chicken, or a licorice stick, or any number of things."

"But Nearly Headless Nick helped us out with this one."

"Excuse me?" Danny asked.

Only Fred said it, but both twins blushed. "Sorry about that. That would be Sir Nicholas, the Gryffindor Ghost, who helped us work on these wands."

"Why did you call him 'Nearly Headless'?"

Fred smirked. "Unfortunately, when he was killed, the executioner didn't decapitate him properly, as he had used a blunt axe. It bothers him tremendously that Sir Patrick Delaney-Podmore won't let him join the Headless Hunt." Danny looked at Vlad, who also looked to be taken aback.

"A headless hunt? How could a ghost choose to be headless?" Danny was distressed.

"Um, it's a ghost thing." Danny and Vlad stared. Fred's blush deepened. "Uh, maybe you'd do better to ask Sir Nicholas."

Danny shook his head, clearing it of that disturbing image. "What's so special about these wands?"

George smiled. "See, like any wand in the hand of a Muggle, they won't operate in your hands, any more than any other wand. But Sir Nicholas helped us perfect a spell that would work against a wizard who tried to use your wands. Any wizard who used your wands who wasn't also a ghost would have ectoplasm fire at them from the handle. We've discovered that – on living folk – ectoplasm is merely harmless goo, but it would be distracting enough for you to mount your own defense against whoever took your wands."

Vlad raised an eyebrow. "Wouldn't the sudden appearance of ectoplasm be a dead give-away to who or what we are?"

"Not at all," answered Fred. Danny was amused at how the twins switched off. "Months ago, we asked Mr. Ollivander questions about security features on wands. At the time, it was little more than idle curiosity, but he told us that normally a wand chooses the wizard. And a wand changes allegiance if it is properly won in battle. But sometimes a security measure can be added. I'd have to study more on _why_ it works, but a wand doesn't always work against the wizard who holds its allegiance. It is deep wand-lore, but it works. As such, the wands have been spelled to protect you."

"Shall we show them?"

Fred chuckled. "Sure. I think… it's your turn to get slimed."

George sighed. "I think you're right." He extended a wand to Danny. "Here, Danny. Hold one and give it a wave." Danny was a little nervous. Excess ectoplasm is something his parents' weaponry specialized in. He waved the wand, and nothing happened. He felt a little silly, but also relieved.

Fred said, "Good show. Exactly nothing happened, as is proper. Now, kindly hand your wand to my esteemed brother." Danny shrugged and handed his wand to George, who smiled but sighed again.

Waving it around, George said, "See, simply _handling_ it won't trigger it. Now, I'll try a simple levitation spell. _Winga_AAAR!" True to his word, George was soon covered in green ectoplasm. Both Danny and Vlad grinned. This would work. Fred took pity on his brother and cleaned him up with a quick _Evanesco_ with his own wand.

Danny thought about this. "Levitation? I _think_ I can do that. I know I can as a ghost. Let me try it." He looked at a box on the floor and concentrated, pointing at it. It rose a little, wobbling in the air, and then Danny gently let it back on the floor. The twins stared wide-eyed, and then applauded. "And that was without _Wingardium Leviosa_," they murmured.

Vlad raised an eyebrow and crossed his arms. "Needs work. We'll cover it in one of our special classes. Unlike the Wizarding classes, which I understand are a few times a week, your lessons with _me_ will be daily."

"Fair enough," Danny said.

"We'll discuss that later," Vlad said with an enigmatic smile.

Fred and George were impressed with this small display of Danny's ghostly powers. They looked at each other, came to a silent decision, and nodded. "You know, you look like the benefactor who gave us our start," Fred told Danny.

George said, "And like as not, the Order may need you to have some other products. But regardless… We like your face. Anytime you wish to have our products, you may have them on the house. But don't tell our brother Ron. He'll be insanely jealous."

Danny smiled gratefully. "Thanks. I don't know how much I'd actually be able to use, though."

Fred smiled. "Not to worry. If you come back, we'll give you the grand tour, pointing out which products require spells and which are spelled to work without further magical effort." He brightened as he thought of what was coming next. "And you might even appreciate our newest line: Muggle magic tricks. In the Wizarding World, they're mere novelties. But if you've a quick hand, I'm sure _you_ can do them flawlessly."

George reminded, "And you might look into our Skiving Snack Box line. They're always excellent for ducking out of a class you don't care for."

"I think not!" Vlad spat. Danny huffed. He didn't think he'd actually use such a thing… often. But without his own money, he counted on Vlad to be on board with any purchases he might choose. Or not, if what he wanted would be free. "Besides – no tricks of ANY sort would get you out of your training sessions for your powers, whatever else you might do." Danny sighed in resignation. "Anyway, we have more things to get before returning to Hogwarts."

Danny thanked the twins once more, thinking of the fun things he might get if he had a chance to come back here. After leaving the joke shop and following Vlad's logic, they then picked up the brass scales, the crystal phials, the potion making material, and the telescope. Vlad had no problem entertaining Danny's desire by getting him a high- resolution refraction telescope. The boy was NASA-bound, and the joy that radiated from him with this purchase was worth it. The cauldron would wait until after they purchased the books and the robes.

When the three of them reached Flourish and Blotts, Danny noticed a shabby looking stall hawking wares of various sorts. The one sign that caught his attention read, "Amulets: Effective Against Werewolves, Dementors, and Inferi." Danny didn't know what Dementors or Inferi were, but the werewolf thing made him frown. "Hagrid, wasn't that professor a werewolf?"

"Ya mean Professor Lupin? It turns out he is. Still, he's a gentle soul. A great man, and a great wizard. Not unlike his best mates, James Potter and Sirius Black." Hagrid said sadly.

"Why would folks want wards against werewolves?"

Hagrid shook his head. "Ah, young Danny. Werewolves are considered Dark creatures, though they are practically fully human for any day and night that isn't the full moon. It's that one night a month that needs worryin' about, but if they take their Wolfsbane Potion, not even then. Otherwise, they become feral monsters that could either kill others or turn others to werewolves as well. But with the Werewolf Registry, the Ministry makes sure of who they all are and that they've access to the Wolfsbane Potion. That makes sure they keep their human consciousness when they've turned wolf."

Vlad interrupted. "A werewolf registry? Has this Ministry no regard for the fact these people are mostly human, too?"

Hagrid shook his head sadly. "Unfortunately, no, they don't. The Ministry considers them beasts. Serious shame, that." Vlad and Danny stood, frowning indignantly at the injustice of it all.

"Teaching Defense Against the Dark Arts, will I? I now have a course of study in mind." Speaking more to himself, Vlad muttered, "I'll have to talk to McGonagall or Dumbledore, or even Snape about Ministry policy. But about Dark creatures… That's what we'll focus on…" Vlad continued to mutter to himself as he entered the bookstore and wandered between the shelves, leaving Danny and Hagrid to their own devices.

Hagrid looked at Danny. "Getting' yer books won't be hard. We'll just get one of the employees and give him yer list. He'll pull 'em off the shelves for ya." They found the assistant manager.

"Excuse me?" Danny asked.

The assistant manager looked at the boy. "It's a little early for the Hogwarts crowd, isn't it?"

Danny answered, "I'm a foreign exchange student, and in America, July is right on target for 'back-to-school' sales."

"As you like it. Let me have a look at your list." The assistant manager got him _The Standard Book of Spells, Grades 1-6, A History of Magic, Magical Theory, One Thousand Magical Herbs and Fungi, Magical Drafts and Potions, Advanced Potion Making, Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them, Monster Book of Monsters, The Dark Forces: A Guide to Self-Protection, Confronting the Faceless,_ and _Homelife and Social Habits of British Muggles_. Danny rolled his eyes at the last one. He figured that he'd finish it in one night. He picked up some parchment, quills, and ink. Danny thanked the assistant manager, who smiled graciously.

As they waited for Vlad to resurface, Hagrid told Danny, "I hear Dumbledore's calling back a few of the professors to help ya out this week. So far, you've met me, Professors McGonagall, Snape, Flitwick, and Sprout. Later, ya'll meet Professor Burbage, who teaches Muggle Studies, Professor Sinistra, who teaches Astronomy, and Professor Binns, who teaches History of Magic."

Danny's eyes lit up when Hagrid mentioned Astronomy. "You know, I don't think I'll need to spend too much time catching up in Muggle Studies or Astronomy. Muggle Studies, from how Professor Dumbledore described it, will just explain normal life as I'm used to it. And Astronomy… I've wanted to be an astronaut for as long as I can remember."

"What's an astronaut?" Hagrid asked.

Danny was dumbfounded. "You know, they go up in outer space in the various shuttles, visit the moon, spend time in space stations, and other things to help explore the space scape."

Hagrid looked confused. "Sorry. It must be a Muggle thing. I haven't heard of wizards goin' up in space."

Danny shook his head. "Then, I guess it's a good thing I'm a Muggle, isn't it?"

Before Hagrid could respond, Vlad came back to them with a stack of books in his arms. "There's a bit of reading I'll need to do for some lesson planning." Vlad paid for everything, and they headed to Madam Malkin's.

Vlad, used to purchasing tailor-made clothes, gave Madam Malkin his measurements and told her what materials and colors he wanted his robes to come in. For Danny, however, this was an entirely new experience.

"You're in for Hogwarts? I don't have your measurements yet."

"I'm a foreign exchange student." This became one of Danny's new favorite expressions.

"What year will you be entering?"

"Sixth year."

"Already? Right, then. You'll also probably want some dress robes for Yule or other occasions besides the standard school uniform."

"I guess."

"Yes, you will," Vlad commented. They may be new to this Wizarding World, but they were going to have only the best, he determined.

Danny shrugged and sighed. "Whatever you say, Uncle Vlad." Vlad beamed. They picked out a color or two that would look smart on Danny.

Madam Malkin finished his measurements. "That's you done, dear."

"When should we be back?" Vlad asked.

"In about twenty minutes." Vlad blinked.

"Right then. Come, Daniel. Now to get that cauldron. And a surprise, and then we'll be back." Danny had nothing to say, so he just trailed after Vlad.

After purchasing the cauldron (pewter, standard size 2), Vlad whispered in Hagrid's ear. Danny looked puzzled as Hagrid led them in a different direction. Within a couple of blocks, they came to The Magical Menagerie. Danny blinked. Vlad said, "I thought you might appreciate some extra love. Go on. Pick something out."

Danny didn't know what to make of all of this. Vlad was being too nice. "But I…"

"Don't worry about it. Really. Think of it as an… adoption gift." Unable to sort out his emotions, Danny just did as he was told.

Once he walked in, he saw that there wasn't much room. The walls and every last inch was lined with cages. There were cats of all colors, purple toads noisily impressing each other and catching flies. The rats looked like they ran races and were arguing about which was the winner. One cage held a bunch of indefinable (to Danny, at least) fur balls. There were tanks with snakes, and all sorts of other animals that Danny could and couldn't identify. He smiled as he thought of all the times he told Vlad to get a 'lonely guy cat.' His attention went back to the cats. His eyes were drawn to one cat that reminded himself of his ghostly form. The cat was black with white paws, a white tail tip, and a white underside. "I'll take you."

The shopkeeper took the cat out and handed it to Danny. "It's a girl."

Danny smiled. "Thanks." Looking at the cat in his hands, he said, "I know. I'll name you… Morph."

Vlad came in to see what Daniel selected. "No, you didn't…" He was seriously amused that the boy chose a cat for himself. And it looked like him in his ghost form, with a little imagination. "What did you name her?"

"Morph." The cat purred loudly in response to hearing her new name.

Vlad shook his head. "Only you, Daniel. Only you."

After picking up a few things necessary to take care of the cat, they headed back to Madam Malkin's. Vlad picked up and paid for all their new robes, and they headed back to the Leaky Cauldron. They checked their new packages, bringing Morph along with them back to the private room they shared before. Vlad told Danny and Hagrid to wait, as he just wanted to pick up the suits he ordered earlier that morning. Having a better feel for where he was, Vlad turned into Plasmius and evaporated.

"He'll be back," Danny said, unnecessarily.

Hagrid asked him, "So, what do ya think about yer first real brush with the Wizarding World?"

Danny thought for a moment. "So far, it seems to be very weird, but wonderful. And dangerous."

"Too right, ya are. But ya get used to it. I remember when I brought Harry to Diagon Alley, and he knew about as much as you do about the Wizarding World. His infernal aunt and uncle… Anyway, he got on just fine. And now, he's one of the finest young wizards you'll find anywhere. You may not be a wizard, but I think you can enjoy yerself once you know yer way around and are trained up a bit."

"I hope so," Danny said. He missed his family, and Sam and Tucker. He ached to share his interesting time with them.

"Ya'll be fine. Not to worry."

Vlad returned through the door, carrying his bags from Barnes and Noble. "Hagrid," Vlad said more politely than he seemed to be towards him this whole trip, "if you would be so good… I would like a little 'alone' time with my nephew. We haven't had such a time since he first came to me a few days ago. Daniel, would it be all right if he took the cat? It will only be for half an hour or so. After that, we can order lunch."

Hagrid eyed the cat warily. He was allergic to them, but he couldn't very well deny the two grieving family members some time to be alone. "Alright. I'll be downstairs – achoo! – relaxing a bit. It's been a busy morning." With that, he turned, and headed downstairs, sneezing intermittently.

Once they were alone, Vlad smiled at Danny. "I never got the chance to properly thank you. Of all the people you could have sought out as a source of solace, you chose me."

Danny downcast his eyes. "I didn't really see that I had anywhere else to go."

Thinking to himself, Vlad imagined that Daniel _could_ have chosen to go to one of his friend's parents, to Valerie, to his Aunt Alicia, or any number of other sources of authority. But it wasn't useful to tell Danny this. "I could see that. But to call me 'Uncle Vlad' on your own pleases me to no end."

"Yeah, well. It's the least I could do. I don't know how to thank you for all that you've done for me."

"Normally, I'd work on coming up with something. But at this point, the fact that you've voluntarily become my charge is thanks enough. I'm sure I'll delight in our long evenings together."

Danny shook his head. "What?"

"We have your daily classes with me."

"I've spent time training and working on strengthening my powers with Sam and Tucker. While I could see powers training taking an hour or so, I don't see it as taking a whole evening."

"My dear boy, you don't only have that one class with me, although that will be the only class I will insist you take seven days a week. You have _three_ classes we'll have daily: training with your powers, English (and American) literature, and Business math and ethics." At this point, Vlad started drawing books out of the Barnes and Nobles bags. _The Complete Works of Charles Dickens, The Complete Works of Robert Frost, The Complete Works of Emily Dickenson_… Danny's eyes went wide as he saw Vlad's highly ambitious curriculum unfold before him. Mark Twain, Wadsworth, Longfellow, Shakespeare, Robert Browning, Elizabeth Barrett Browning, Lord Alfred Tennyson, Thomas Hardy, Edgar Allan Poe. The literature books came to an end. There were two books left: a textbook on Business math and statistics, and one on Business ethics. Danny paled.

"But…"

"But your worldly education will continue. Whether you choose your father's profession, or my profession, or any other, you will need to continue your English and math skills, regardless. You _do_ want to be an astronaut when all is said and done, do you not?"

Danny noticed that this was the first time he could remember Vlad mention his father without the attached epithet "idiot." This, and the mention of Danny's aspirations to join the space program, almost threw him off-guard. But only almost. "Wait a minute. Business ethics?"

Vlad leaned in close to Danny. "You need to know what the rules are before you break them."

Danny, scandalized, jumped out of his seat and away from the table. He shouted, "I'm nothing like…" He stopped. Unlike any of the other times he insisted he was nothing like Plasmius, this time he was actually WITH Vlad, at Danny's own choice. He winced.

Vlad stood up to follow Danny. "Nothing like me, hmm? That's what you'd like to think, I'm sure. But here we are, together in England, because of how very much alike we are." Danny hung his head in defeat. Vlad smiled an extremely satisfied smile. Danny looked away.

"Mom wouldn't approve of me following your version of 'business ethics'."

Vlad sighed. "_Touché_, Daniel. You are correct. Of course, there is no need for you to follow that particular route." Almost with a sour look, Vlad continued. "But you should still learn Business ethics. Whether or not you choose to follow my model of acquisition, you _are_ the only heir to my wealth. Some day, assuming that half-ghosts _can_ die, all that I have will be yours. And you WILL need to know how to deal with it."

Danny didn't know what to say. He never thought of the deeper implications of having Vlad as a guardian. He shook his head, looking miserable. All of this was far too much to take in.

Walking over to Danny, Vlad put what he intended to be a comforting hand on the boy's back. "Enough of this for now. I'll go down and fetch Hagrid, Tom, and Morph. We'll have lunch shortly." With that, the older half-ghost walked out of the door.

Danny sat back down, putting his elbows on the table and his head in his hands. He had a lot to think about. Besides Vlad, everyone he cared about was gone. He was here in England because a worse villain than Vlad, an evil human worse than Freakshow, would seek him out if he knew who Danny was and where to find him. His whole purpose for being in this new school in a new country in this weird Wizarding World was to keep Danny (and Vlad, once he thought of it) safe from Voldemort and his Death Eaters. He saw signs from the Ministry all over town talking about safety measures and things to protect other witches and wizards from these evil people. At least, he wasn't the only one being targeted. He had an awful lot to learn, and he felt overwhelmed.

Maybe he could test out of Muggle Studies. It would be one less thing to worry about. The other courses sounded like fun. Well, maybe.

As promised, Vlad returned with Hagrid, Tom, Morph, and all of their various assorted packages. They gave their lunch order to Tom. When he left, Hagrid watched wide-eyed as Vlad produced one of his anti-ghost catching weapons, aiming at all the packages with the exception of their wands. An ectoplasmic net encased everything. Danny blinked, as this was the first time he'd seen Vlad (or Danny's enemies) use a ghost net on anything other than him. "It's for when we take the Floo back. How else are we to keep all the assorted things we've bought together?" It was as good a plan as any.


	7. Chapter 7

Disclaimer: I do not own either Danny Phantom or Harry Potter.

Chapter 7

After Flooing back to the Three Broomsticks, Vlad was ready to shoulder the bundle for the long haul. Hagrid stopped him. "Gimme a minute." He threw some more powder in the fireplace and announced, "I'd like to talk to Professor Dumbledore."

Seconds later, much to Danny and Vlad's surprise, Professor Dumbledore's face appeared in the fire. "Hagrid! You're back from London, I see."

"Yup. They've got the whole gamut o' supplies, plus summat extra."

"Very good," Dumbledore said brightly. "Tell them to check their things with Rosmerta. Transportation of it will be taken care of." With that, the professor's head disappeared from the fire.

Vlad looked on warily. "I demand to know what's going on here!"

Hagrid sighed. There was nothing to be done about the professor with the short fuse but to explain. In truth, Professor Masters _has_ had a difficult couple of days. Viewing the communication via Floo powder seemed to be one surprise too many for the irate man.

"Professor, Floo powder has many uses, for them that can use it. We've used it to get from place to place. Another use is long distance communication. It's kinda like…" He muttered, "Bin too many years since I took Muggle Studies." Turning back to Vlad, "I think you call it a 'phone'."

Danny was surprised that Hagrid didn't seem familiar with the concept of a telephone, but reconsidered. If wizards had different ways and means, it was just another culture clash. He decided to smile in congratulations at Hagrid for coming up with the right word. He nodded.

Hagrid smiled. "And like the students and professors who come to Hogwarts on the Hogwarts Express, you won't have to worry about takin' yer things up to the school. A house-elf or two," he paused to look at Vlad's net, "or a few will bring yer stuff to your rooms."

Danny took a moment to absorb this. Vlad cooled down a little, but he was still not thrilled with yet another unfamiliar experience. "And what, pray tell, are house-elves?"

"They're creatures who work at the school. Actually, they also work for some of the wealthier Wizarding families, as well. And unlike wizards, they can Apparate and Disapparate to, from, and within Hogwarts, proper."

Vlad closed his eyes and put a hand on his forehead. "What is this 'Apparating' business? I believe Professor Dumbledore mentioned something about that yesterday."

Hagrid thought about how to describe this. "It would look like simply appearing from thin air, with a loud pop."

Vlad stared at Hagrid and furrowed his brow. "I do that when I teleport."

"But wizards _can't_ Apparate on Hogwarts grounds," Hagrid protested.

Vlad rolled his eyes. "In case you've forgotten, we're _not_ wizards, but we _are_ ghosts. And I don't see why I couldn't teleport to my room directly, now that I know where it is."

Hagrid thought about this. "You could try. But the Ministry doesn't know. Ya could splinch yerself."

Vlad rolled his eyes yet again. "I don't want to know what that is." He repositioned the net to be more comfortable. "I'll meet you back at the castle. Ta!" He grabbed Danny's shoulder and disappeared, reappearing in his own room, as expected.

Hagrid, left standing by the fireplace in the Three Broomsticks, couldn't believe what he saw. The Muggle Disapparated, and silently. He shook his head in wonderment. "There's only one way to find out if it worked out alright for them," he said to himself, and started on his way back to the castle.

* * *

Reappearing in his room, Vlad released Danny and put the net on the floor. "I don't know what that oaf was making a fuss about. And this is one skill we will work on, starting this evening."

Danny took a second to get his bearings. The room was large, and curtains of dark blue and bronze hid a four-poster bed. He spun around to face his newly acquired guardian.

"That wasn't nice, Vlad. Hagrid's been helping us all day!"

Vlad looked at Danny, raising his eyebrows. "No, I suppose it wasn't. But I won't be told what I can and can't do. Further, he was annoying. If he was worried that the trip wouldn't be safe, I saw no need to take him with us." Morph jumped from Danny's hands so that he could cross his arms, and Danny frowned. "Look, Daniel. I may be your guardian, and now I'm a teacher at this school, but I still am me. I haven't changed. And I don't expect you to, either. Once you've gotten over the immediate trauma of, well, everything that's happened the last couple of days, you should be coming back to yourself."

Danny was about to respond when both his and Vlad's ghost senses went off. "What now?" Vlad asked irritably. When no ghost appeared and no knock came at the door, he rolled his eyes yet again. "Who is it?"

A gentle voice called, "It's the Grey Lady. May I come in?"

Vlad sighed. "Yes. Come in." She phased through the door.

"If you've gotten settled, the other House Ghosts and I would like to take Danny on a tour of Hogwarts. Professor McGonagall should be along shortly to take you on something similar." She noticed Vlad starting to object and she continued, "There's no need to worry about unpacking. The house-elves will take care of it for you both."

Vlad furrowed his brows and decided to worry about house-elves later. "That's fine, I suppose. What do you say, Daniel?"

Danny was shocked. Vlad has asked him his thoughts on the matter. This was the third time today that Vlad hinted that what Danny thought actually counted. It was a shock because on previous occasions, Vlad made it clear that he honestly didn't care what Danny thought, usually dismissing Danny's thoughts and/or feelings with contempt.

He noticed the other two ghosts looking at him, waiting for an answer. "Uh, sure. I'd like to go." The Grey Lady smiled and Vlad looked like he missed Danny already. Danny gave the man a half-smile. "I'll see you at dinner, Uncle Vlad." Vlad smiled as Danny opened the door, and he and the Grey Lady took off.

The Grey Lady brought Danny to the Entrance Hall to meet the other House Ghosts. All four ghosts smiled proudly, but Sir Nicholas actually spoke. "We have all heard a great deal about you, and we've been looking forward to the moment when we, the House Ghosts of Hogwarts, could actually give a tour – and otherwise spend time – with the great Danny Phantom."

Danny blushed. "I'm glad to oblige," he said awkwardly.

Sir Nicholas continued. "You will find that among the ghosts at Hogwarts, you will find as much excitement at your presence as the living students and professors have for Harry Potter."

Danny cocked his head to one side. "Who is Harry Potter? Professor Hagrid mentioned him, but I have no idea who he is."

"He is the only person to have faced a Killing Curse and lived. Well, before you, but you were already a half-ghost when you were hit with it. Also, when Harry was hit with it, the Curse backfired and put You-Know-Who out of commission for about ten years. Because of the fact that he lived to tell the tale, and it was accompanied by You-Know-Who's defeat, Harry is celebrated as 'The Boy Who Lived.' He is quite famous among wizards, but he eschews fame much the way you do.

"There is no ghost extant who hasn't heard of how you protected Amity Park from villainous ghosts, and your defeat of Pariah Dark is legendary. There are ghosts capable of physical manipulation who have built shrines to you and your great heroism."

Before Danny could respond to this, a crash sounded on the floor above them, followed by a voice yelling in anger. Another ghost phased through the ceiling headfirst. "Except him," Sir Nicholas added quickly.

This new ghost was a little man, who appeared to be more solid than the others whom Danny met here, with wicked dark eyes and a wide mouth. He hung head down, peering at the others, and caught sight of Danny. "Ooooh, an ickle student! What's he doing here so early? Done something wrong, have you? Need extra tutoring, do you? Not doing your homework? A wee student beastie just ripe for the teasing!"

The House Ghosts looked at the Bloody Baron, who in turn looked at Danny. He was curious to see what the powerful half-ghost would do when faced with this nuisance of a poltergeist.

Danny raised an eyebrow, and asked, "Who are you?"

The little man righted himself in shock. The Bloody Baron answered for him. "That is Peeves the Poltergeist. He usually wreaks havoc among the students, professors, and anywhere else he can. Unless _I'm_ around."

"Just having a little fun, Your Bloodiness. A student in school in July? I think it's time to cool him off!" He pulled out a water-balloon from somewhere in his clothes and dropped it on Danny's head, soaking him. Danny looked askance, turned intangible to let the water fall to the floor, and blasted Peeves with a small ectoblast from an index finger.

Peeves yelped in pain. "How'd you do that?"

"Ah, I haven't introduced myself yet. I'm Danny Phantom," he said, turning ghost.

Peeve's eyes widened. "Oh, I'm terribly sorry, Mr. Phantom. I didn't know it was you. Forgive Peevsie his little joke. It'll never happen again, Mr. Phantom. I promise."

Danny chuckled, as the other ghosts grinned. "It's okay. I don't mind you calling me 'Phantom' around the ghosts, but around the students, professors, and other staff, you should call me Danny _Fenton_."

"Of _course_, Mr. Fenton. Anything you say, Mr. Fenton. Whatever you want, Mr. Fenton. I'll just be on my way."

"Oh, and Peeves?" Danny said.

"Yes, Mr. Fenton?"

"My uncle, Professor Masters, is also a half-ghost. You may know him as Vlad Plasmius." The already obsequious ghost started to tremble. "He's not as nice as I am."

"Right you are, Mr. Fenton. Stay away from Professor Masters I will, Mr. Fenton. I'll just go now, shall I?" And without waiting for an answer, Peeves zoomed out of sight.

The Fat Friar looked at Danny, concerned. "I didn't realize that Plasmius was your uncle."

Danny gave an unsettled smile. "He didn't start that way. He was good friends with my parents in college. After the accident that turned him half-ghost, he had a vendetta against my father, who was completely unaware of Vlad's anger. From the time we discovered each other, Vlad and I had declared ourselves to be arch-enemies." There was a round of nods as the more familiar situation was explained. "Even so, once he discovered that I was a half-ghost, Vlad wanted to adopt me. And once… Amity Park… the Death Eaters killed…" Danny stammered, eyes glistening.

The other ghosts looked on in sympathy as the Grey Lady stepped forward and gave him a hug. "It's alright to cry, dear. Not to worry." Danny allowed himself to cry in the embrace of the Grey Lady for a few moments.

When he was more settled, he dried his eyes and continued, "Once it happened, I didn't know what to do, or where to go. But Vlad _did_ want to adopt me, and as I figured it was a place to go… And I figured that it was only right to call him 'uncle.' He seemed to like that when we called him that sincerely. And so I do… when I remember."

After a respectful pause, Sir Nicholas asked, "So Danny, where would you like to go first?"

Without hesitation, Danny said, "The Astronomy Tower."

Sir Nicholas murmured with a smile, "I thought as much." To Danny, he said, "Come this way." Sir Nicholas led the group through the ceiling and down the hall, and through the stairs until they got to the top of the Astronomy Tower. "On a clear night, you can see countless stars. In Astronomy class, you'll have to fill out star charts and…"

"This is farther North than Amity Park, so the stars should only be a little different, but not by much. Can you see the Aurora Borealis from here?"

"Sometimes. You can come up here some night and see what you can."

"I intend to." Danny smirked. "Even on a night that ISN'T Wednesday."

Sir Nicholas continued, "A little closer to home… If you look to your left, you'll see the Quiddich pitch."

Danny cocked his head. "What is Quiddich?"

"Ah," sighed Sir Nicholas, "it is a wizard's game. It's hundreds of years old, and the students here take game play as seriously as… Muggles take football. Almost any student here will be more than willing to fill your ears with as much detail as you care to hear. It is where you get to see the school rivalries play out the most."

"School rivalries?" Great, Danny thought. I've just shown up, and I need to learn about the jocks.

"Well, there is the ongoing lighthearted rivalry between Gryffindor and Slytherin," Sir Nicholas supplied.

The Fat Friar raised an eyebrow and crossed his arms. "Lighthearted?"

The Bloody Baron and Sir Nicholas looked at each other and raised their hands in surrender. "It's not our fault that some students take it farther than necessary." Danny grinned.

"If you look straight ahead, you will see the greenhouses for Herbology." With a pang, Danny thought of Sam. She would appreciate this course, no matter how weird the plants turned out to be.

"And if you look to your right, there is Hagrid's cabin. Besides the professor of Care of Magical Creatures, he's the keeper of the grounds and keys. He tends the animals, and other random tasks Professor Dumbledore needs done." Danny nodded, and Sir Nicholas pointed beyond that. "And beyond his cabin is the Forbidden Forest. Students are forbidden from going there, as you might suspect."

"What lives in there?" Danny asked.

Sir Nicholas answered. "There are Acromantulas – giant spiders – unicorns, centaurs, and more recently, Hagrid's giant half-brother Grawp."

"Is there something that could hurt ghosts?"

Sir Nicholas thought for a moment. "Not that I'm aware of… wait a minute!"

The Bloody Baron smiled. "Now, you're thinking like a Slytherin! If you like, I'll take you some time next week. But you might be able to go on your own, invisible. Once you know where all the dangers are, you'll be able to figure out on your own where intangibility would be most useful. But I dare say that a boy of your talent and skill wouldn't need a guide. Come to think of it, by the time we take our tour next week, _you_ should show _me_ the sights. But we'll just keep this amongst the ghosts, or you might actually get in trouble."

"Baron!" Sir Nicholas exclaimed. Danny snickered. Sir Nicholas looked hurt.

"If it makes you feel better, Sir Nicholas, I can keep track of what I see so that we'll be able to keep the _other_ students safe."

Sir Nicholas grimaced, displeased at the flagrant rule breaking discussed, but vaguely mollified by Danny's reassurance. He sighed. "Very well. There's nothing I could do to stop you, anyway…"

The Bloody Baron looked like he'd won something. Danny thought a change of topics was in order. "Where to, next?"

Sir Nicholas came back to himself and regained his place as tour guide. "Now would be a good time to look into the classrooms. Perhaps Potions first. This way." He headed back down to the dungeons. Danny noted how far out they were from the entrance to the Slytherin Common Room.

From there, they proceeded to explore the various classrooms and the outside of the professors' offices. Some staircases changed positions as they glided along. Danny was sure this would be more difficult to keep track of if he had to _use_ the stairs. He would practice taking them (and timing them for position) over the course of the week, so when the students were about, he could take them the way they would. Some of the doors behind tapestries, or requiring polite requests or tickling would take more work to remember. They brought him to the East Wing of the fifth floor to admire what was left of the Weasley Swamp.

The Grey Lady had an inspiration, and asked Sir Nicholas to take them to the second floor corridor. There was a man with a mop screaming at what seemed to be a first year student. She wailed and disappeared into the bathroom. Danny momentarily turned invisible and asked, "Who is that?"

The Grey Lady answered, "That is Mr. Filch. He's the caretaker of Hogwarts. He is particularly sensitive to messes the students make, as he is a Squib – a non-magical person descended from witches and wizards – and has to clean things the Muggle way."

"It was my job to clean my parents' lab. It can be quite a bit of work. I'll go over and say 'Hello'." Turning human, Danny walked down the corridor flanked by the House Ghosts. "Hello there, Mr. Filch."

Mr. Filch jerked his head up. "A student in the halls in July? What are you doing here so early?"

Danny was startled by the acrimony in his voice. Mr. Filch seemed to be the first person in Hogwarts who wasn't immediately glad to see him. Danny answered, "I'm a foreign exchange student, and I came early to catch up on some studies and get my bearings around the castle."

"Great. Another student for me to clean up after. And now you're here a month and a half early! Young witches and wizards making magical messes…"

"Mr. Filch, I can promise you that I won't make ANY magical messes," Danny said honestly. He thought for a moment of the collateral damage he left behind after a ghost fight. "But I can offer to help to clean if I've contributed to making a mess. And I'll help you clean…without magic."

Mr. Filch looked suspicious. "Why would you do that?"

Danny stared off for a moment, searching for an answer that wouldn't betray his secret. "Let's just say that I've had experience helping my parents clean up their lab. Using magic only got me in trouble." He thought of the time he blasted his father's anniversary gift through the ghost portal.

Mr. Filch's expression softened. It didn't look kind, exactly, but it looked less sour than usual. "I'll hold you to that," he said harshly.

"I wouldn't expect less," Danny offered. Mr. Filch looked thoughtful as he packed up his mop to go to his own next assignment.

"That was kind of you to offer," the Fat Friar observed.

"Yeah, well… I know what it's like to not be given a break. At least here, I'm not going to have to deal with rogue ghosts causing trouble, preventing me from getting school work done or catching up on sleep." He paused for a moment. "I'm not, am I?"

The House Ghosts laughed. "Not at all. The ghosts most likely to visit these halls, with the exceptions of you and your uncle, are incapable of physical manipulation. Besides Peeves, and water by Myrtle." Sir Nicholas said.

"Who's Myrtle?"

The Grey Lady smiled. "Hold on a moment. I'll introduce you." They stopped in front a girl's bathroom with an "Out of Order" sign on the door.

* * *

The Grey Lady entered the girl's bathroom. Moaning Myrtle was hysterical, crying about something.

"Myrtle, I'd like you to come out and meet someone."

"I'm not coming," she sobbed. "Peeves was horrible to me earlier, and Filch just screamed at me. I won't meet someone who just wants to tease me."

"Come, come, Myrtle. The fellow is kind, and I think you'll get along."

"I don't know…"

The Grey Lady sighed. He wouldn't appreciate this, but it might work. "He's famous, you know."

"Someone famous in Hogwarts? Harryyyyy!" She soared out of the bathroom to greet him. She stopped when the dark-haired boy turned out to be someone else. "You're not Harry!"

Danny blinked. "Harry who?"

"Harry Potter! Although you look a lot like him." Myrtle said. "When he went into the Chamber of Secrets, I told him that if he died, he could share my toilet."

Danny's eyes went wide. He vaguely wondered about the Chamber of Secrets, but he stayed focused on Myrtle. "Um, I'm sure that was generous of you."

The ghost girl studied Danny for a moment. "You don't look familiar." She turned to the Grey Lady, accusing, "You said he was famous!" Danny shot a betrayed look at the Grey Lady.

"It was the only thing that could coax Myrtle to come out."

Danny rolled his eyes. "Fine."

The Grey Lady sighed. "Myrtle, say 'Hello,' to Danny Phantom." She looked hopefully at Danny, who sighed and obligingly turned ghost.

"Danny Phantom! I've heard all about you!" She proceeded to babble a blue streak, to Danny's surprise. After several minutes went by without Danny saying anything, she decided to notice. "Is there anything wrong?"

Danny blushed. "I've had my share of human fans. But I have to admit: this is the first time I've been mooned over by a ghost."

All the ghosts present laughed. Sir Nicholas said, "You can't have met many decent ghosts, I'll take it."

Danny smirked. "You could say that. Clockwork is okay. Princess Dora is nice, once she got out from under her brother's control. Wulf was a nice surprise. Even the Ghostwriter turned out to be okay, once I apologized for ruining his manuscript. But honestly... I haven't made many friends amongst the ghosts I know."

Sir Nicholas beamed. "Well, the ghosts of the Wizarding World know you for the hero you are." Danny blushed again.

"Would _you_ come to visit me?" Myrtle asked. "Harry Potter promised, but I haven't seen him in _ages_!"

Danny looked at Myrtle. She looked to be eleven. "I'm sure I can arrange for that. How about next Sunday after Powers Training?" Myrtle bounced in sheer excitement. "It's NOT a date! But there's no reason we can't hang out."

"Oh!" She squealed in delight, phasing back into her bathroom.

"But no matter what she says, I will _not_ share her toilet," he muttered.

The House Ghosts smiled, but politely said nothing on the matter. "Is there anything else you've heard of that you care to see?" Sir Nicholas asked.

Danny thought for a moment. "I heard Professor Hagrid – and you, Grey Lady – talk about house-elves. What are they?"

Sir Nicholas smiled. "Rather than tell you, why don't we show you?" Eager with interest, Danny followed as Sir Nicholas led them through the floor to a flight of stone steps, which opened to a broad stone corridor, brightly lit with torches, and decorated with cheerful paintings that were mainly of food. Sir Nicholas led him to a picture of a giant fruit bowl. "We can either phase through the wall, or you can tickle the pear in the picture."

Danny was intrigued by this concept. They spoke of it before, but now he would actually have the chance to open a door by… tickling a picture, it seemed. He turned human, as he saw no need to stay ghost for the moment. He stroked the pear, and it began to squirm, chuckling, and then it turned into a large green door handle. "Go on, open it," Sir Nicholas encouraged. Pleased with this charming bit of magic, Danny pulled open the door to see what other surprises lay in store.

He saw an enormous high-ceilinged room with glittering brass pots and pans lining the stone walls. Before he had a chance to observe anything else, something small zoomed into the foreground.

"Harry Potter, sir! Harry…" It looked up and noticed that the boy he addressed was, in fact, someone else. "Sir, you're not Harry Potter!" The little creature speaking to him had large, bat-like ears and bulging green eyes the size of tennis balls. It was dressed in an odd assortment of clothes. He wore three knitted hats of different colors, each decorated with bright pins, a green tie patterned with daisies over a maroon sweater, yellow Bermuda shorts, and equally wildly mismatched socks.

"Yeah, I've got that a lot today. I'm Danny Fenton. And you are…?"

"Dobby, sir. Dobby the house-elf." Ah. So _this_ is a house-elf.

"You are colorful. How did you get such an outfit?" Danny asked.

Dobby smiled gleefully. "Dobby is a free house-elf, sir. Harry Potter set Dobby free! And only a free elf is permitted to wear clothes." He pointed at other house-elves, who stood at a distance, looking disapprovingly at Dobby's outfit and antics. "'Tis a mark of a house-elf's enslavement to not wear proper clothes." Danny noticed the uniform of the other elves, which were tea towels tied like togas with an insignia with a lion, an eagle, a badger, and a snake surrounding the letter 'H'.

The word "enslavement" caught Danny's attention. "House-elves are enslaved?" He looked concerned, but wasn't sure how to express his offended sensibilities on the elves' behalf.

Another elf stood proudly and said, "Indeed, sir, we are. It's a badge of honor to give good service to wizards, sir." He shook himself, as if he just remembered something. "Can we get anything for you, sir? Anything you wish at all?"

A startled Danny shook his head. These creatures were enslaved and _happy_ about it. From the look of the other elves, Dobby seemed a complete anomaly. This concept messed with his head. The elf, who misread Danny's concerned look, lowered his ears sadly. "Is there anything wrong, sir?"

Danny, brought back to the present situation, suddenly realized he was asked two questions. "Uh, no. Nothing is wrong. I just… uh… I'm from America, and the concept of people being happy as slaves is just… really new and foreign to me. Sorry." The elf brightened visibly, as first – he was apologized to by someone who he perceived to be a wizard, which was something almost never done. Secondly, he realized that the young wizard was not displeased with the fact that it took so long to ask him if he wanted anything. Third of all, he noticed that – unlike the young miss who left hats all around Gryffindor Tower – this wizard would be willing to understand an elf's role in the Wizarding World.

"Then, can we get anything for you, sir?"

Danny quickly realized that to not answer affirmatively would give offense. He was hungry, after his tour of the castle. "How about a chocolate-banana milkshake?"

Bouncing with happiness, the elf said, "Right away, sir!" After shooting Dobby a dirty look for being the first elf to encounter the young sir without offering anything, he ran off to produce Danny's request.

Sir Nicholas whispered in Danny's ear, "If you want to please the elf, tell him how satisfied you are with his service." Danny nodded.

Turning back to Dobby, Danny asked, "If the other elves seem to enjoy…" Danny refused to use the words "enjoy" and "slave" in the same sentence, "their lot, how come you are so excited about being free?"

Dobby's visage darkened. He trembled. "It's still difficult to speak against the Wizarding family Dobby used to work for, sir. They…" Dobby bent close to Danny and whispered, "were bad Dark wizards, and not at all kind to house-elves." Dobby's hands itched to grab something heavy with which to hit himself, but he remembered what Harry said about needing practice and restrained himself. Barely.

The other elf returned with Danny's milkshake, apparently not having heard the conversation. Danny gratefully and dutifully said, "Good service. Thank you." The elf bobbed up and down with pride.

"You are quite welcome, sir. If you ever need anything, please feel free to ask."

Danny suddenly remembered. "The stuff we brought back from Diagon Alley! I forgot about it."

The elf smiled. "It's already been taken care of, sir. Your books, robes, things, and cat are waiting for you in your room, neatly put away. I hope it will be to your liking." Danny smiled.

He truly enjoyed the milkshake, and when he was finished, Sir Nicholas told him that it was time to return to the Great Hall for dinner. Danny thanked the elves, and told Dobby it was a pleasure meeting him (which drove them to distraction to have been so addressed by a student), and came back to the Great Hall, where Danny thanked the House Ghosts for the tour. The ghosts assured him that the pleasure was all theirs, and that he should feel free to speak to any of them at any time.

12


	8. Chapter 8

I'm sorry that this chapter is particularly long in coming, but there was a lot to cover, and it wasn't the easiest thing to write. On the last scene, I got tired: when I described Harry's trip to Diagon Alley, there are some sentences, phrases, and paragraphs of dialogue that I lifted wholesale from _Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince_.

Disclaimer: I do not own either _Danny Phantom_ or _Harry Potter_.

Chapter 8

Dinner was a joyful affair. Vlad was genuinely happy to see Danny, which was another pleasant surprise. Hagrid was relieved to see both half-ghosts whole, safe, and sound. Professor Dumbledore asked Danny and Vlad about their trip to London, and Vlad let Danny go on with his impressions of the day. Vlad asked Danny about his tour with the ghosts, which also surprised Danny. He recounted his tour, but blushed when he mentioned Peeves. He explained that he warned Peeves not to annoy Vlad. Both Professor Dumbledore and Vlad were amused, but for different reasons. Dumbledore was entertained by the idea of a student that Peeves respects more than the Bloody Baron. Vlad was interested to know that his reputation preceded him, and the ghosts unknown to him here respected and feared him.

After dinner, Danny and Vlad found an unused classroom. Later, before the other students came back, they would have to find a classroom more out of the way. Danny thought he might ask an elf about it. But for now, the unused classroom worked for their purposes. Interestingly, Vlad turned out to be a very capable, patient teacher, when it came to dealing with Danny's powers. He started by reviewing all of Danny's known powers, with the exceptions of overshadowing and the Ghostly Wail. Those would have to wait for a more suitable time, location, and human target, Vlad considered. He explained the theory behind teleportation, demonstrated, and encouraged Danny in his efforts.

Vlad's patience and skill as a teacher for Danny in his use of his powers shouldn't have surprised Danny. Vlad has only wanted to work with Danny like this for a year and a half, since they first discovered each other. True, at the time Vlad first told him of this, Danny was trapped in the Spectral Energy Neutralizer, but that doesn't mean that the man's own thoughts and intentions were any different. His means were, however.

Danny concentrated on working to acquire this new power. It _would_ take work and practice, but time was something they seemed to have an endless supply of. Vlad's eyes as Plasmius glowed in pleasure at the process and the eventual progress Danny would have. It was odd, Danny thought. In other circumstances, that very reaction would be sinister, implying something _very_ untoward to follow. But at this moment, Vlad looked more in his personal element than he was at Lloyds of London. _This_ is what he lived for and dreamed about. This was one of Vlad's dearest dreams come true.

Because it was the first session of powers training, it was mostly diagnostic, and therefore took three hours, which was longer than their standard training sessions would take. Danny was right: on average, the training sessions would take an hour or so. Vlad had already determined that the math and English lessons could wait until the proper start of term. Once the term began, the math and English classes would only take place on the weekdays, much like they would if Danny continued in Casper High. He told Danny this, which gave the boy a thoughtful expression as he considered what he was told.

At the end of the training session, Vlad placed a hand on Danny's shoulder. He wished to call Daniel 'son,' but Daniel would never consent to that. Before they parted for their separate sleeping quarters, Vlad said, "Good night, little badger."

Danny responded, "Good night, Uncle Vlad." Both half-ghosts were satisfied with the day's activities, complicated and confusing though they were.

At breakfast, Professor McGonagall handed Danny his tutoring schedule for this week. Between breakfast and lunch, he had Potions with Professor Snape. After lunch, he would meet with Professor Flitwick. Tomorrow, he was to meet with Professor Sprout in Greenhouse 1 in the morning and meet Professor Binns after lunch. (Wait – this was the professor who was a ghost… This could be interesting, Danny thought.) And at midnight, he would meet Professor Sinistra. The coincidence of his first Astronomy lesson taking place on Wednesday night amused Danny. On Thursday morning, he had Care of Magical Creatures with Professor Hagrid, and Thursday afternoon he had Muggle Studies. On Friday, he would meet the students who would tutor him in Defense Against the Dark Arts.

Professor Snape told Danny, "Today, we have our first tutoring session. Be sure to bring your dragon-hide gloves." Danny nodded. After breakfast was over, Danny went back to his room to get his gloves.

Meeting Professor Snape in the Potions classroom, Danny felt a little dizzy. "Welcome, Daniel." Professor Snape held a flower in his hand. "Do you know what this is?" Danny shook his head. "This flower is called 'Blood Blossom.' Put your gloves on before you study it." Danny wasn't sure why the man had no protection on and insisted that he put on _his_ protective gloves, but Danny did as he was directed. Professor Snape handed Danny the flower.

Danny had trouble concentrating, but he made the effort. It looked more or less like a rose, but the stem had no thorns. Instead, it had what looked like pearls under the base of the petals. Danny mentioned these things to Professor Snape, who looked pleased. "Very observant of you. The reason we're studying this today is that knowledge of such a thing is vital to your well-being." Danny nodded as the professor took back the Blood Blossom and enclosed it in a glass jar, sealing it. Danny felt better. "Blood Blossoms are one of the few substances harmful to ghosts."

Danny's eyes widened. "My parents had lots of anti-ghost weapons that ran on ecto-energy. I don't remember them mentioning using Blood Blossoms before."

Professor Snape studied the boy. "You are a Fenton, are you not?" Danny nodded. "Your ancestor, John Fenton-Nightingale, discovered the uses of Blood Blossoms in the 1600s, in Salem, Massachusetts, Colonial America. Primarily, a ghost-hunter using Blood Blossoms would use them to form a shield, or a line a ghost can't cross. Your family might have stopped using them because of their limited range. A ghost can be trapped but without pain in a circle five feet in diameter, horizontally. Vertically, the limit is as far as the aroma reaches. That could be up to fifteen feet up, but on a windy day, the range could expand exponentially, either increasing or shrinking the safety range for the ghost in question.

"I'm sure the weapons your parents used had far more controlled ranges and uses than Blood Blossoms could effect." Danny shivered, thinking of this heretofore unknown item which could hurt him.

"What are its effects on ghosts? The ghost shields my parents used were uncrossable by ghosts, but I could go through them when I was in my human form."

Snape smiled at Danny's rapt attention, but let his face become stony as Danny took the threat this flower could pose to him very seriously. "It could cause a ghost serious pain, not unlike a burn. But the very aroma could cause dizziness and disorientation, even in your human form, as you already discovered." Danny shuddered in fear.

"The reason I bring this to your attention is that this, and other substances, are not necessarily found in Muggle nurseries and greenhouses, as most Muggles don't believe in ghosts. You need to know about this, as plants and other potion ingredients can very well affect you and people around you. Now that you understand the seriousness of what can be involved in Potions making, you understand that studying for my class is one of your top priorities. It is paramount that you know what plants and other ingredients can be harmful to you and others. Potions and Herbology come only second in priority to Defense Against the Dark Arts and your Powers Training, as that is tantamount to the same thing."

"Message received," Danny said. He mentally filed Blood Blossoms under 'must avoid.'

"Potions making is an exact science. In order to get proper results, directions must be followed precisely, from how to chop up slugs to how many times and in what direction to stir the potion. When to put on or take the cauldron off of the fire could equally be vital to the results." Danny resolved that this is one class he would make it his business to ace, as his very health and well-being could depend on it.

Professor Snape proceeded to teach Danny not only about Blood Blossoms, but started covering First Year material. Danny, who now viewed Potions with a sense of urgency, became an apt pupil. Their session continued until lunchtime, and Professor Snape decided that Danny could easily become his newest favorite student. Smiling to himself as they ascended the stairs to go to lunch, he thought about how Professor Masters would take this news if he told him.

At lunch, Danny thought about the intense work that would be necessary for Potions and Herbology. While he realized their necessity, he thought about the possible unnecessary options. "Uncle Vlad?"

"What is it, Daniel?" Vlad was a little suspicious, as Danny rarely addressed him first.

Danny thought for a second. "I know you wanted me to get 'the full experience' of what's available. But would it be okay for me to try to test out of Muggle Studies?"

"I don't think so. Why do you ask?"

Danny would only have one shot at this. He took a breath. "Professor Dumbledore said that it would be more like a review of life as we know it. With all the other work I'll have to do, I'm sure I can spend my time better on reading for other classes than dealing with common sense stuff. I mean, in _Homelife and Social Habits of British Muggles_, there's a chapter on 'Why Muggles Use Electricity.' Seriously."

Vlad thought about this. "Hmm… I thought a little Sociology would be good for you, especially if it compared British culture to American culture, but that doesn't sound like what this course will be about. Bring me the textbook when you come for your Powers Training tonight – which, when the other students get here, we'll call 'extra Defense Against the Dark Arts tutoring'." Vlad couldn't help but smirk at that as he imagined all kinds of Dark uses for their powers, having used many of them already, but he thought it best not to mention that at the present. "I'll look over it, and use my better judgment. If it is as useless as you've described, you can test out of it. If I find some value in it, you're keeping it."

Danny slumped his shoulders and sighed. That was as good as could be expected. "Thanks, anyway."

Professor Snape noticed the resigned look on his new favorite student's face and decided it was time to give his "uncle" a hard time. "Professor Masters, how long have you been a half-ghost?"

Caught off-guard by the rather personal nature of the question, Vlad started. "For about 21 and a half years."

"And how long have you known that Daniel was a half-ghost?"

Curious where this was leading, Vlad continued. "Since I met him when his parents brought him to our 20th year college reunion, in the middle of his freshman year of high school. Why?"

"You've known him all this time, yet you failed to tell him about Blood Blossoms. How is that?" Vlad flushed. "For someone who is that protective of his guardianship of a half-ghost teen, it occurs to me that you might have said something a little earlier to him to protect his well-being."

Considering that he told Danny not to 'air dirty laundry' in public and the fact that he didn't trust the man speaking to him, he bit his tongue and then spoke through gritted teeth. "I don't have to explain myself or my motivations to you."

Snape continued silkily, "No, I suppose you don't. I just find it interesting that I, a stranger until recently, have told him more about protecting himself than you, who have known him for close to a year and a half."

Vlad quaked with quiet rage. "What are you saying, Professor Snape?"

"Only that I question your intentions with the boy."

Danny appreciated Professor Snape's concern for him. But whatever would go on between Vlad and Professor Snape was honestly not something he cared to be a part of, and it looked like something he would barely be able to avoid. One man was his legal guardian, and one man was his Head of House. As such, both men had insane amounts of control over his life as a student in this school and as a minor. At this point, Danny decided that it would be safer for him to make a quiet escape. He turned invisible and left the table to find his next class.

Upon entering the Charms classroom, Danny found the tiny professor waiting for him. Professor Flitwick asked to see Danny's wand and asked him what the twins told him. Apparently, this professor was also in the Order. Professor Flitwick explained that most of what they would accomplish is memorization of the Charms and accompanying incantations so that Danny would know how to prepare for any attack. Danny observed that the greatest purpose of his being in Hogwarts was to learn to defend himself against magic, particularly Voldemort's variety.

Professor Flitwick told Danny, "After your visit with the Weasleys yesterday, they told me of your ability of levitation. Are there any other ghost powers of yours that mimic magical spells?"

Danny thought about this. He listed all of the powers he could think of. "Oh, and Uncle Vlad is teaching me teleportation, which is kind of like Apparation."

Professor Flitwick was impressed with the list of all the things young Danny was capable of. He would have to think about these ghostly abilities – which were honestly new to him, as who ever heard of a ghost capable of doing ANYTHING physical? Besides Peeves, of course, and he was a poltergeist, not a proper ghost. Flitwick would have to categorize these abilities and figure out how to possibly make Danny's performance of said powers appear to be magic performed with (or without) a wand and incantation. They spent part of the afternoon focusing on levitation. He had Danny turn ghost and levitate things and had him turn back human and levitate things.

The professor discovered that, as a ghost, Danny's talents seemed to be a lot more versatile than they were in his human form. But it was Danny's human form they needed to concentrate on. With effort, Danny's power of levitation as a human was similar to that of a well-practiced First Year student who was only gaining a grasp of the spell.

After what he determined to be sufficient practice, Professor Flitwick had Danny concentrate on the levitation after a proper "swish and flick" motion with his 'wand' and saying the words _Wingardium Leviosa_. Of course, the wand wave and incantation were not necessary for Danny, but it would help to disguise that Danny… was either a more powerful wizard with wandless and silent magic, or not fully human and beyond need of a wand.

At the end of this tutoring session, Danny thought Professor Flitwick learned more about him than he learned about Charms, but there wasn't anything Danny could do about this. At least this form of experimentation on Danny and his powers was painless.

Dinner was an uneventful, quiet affair as Vlad and Professor Snape glared daggers at each other. Danny shivered at the chilliness exuded by both men. When dinner was over, Vlad said carefully, "Come, Daniel. We have a class." Without looking at anyone else, Vlad stalked out of the Great Hall and went to the classroom they used last night. Before they entered the room, Vlad looked down at Danny. "I now know _which_ professor exposed the werewolf."

Danny wasn't sure what to say. "Oh, don't worry. He likes _you_ far too much to expose us, for once one of our secrets is known, the other won't be far behind. Let's just say that I have many reasons not to trust Professor Snape." Danny's eyes went wide as he entered the classroom. "But for now, let's focus on teleportation, shall we?"

* * *

It was Wednesday. Harry had been with Hermione and the Weasleys for two and a half weeks. Being with his friends helped him deal with his recent loss of Sirius. Nothing was going to heal that wound but time, but the unhappy news of Fortescue gone missing pulled Harry back into a dark mood. Ron and Hermione did their best to cheer him as they had since Professor Dumbledore brought him here.

Professor Dumbledore allowed him exactly two weeks with the Dursleys until he came to fetch Harry personally. News that he was to inherit the Black Estate, Kreacher, and anything else belonging to Sirius didn't do much to relieve his feelings of loss of his beloved godfather, but the fact that Sirius was posthumously found innocent of all charges was a small consolation. Visiting the odd character Horace Slughorn helped to spice up his travel plans. Professor Dumbledore had Harry convince Mr. Slughorn to hand over a particular memory to be delivered to Professor Dumbledore's Pensieve. The effort was successful. And since then, Harry enjoyed the hospitality of the Weasleys and Hermione's company. But first the news of Mr. Ollivander's disappearance, and now Mr. Fortescue just reminded him of the bleak situation now that Voldemort and the Death Eaters didn't mind acting openly.

Ron said, "Come on, Harry, this – like all _kinds_ of things we've been over – isn't your fault."

Harry sighed. "I know. It's just that I can't help feeling…" Harry was interrupted by a knock on the door. Professor Dumbledore stood in the doorway as Mrs. Weasley asked the security questions. The headmaster entered the kitchen where the trio enjoyed a comforting afternoon tea.

"Good afternoon Harry, Ronald, Hermione."

"Good afternoon," Harry answered, and his friends nodded.

"I trust that you've gotten the results of your OWLs?" All three students nodded. Professor Dumbledore smiled at Hermione. "I believe congratulations are in order. With ten 'O's and one 'E', you have the most and highest OWLs of all the students in your entire year."

Hermione smiled. "Really?"

Ron scowled at her. "I bet you're upset about that one 'E'," he accused. She blushed.

Turning to the boys, the professor continued. "And both of you, Ronald and Harry, have done creditable jobs. Well done." Ron smiled. Harry thought about it, but a pained look won out across his face.

"Without an 'O' in Potions, I can't continue the track to become an Auror," Harry stated.

Professor Dumbledore smiled enigmatically. "Yes. About that… Normally, this would have been a serious problem indeed. But you remember Professor McGonagall's promise to you?"

Hope lit up Harry's eyes as he started to pull things together, but not quite getting them. "She said she would help me become an Auror if it took her tutoring me every day… or something."

Professor Dumbledore's smile broadened. "Exactly right. Now, your grades are creditable for you to continue in your course of study."

"Except for Professor Snape's demand for an 'O' to continue," Harry groused.

"Right. And in fulfilling her promise to you, Professor McGonagall prevailed upon Professor Snape to allow you to earn some extra credit, so that you could earn your way into Professor Snape's NEWT level Potions class." Harry felt he could sing! Of course, it meant more time with Snape…

"So what will I have to do?" Harry asked plaintively.

"As it happens, a situation has come along that you can help with directly. This year, we have a foreign exchange student from America. His schooling so far is not up to Hogwarts standards, and if you tutor him in Potions, Professor Snape will let you into his NEWT level Potions class. However, this student will benefit greatly if you also tutor him in Defense Against the Dark Arts." Harry was intrigued. "He has come to Hogwarts early so that he can catch up."

Joy started to register on Harry's face, but then he stopped for a moment. "I'm… not going to go alone, am I?"

"I was rather hoping that the three of you might come. There is quite a bit he needs to catch up on. But also, he lost his family and many friends in a Death Eater attack a couple of days ago. I suspect that he could probably use the company." Wow, thought Harry. "He is at Hogwarts with his uncle, who will be this year's teacher in Defense Against the Dark Arts. But he could use the hand of your capable tutelage."

Harry, Ron, and Hermione sat in silence at this news. "Is he okay?" Harry asked.

"He's about as well as can be expected."

Harry nodded. He empathized completely. At least this new student had his uncle with him. "What's his name?"

"Daniel Fenton, and his uncle is Professor Masters."

Ron said, "First, we'd have to ask my parents. Mum doesn't want us to go to Diagon Alley for books and supplies until Dad can come with us."

At this point, a knock came on the door. All eyes looked up as Mrs. Weasley came in from some other room of the house to answer it. "Who is it?"

"It's Arthur, Molly." She opened the door, but Arthur pulled it shut. "You must ask the security questions first, dear."

Mrs. Weasley rolled her eyes and huffed. "Oh, honestly! Fine. What is your dearest ambition?"

Mr. Weasley smiled and answered, "To know how airplanes stay up. And what do you like me to call you when we're alone together?"

Molly couldn't help but blush. "Mollywobbles."

"Now we're safe!" Molly opened the door before further mortification could set in. Upon noting their unusual guest, Arthur exclaimed, "Professor Dumbledore! It's always a pleasure! What brings you here today?"

"Good afternoon, Arthur. If at all possible, I'd like to take Ronald, Harry, and Hermione to Hogwarts this Friday to help catch up a foreign exchange student, and to give our students here some extra credit."

"What perfect timing!" Mr. Weasley said joyfully. "After being at work over the weekend and having a relatively quiet half-week, I've got tomorrow off. We'll be able to get their things at Diagon Alley tomorrow. And according to Bill, we'll miss the extra security measures on Gringotts scheduled to take effect August 1." Mr. Weasley's excitement was contagious.

"That means we can finally get to see Fred and George's shop." Ron was thrilled.

"We'll see, dear," Mrs. Weasley commented. "We'll see if there's time. Won't you join us for dinner, Professor?" He graciously declined, explaining that he had too much to do to be ready in time, but thanked her for the offer. Then he was off.

Ginny joined them, and Mrs. Weasley set the teens to work setting the table for dinner. "At least we won't have Phlegm with us for dinner," Ginny said darkly.

The others nodded in recognition. Fleur Delacour was engaged to Bill Weasley, and she was staying with the Weasleys for the year. However, lots of the general culture Fleur was used to at home was very different, and she let the Weasleys know it. As such, she wasn't a favorite of Mrs. Weasley, and Ginny decided she had enough of her. When she was out of earshot of both Fleur and her mother (mostly), Ginny took to referring to Fleur as Phlegm. Tonight, however, Bill would be with Fleur wherever they were going, so they set places for Mr. and Mrs. Weasley and the four of them. The twins had a flat above their shop in Diagon Alley, and would not be joining them.

Over dinner, Mr. Weasley described some of the more interesting items confiscated in his new position, heading the Office for the Detection and Confiscation of Counterfeit Defensive Spells and Protective Objects. The friends discussed their two on two Quidditch matches and potential strategies that might work better in the larger version. Without Fleur, dinner had less tension than most days Harry was here.

After dinner, Mrs. Weasley had Ginny help clean up. She was almost mutinous, as she wanted to join the trio who would be off to Hogwarts on Friday. The other teens retired to the twins' room where Harry was staying to discuss the latest development.

"What do you think this Danny is like?" Ron asked.

"I really don't know," commented Harry. "But he seems to have lost an awful lot in a very short time. His family, his friends, and apparently his home… I miss Sirius, but he's lost even more, and all at once." Ron and Hermione were surprised at Harry's willingness to speak of his own loss so easily, especially after last year. But Harry was right. Danny managed to encounter a LOT of death of his loved ones in a horrifically short amount of time.

Ron thought and said, "I wonder which House he'll be in."

Hermione said, "I wonder how far behind he is in his studies. To come to school in July and be in school to be tutored throughout the month of August… I wonder what schools in witchcraft and wizardry he belonged to in America. The Salem Witches' Institute is said to be a fine school, but he wouldn't have gone there, as it's an all-girl's school…"

Irritably, Ron interrupted her. "It doesn't matter _where_ he's gone. He's going to be in Hogwarts now."

Harry, who was temporarily lost in thought, came back to the conversation. "With Defense Against the Dark Arts, a more personalized DA seems to be what Dumbledore wants me to do. I don't know what to do about Potions, though. I'm okay at it, but I don't know…"

Hermione soothed, "Actually, you did much better on your OWL than you do in Potions class. Maybe not being distracted by Professor Snape was the key factor."

Harry considered, "Well, maybe…"

"You know, all of us will be there. I'm sure that we could all find _something_ useful to tutor him in. After all, we have to find out which courses he's taking so that we can be more helpful." Hermione seemed thrilled at the prospect of tutoring a new student. And this time, Harry and Ron would have to focus on their studies, too.

"I wonder what kind of a teacher Professor Masters is going to be like. He can't POSSIBLY be worse than Umbridge," Harry said, rubbing the scars on his right hand that faintly read, "I must not tell lies."

"Or Lockhart," Ron added.

"Ron!" Hermione scolded.

"He was useless, Hermione. Yeah, he's in St. Mungo's now, but that doesn't improve his lack of teaching skills from Second year." Hermione scowled, but found that she couldn't argue.

"I wonder if he'll favor his nephew the way Snape favors the Slytherins," Harry said. They continued a lively discussion about the Defense Against the Dark Arts professors they've had in years past. To date, the best they've had was Professor Lupin. It was odd, but even Barty Crouch, Jr., the Death Eater who posed as "Professor Moody" had been a surprisingly good teacher. They concluded that the only way to know was to meet him in class. At around 11:00pm, they decided to go to bed, as they had to go to Diagon Alley in the morning.

* * *

Danny started his Wednesday morning tutoring in Herbology with Professor Sprout. Thankfully, none of the plants they worked with seemed particularly dangerous. Even so, Danny heeded Professor Snape's warning and remained alert and focused on every detail. Professor Sprout was a little surprised but very pleased with Danny's attentiveness.

However, Danny was curious about his class with Professor Binns. He sat in the classroom and his ghost sense went off shortly before Professor Binns phased through the chalkboard. The professor's normally tired eyes were lively as they landed on Danny. "Why, Danny Phantom! It's an honor to have you in my class! There are so many things to cover in so little time… Where should I begin?

"You know, I've taught the same material for decades, and now… I think we can come back to that momentarily. For you, we should begin with Pariah Dark. I know you defeated him a few months ago, but it bears noting that pulling a Real World town into the Ghost Zone is nothing compared to the tyranny he perpetrated millennia ago when he reigned.

"There wasn't much that he demanded, but he expected extreme loyalty upon penalty of annihilation. It is unknown if anything can destroy a ghost. No one is sure if he found such a thing, but when he decided to punish a ghost for treason, that ghost was never seen again. He traveled the Ghost Zone looking to expand his ever-increasing territory, terrorizing every ghost that got in his way.

"The Observants begged Clockwork to stop him." Danny's eyes widened. He never knew that the Observants ever actually asked Clockwork to do something useful. "It wasn't until the Ghost King attacked the Observants' mountain range that Clockwork took their plea into account. He summoned the Ancients who managed to cast a spell over the Ghost King, making him fall asleep. It worked! The Ancients then cast their spell over a sarcophagus."

"The Sarcophagus of Forever Sleep!" Danny exclaimed.

"Exactly right. They managed to remove from him the Ring of Rage before closing the sarcophagus. And it remained closed, until Plasmius decided to attempt to take hold of the Crown of Fire for his own purposes."

Danny shook his head. "That is far more detail than Skulker gave when he explained it months ago."

"That is to be expected. He is a hunter, not a teacher." Danny absorbed this for a few moments.

After starting with a lesson that kept Danny riveted, Professor Binns returned to his standard lessons dealing with goblin and wizard relations. Danny observed that Professor Binns' quiet monotone could be ignored as easily as Mr. Lancer's at times, but when the professor saw Danny starting to drift, he interjected a story about a ghost that was created at the time in history they covered. While the history of magic had very little to do with Danny, the history of the famous ghosts who came with it made the history feel somewhat more personal to him. This class could be a lot of fun, during the year.

At dinner, Vlad asked Danny about his tutoring sessions. Danny gladly spoke about History of Magic. He refrained from mentioning how Professor Binns told Danny that _Vlad_ released the Ghost King, but he had no problem describing everything else he learned. Vlad told Danny that he would let him know his decision about Muggle Studies by lunchtime tomorrow.

Only adding to what seemed to be an already red-letter day, Danny succeeded in teleporting across the classroom, to Vlad's delight. Vlad was a success as a teacher! Vlad had him start teleporting into different rooms in the castle. For the next week or so, they would practice range.

At midnight, Danny met Professor Sinistra on the Astronomy Tower with his telescope. She had Danny complete a star chart and was pleased at how much Danny filled in. Danny _had_ been studying astronomy for years, and Professor Sinistra almost glowed with how successful and thorough Danny was. He would be a joy to have this year.

* * *

It was Wednesday, and Vlad considered Defense Against the Dark Arts. While Danny had his lessons with that infernal Professor Snape on Tuesday, Vlad spoke to Professor McGonagall about what these Dark Arts consisted of. Professor McGonagall explained that the Dark Arts, for the most part, dealt with spells cast with the intention of harming a person or taking control of them, and Dark creatures that were known to harm people. They discussed the use of Vlad's learning of harmful spells so that he could mount a useful defense against them, but the curriculum he would create would primarily deal with creatures. He decided to learn about them, give the Ministry's policy about some of them, and his own opinion about the rest. This would be interesting, indeed.

That afternoon, Vlad discussed Ministry policy about several Dark creatures with Professor Dumbledore, werewolves first and foremost. They decided that a few of these discussions would be useful.

But starting Wednesday morning, when Danny started his Herbology lesson, Professor Snape took it upon himself to teach Vlad about Dark curses. He decided to teach Vlad about the Unforgivable Curses by having Vlad turn ghost and performed them against him. That miserable cur! And yet with some honest reflection, Vlad concluded that given an opportunity, he might have done something similar. The use of these curses on his ghost form proved useful, it turned out. Besides discovering what could and couldn't be done to him, he learned what these spells looked like in the hands of an adversary.

Interesting. Daniel was correct – the Killing Curse merely stung, but it fascinated him that the color of the spell was the same as Daniel's ectoblasts. The _Cruciatus_ Curse truly hurt. It was invisible, but easy enough to avoid by turning intangible. The Imperius Curse, however, was the most fascinating of the three. When Professor Snape aimed it at him, he had a pleasant feeling as a vague, untraceable happiness flooded him. The command _Do a back-flip,_ came very strong to him. He started the motion to begin said flip, and then he stopped. 'No,' he thought to the commanding voice, 'I don't think I will.' _Do a back-flip,_ came again. The urge was even stronger, as if all the world's ills would disappear if he obeyed. But he held firm. _Do it NOW!_ Vlad took a lot of effort, but remained hovering firmly a foot above the ground, as he tended to do as Plasmius.

Professor Snape was impressed. Only a strong mind with a strong will could withstand the full force of the Imperius Curse. Magical talent this Masters character didn't have, but he WAS a powerful individual, as was his force of mind. Snape decided that he may have to re-evaluate his initial impression of this half-ghost. It would still be fun to annoy him from time to time, but he had a basic respect for the man he didn't think he would have, and that respect did not come lightly.

Professor Snape looked over Vlad's ghost form. He was vaguely amused that Vlad looked like a vampire – Vlad the Impaler's image was brought to mind. They would work on curses, defenses, shields, and other things on different days, discovering how the various curses and jinxes worked on both Vlad's ghost and human form. As a professor, he was curious about the effects and would keep track of the results. Personally, he was alternately amazed at Vlad's physical resistance to many curses as a ghost and amused at the results of an unshielded curse against his human form. It was in the interest of protecting Daniel, he would say. Yes, he decided, he was greatly amused.

* * *

Proud of young Daniel for having finally succeeded in teleportation, Vlad started thinking about what to work on next. While the possibilities were endless, Vlad's attention fell back on the Muggle Studies textbook.

He read through it and found himself totally disgusted with how inane the things therein seemed to be. Daniel brought to his attention the chapter on electricity. If it would have discussed the circuitry or the science behind _how_ electricity worked, this would be a subject worthy of Daniel's attention. Instead, the book listed appliances that used electricity instead of spells. Between parking meters and cars, turnstiles and tourist telescopes, none of this particularly pointed out anything specifically British, but focused on how things were different between Muggles and Wizards. Even the politics, which looked promising, had nothing of use.

Of the thousand or so pages in _Homelife and Social Habits of British Muggles_**, **Vlad found exactly _15_ pages of useful information. All of that discussed how the Wizarding World was kept from Muggles, and the penalties from breaking the Secrecy. After Danny's Astronomy lesson, he would tell Danny to read and know everything on those 15 pages, and he could test out of Muggle Studies tomorrow.

* * *

Danny was delighted that Vlad agreed to let him test out of Muggle Studies. Throughout breakfast, Danny read and reviewed the fifteen pages that Vlad said were actually "useful."

Hagrid looked excited as he collected Danny at the end of breakfast. Walking down to his cabin, Hagrid said, "I kin hardly wait – there are two interesting creatures we'll meet today."

Danny was curious about what creatures Hagrid had in mind. He read through _Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them_ in about two hours. Some of them sounded familiar, some of them he might have actually met in the Ghost Zone in one form or another. Others sounded interesting, but were unfamiliar. "By the way, Professor Hagrid?"

Hagrid beamed. "I thank you, bu' there's no need to be so formal. Just call me Hagrid, if you would."

Danny smiled. "Okay, then. I read all of _Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them_, but _Monster Book of Monsters_ kept trying to bite my hand unless I kept it locked up with a belt. How am I supposed to read it without it attacking me?"

"You stroke the spine. Kinda like… pettin' yer cat."

Right, then. He thought Tucker would be amused at this. Actually, when he developed his thought, he envisioned Sam handing the book to Tucker, and Sam laughing while Tucker panicked. The image brought a smile to his face.

"What are we meeting today?" Danny asked.

As they neared the fence beside the cabin, Hagrid said, "Today, I'm going to introduce you to Buckbeak the Hippogriff and Tenebrus the Thestral. But first, here is Buckbeak. Oops, I mean, Witherwings."

Danny raised his eyebrows and asked, "Why the change of name?"

"Ah, well… a few years ago, a student who wasn't particularly fond of me teachin' skills got Buckbeak in trouble. Provoked him, the student did. And since his father was one of the school's governors and had sway with some characters in the Ministry's Department for the Regulation and Control of Magical Creatures, he stacked 'em against poor Buckbeak here. Didn't stand a chance. But through some miracle or somethin', he got away." Hagrid's face fell. "After Sirius – his keeper – died, well… He's innocent, but we're keepin' him low profile. So Dumbledore suggested a name change. Around me an' him, you can call him Buckbeak, but around anyone else, call him Witherwings."

"Got it."

Tethered in front of the cabin was the hippogriff. It had the body, hind legs and tail of a horse, but the front legs, wings, and head of a giant eagle. Buckbeak had a cruel, steel colored beak and large, brilliantly orange eyes, and grey feathers. The talons on the front legs were half a foot long. A thick leather collar was around its neck, and a long chain secured it to the fence.

"Now, hippogriffs are proud beasts. Easily offended, they are. Before you greet one, ya bow first. It's only polite, ya see? And if it bows back, ya can come close and pat its beak. Once you make eye contact, try not to blink… Hippogriffs don't trust ya if you blink too much."

"Okay." Danny bowed, looking at the creature. It nodded as if it recognized him and bowed back. Danny walked closer and patted its beak.

"Good for you, Danny. He likes ya. But ya know, you look like Harry Potter, so Buckbeak thinks yer him."

"Everyone speaks so well of Harry. What is he like?"

"First off, he has black hair and has yer build. Lots o' folks might mistake ya at first. But he's got green eyes and wears glasses. Also, he's got a scar on his forehead from where You-Know-Who tried to kill him when he was a baby. He's a good kid who manages to keep fighting You-Know-Who, and keeps winning. He's a hero. But don't tell 'im I told ya that." Hagrid grinned. "He's not fond of all the attention." Danny nodded. He could relate.

"But Buckbeak's accepted ya. I guess now yer ready to take a ride."

"What?"

"Ya climb up there, just behind the wing joint. And mind ya don't pull any of his feathers out. He won't like that." Danny looked at one of the wings and decided to put his foot on it as he clambered up. He's flown countless times. What would it be like to fly on an animal?

"Go on then," Hagrid said, slapping the hippogriff's hind-quarters. Danny hugged the neck as twelve-foot wings unfurled and pumped them into the air. Buckbeak took Danny in a wide circle around the edge of the Forest, above the cabin, a bit over the lake, and back again. Danny was thrilled. He could do this again sometime.

"Well done, Danny, well done. And now for summat I'm pretty sure you've never seen before. Although you probably can, now." Danny looked on curiously as Hagrid went back into his cabin and pulled out a fairly large, bloody steak. "The blood attracts 'em."

"What are you talking about?"

"You'll see soon. Watch." Hagrid brought Danny into the Forbidden Forest (Danny would have to tell the Baron about this when they explored the forest later), and brought him to a place where the trees completely blocked out the sun. Hagrid threw the steak into a clearing in the darkness, and another horse-like animal came out to inspect it. It had blank, white, shining eyes, a dragonlike face, neck, and wings, and skeletal body. "This is a Thestral. This one is Tenebrus. He's only one of the only domestic herd in all of Britain. They pull the school carriages the students (besides the Firs' Years) take from the Hogwarts Express to the castle."

"Hagrid, what did you mean when you said 'I probably can' see it?"

"Ah, Danny. Thestrals are invisible to all who haven't seen death firsthand. That's why some people say they're bad luck. Horse feathers! These are gentle creatures, but it's a sad thing to know you can see them. However, you probably coulda seen them before… ya know… just because yer a half-ghost. That's probably close enough ta death to be able to see them."

Danny asked, "Are there lots of students who can see them?"

"Not many. Well… the Death Eaters have been busy this summer. Probably more students this year than many a year will be able to see them."

Danny thought about this, frowning. This Voldemort person would have to be stopped! But another thought hit Danny. "Ya know, Hagrid, the Thestrals remind me of something I saw last Christmas."

"Oh? What was that?"

"I managed to upset a ghost called the Ghostwriter." He blushed. "I accidentally destroyed his only copy of a manuscript of a Christmas poem. The story's complicated. But one of the things he did to get back at me was to turn a herd of live reindeer into ghost reindeer. The Thestrals remind me of the ghost reindeer."

"He killed them?" Hagrid asked, horrified.

"Um… not exactly. But the ghost reindeer were a ghostly green, and the Thestrals are black."

"Ghostly green?"

"Yeah, well… Animals that are ghosts are usually green. Some are white, but most are green." Thinking out loud, he said, "I wonder how Wulf would be categorized. He's an animal, but he's kinda… like a man." To Hagrid, he continued, "He's not a werewolf. He's more of an… anthro-wolf. He's a wolf who walks upright with a kind of human consciousness all the time. His fur is black, but he wears a green sweatshirt…"

"It sounds like the ghosts you know are interesting."

"They are. Wulf is one of my few friends among the ghosts I know. Until I came here." They continued to chat amiably until it was time to go back to the castle for lunch.

* * *

After lunch, Hagrid excused himself, as he had business elsewhere. Vlad went with Danny to meet Professor Burbage. Upon entering the classroom, Vlad, Danny, and Professor Burbage introduced themselves.

"And now, Professor Burbage, I must ask you – what exactly do you intend to cover in Muggle Studies?"

"Well, Professor Masters, what we discuss is how Muggle life is different than Wizard life. If the students understand how the Muggle world works, perhaps they will be more understanding that magic isn't everything. Muggles are people, too."

"Indeed. I commend you for your chosen task of teaching tolerance of people who are different to students who may not appreciate this before hand. However, I feel that Daniel has quite a serious grasp of the workings of the Muggle world. As his guardian, I suggest that he take… the NEWT level exam. He should get credit for his expertise, but I think his knowledge may be well beyond the scope of this course."

Danny found himself in awe of Vlad. He took this guardian thing seriously, and he seemed to be doing very well as an advocate for Danny's needs. He just let the man talk.

Professor Burbage was surprised by the request. Usually, students who weren't interested in the course simply didn't _take_ the course. Danny registered, so he was interested in the material, but not interested in taking the course. Professor Burbage said, "I understand. The people from the Ministry who administer the NEWT exams are not in today, but I have a practice exam that would cover the same material. If Danny does well on the exam, I can see about arranging for the NEWT administrators to come some time in August."

"Thank you. Daniel, are you ready to take this exam?"

Danny felt the pressure of the exam, but then remembered that it wasn't more complicated than talking about NORMAL life, and those fifteen pages he almost knew by heart at this point. "Sure."

Professor Burbage dug through a drawer in her desk and pulled out a folder that she usually only pulled out in April for the Seventh Year students. Danny took a seat at a desk in the middle of the room. Professor Burbage handed him the test. "You have three hours. Begin."

Vlad sat in the back of the room, while Professor Burbage proctored in the front of the room. Danny ignored them, focusing on the test.

_What is the function of traffic lights?_

_Name four appliances that use electricity._

_What is the most common spell used to conceal magical creatures from Muggles?_

Answering questions like these, Danny was finished with his test in under an hour. Professor Burbage was a bit surprised, but Professor Masters made clear that Danny might be able to do as much. She marked the exam. Danny got 320%. Danny didn't know it was possible to get such a high score. Professor Masters' claim was vindicated.

"I'll speak to Professor Dumbledore. An owl will be sent so Danny can take the NEWT. I'm sure this is the highest grade for a NEWT a Sixth Year ever achieved." She shook Danny's hand, and congratulated him.

Vlad looked smug, proud of Danny, HIS charge.

* * *

Thursday morning, Harry, Hermione, and Ron woke up early. They wanted to be ready to go to Diagon Alley. At breakfast, Mrs. Weasley told the trio they needed to spend the morning packing, as they were staying at the Leaky Cauldron overnight.

"But I thought we were leaving first thing!" Ron protested.

"That would be the case if you were leaving on the Hogwarts Express tomorrow, as we'd have time to come home before leaving for King's Cross. But as per Professor Dumbledore's instructions, you lot are off to Hogwarts for a tutoring session directly after breakfast. And this way, there is less to worry about with security…"

Ginny piped up, "I want to go to Hogwarts as well!"

Mrs. Weasley sighed. "Ginny, dear, the student being tutored is a Sixth Year. This isn't merely a social call. I'm sure Professor Dumbledore would have asked you to come if he thought you could help out." Ginny huffed. She saw her mother's point, but that meant there would be no one to help distract her from –

"Good morning, 'Arry! Eet will be too short, your stay." Fleur said with a flourish.

"Good morning, Fleur," Harry said, blushing slightly at having been singled out. Fleur helped Mrs. Weasley serve breakfast. The teens discussed the things they expected to get, but Mrs. Weasley hurried them along. She was right, though. They did need to pack.

They finished up and tried to help put the dishes in the sink, but Fleur shooed them away and up the stairs. Ginny almost smiled in gratitude. In her room, Ginny sulked as she watched Hermione pack. "I just can't believe that you guys are going, and I'm going to be left alone. With Mum. To deal with HER."

"I'm sure the professor meant nothing by it," Hermione said as she collected her things. "It's not going to be fun and games, you know. We ARE going to help the new student catch up to Hogwarts standards."

"But you saw that – with the DA – the more the merrier, when it comes to Defense Against the Dark Arts."

"It is a little weird, I'll admit, to need to come to the school for more than a _whole month_ before term. I wonder…" Hermione trailed off in thought. This was a mystery. In the news, she heard of lots of Death Eater attacks. While it saddened her to know of the losses of many classmates, none of _them_ seemed to need to come to Hogwarts early. Even then, for a foreign student to catch up to Hogwarts standards didn't seem like something that should require a whole month. She would sort out the mystery.

After packing and a hasty lunch, one of the special Ministry of Magic cars in which Harry had ridden before, waited outside. "It's good Dad could get us these again," said Ron appreciatively.

"It's only because of Harry," Mr. Weasley explained. "I'm surprised they acted so quickly with the change in plans. I imagine Dumbledore told Tonks of the foreign exchange student, and Harry's tutoring for extra credit."

"Dad, then how are _we_ getting back home tomorrow?" Ginny asked.

"The Knight Bus. Sorry, Ginny, but only Harry has been given top-grade security status. We'll be joining up with additional security at the Leaky Cauldron, too." Harry was silent. He hated all the extra fuss being made over him, but he really didn't have a choice, with the Ministry taking the media hyped "Chosen One" thing seriously. Plus, the whole attack at the Ministry Building… Harry sighed. He wasn't happy about the idea of being trailed by tons of Aurors all over the place. He would have preferred a quiet day of shopping with his friends. He kept his Invisibility Cloak handy, just in case.

When they got to the Leaky Cauldron, Mr. Weasley said, "Ah, good. He's here." Harry looked out the window and his heart leapt. The security detail showed up in the form of Rubeus Hagrid, beaming at the sight of Harry's face and oblivious to the stare of passing Muggles.

"Harry!" he exclaimed, catching Harry in a bone-crushing hug the moment Harry left the car. "Buckbeak – Witherwings, I mean – yeh should see him, Harry, he's so happy ter be back in the open air –"

"Glad he's pleased," said Harry, grinning as he massaged his ribs. "We didn't know 'security' meant you!"

"I know, jus' like old times, innit? See, the Ministry wanted ter send a bunch o' Aurors, but Dumbledore said I'd do," said Hagrid proudly. "Jus' brought Danny an' his uncle, Professor Masters, here on Monday. I think you'll like him. Danny, I mean."

Curiosity piqued, they followed Hagrid into the Leaky Cauldron. "Sorry, Tom. Jus' passin' through for now. But we'll be back." The inn-keeper nodded as Hagrid led the way into Diagon Ally. The Ministry's posters, both of security advice and wanted posters of Death Eaters known to be at large, made Harry take note of the different atmosphere. He was particularly saddened when he saw Florean Fortescue's Ice Cream Parlour boarded up.

The amulets sign that caught Danny's attention outside of Flourish and Blotts angered Mr. Weasley. "If I were on duty…" he growled, as the seedy seller tried to entice him to buy an amulet for Ginny.

"I know, but don't arrest anyone today, dear. We have a lot to do," Mrs. Weasley said. "I think we ought to go to Madam Malkin's first, as Hermione wants new dress robes and Ron and Harry have outgrown their regular school robes."

"Dear, it doesn't make sense for ALL of us to go to Madam Malkin's. These three will go with Hagrid, and we'll get the books at Flourish and Blotts and potions material at the apothecary." Mr. Weasley tried to calm his wife's fears, but it didn't work. Mrs. Weasley still looked nervous.

"Don' fret. They'll be fine with me, Molly," Hagrid soothed. "We'll meet yeh back at the Leaky Cauldron when we're finished." Mrs. Weasley didn't look happy, but allowed the separation.

Upon entering Madam Malkin's shop, Harry Ron, and Hermione met a slightly surprised Madam Malkin. "Some more early-bird students, I see. The new Hogwarts foreign exchange student was here Monday. Come on, let's get your new measurements." It shouldn't have surprised them to know that Danny was here, but it only furthered their curiosity. They wondered who else the new student met and were even more anxious to meet him themselves.

"What's the new student like?" Harry asked.

"He looks a bit like you." Madam Malkin finished measuring Harry and pinned the cloth for his new robes. "He's shorter than you, though. I almost thought he was you when he first came in. He's a polite young man, but his uncle insisted on only the best of everything."

Interesting. Either Danny's uncle just wanted to make a good first impression, or he wants to show off his wealth. Harry's mind flashed onto his cousin Dudley, and then onto Draco. But Madam Malkin commented that he was _polite_. That meant that the boy wasn't spoiled. It was also interesting that this new student was said to look like him. That wasn't something that happened every day.

When they finished at Madam Malkin's, they decided to stop by Weasley's Wizard Wheezes. The left-hand window was filled with things that revolved, popped, flashed, bounced, and shrieked. Passers-by stood transfixed. Hermione blushed at the "U-No-Poo" sign. Harry and Ron thought it was brilliant and laughed. They entered and they looked at all the goods available, from Skiving Snack Boxes to trick wands, and all sorts of other things besides.

Hermione marveled at "Patented Day Dream Charms." The sign read: "One simple incantation and you will enter a top-quality, highly realistic, thirty-minute daydream, easy to fit into the average school lesson and virtually undetectable (side effects include vacant expression and minor drooling). Not for sale to under sixteens."

Hermione said, "You know, that really is extraordinary magic!"

"For that, Hermione," a voice behind them said, "you can have one for free."

Fred and George eagerly welcomed Harry (and the others) and gave them the grand tour. Harry was impressed at all the fun and interesting things available, but Fred and George brought them to the back room to show off the _true_ money-making items: their line of Shield Charmed items and other products that could be used in Defense Against the Dark Arts. It pleased them to tell Harry that the Ministry bought these items _en mass_. One of the employees required their attention, so before George followed her out, he said, "Harry, you help yourself to anything you like, alright? No charge."

"I can't do that!" said Harry, who already pulled out his money bag to pay for a Decoy Detonator.

"You don't pay here," said Fred firmly, waving away Harry's gold.

"But –"

"You gave us our start-up loan, we haven't forgotten," said George sternly. "Take whatever you like, and just remember to tell people where you got it, if they ask." With that, George left to assist the employee.

Fred handed a parcel to Harry. "Be sure to bring this care package to Danny Fenton, would you? He's the new student. His uncle took him away before he had a chance to explore and enjoy anything." This confused Harry's image of the uncle trying to spoil him "with only the best of everything," if he wouldn't even let him have fun in a joke shop.

"What's in it?" Harry asked.

Fred smiled. "Muggle magic tricks, self-inking quills, and a Reusable Hangman."

Ron commented, "That's rather tame. No Skiving Snack Boxes?"

"Don't think so. Remember, Ron, the reason most students get away with pulling these pranks is that their parents aren't in school to watch over them. Danny's uncle is a _teacher_, and he already vetoed the idea. Professor Masters doesn't look like a fellow you'd want to cross."

Harry found himself re-evaluating Danny yet again. From Fred's description, it sounded like Danny's uncle was fairly strict. He cared for his nephew, obviously, as Madam Malkin pointed out. But what kind of a man brought a kid to a joke shop and specifically _didn't_ let the kid have fun? This was a very weird scenario. Whatever it was, it was not simple. He decided that this would bear discussion when they got back to the Leaky Cauldron.


	9. Chapter 9

I thank everyone once again for their reviews, and putting this fic on their favorite and alert lists.

GhostKing666 made a very observant comment on a topic that that other reviewers have picked up on. As such, the whole concept needs to be addressed. He said: "Danny seems to be taking the death of everyone he cares about too well. If something like that happened to me, no matter what else was going on around me, I wouldn't even be able to think about it without falling into a clinical depression. It's only been a few days, Danny is getting over their deaths far too quickly and easily to be real."

I do indeed hear what you are saying about Danny's mourning. He is actually taking the losses very hard. However, he hasn't been given any time to process the losses.

There will come Friday, and he will have a little time alone to think and process everything.

But about the concept of mourning… I CAN promise you that not all severe mourning brings about clinical depression. Depression, absolutely. Personally, I lost all four of my grandparents, one of my brothers, and my mother. And I STILL get into emotional bouts, particularly over my mother and my brother (and sometimes over a grandparent who I would have liked to have a chance to know as an adult).

But I also remember that when my brother died, my mother didn't seem to have time to express her emotions. She didn't seem to have THE TIME to sit and just mourn. She felt that she needed to be strong for everyone. She felt that if she let herself break down, she wouldn't get herself back.

I don't know that she actually gave herself the luxury of mourning my brother's death comfortably until she actually died herself, almost ten years later.

(While I don't recommend my mother's route in pushing through and/or ignoring emotions, the point I'm driving home is that it is indeed possible to put off such emotions until a more convenient time.)

Danny hasn't had two minutes to himself that wasn't spent sleeping, studying, showering, or dressing yet. I recently spoke to Cynthia about the fact that I can't believe how horrible we've been to Danny... The first adult to truly embrace Danny to give him comfort was the Grey Lady.

It isn't easy. He just hasn't had time to deal with his situation yet. But trust me. He'll get there.

Disclaimer: I do not own either Danny Phantom or Harry Potter.

Chapter 9

After dinner, Ron, Harry, and Hermione met in the boys' room. Ron was exasperated with the twins. "I understand how come they give _you_ stuff for free, Harry. And I even understand how come they gave _you_ the free Daydream Spell, Hermione. We haven't even _met_ Danny, and they're giving _him_ stuff for free. But me, their brother? Nothing!"

Hermione gave a comforting smile, but Harry started to explain his thoughts first. "You know, I've been thinking about the many things we've heard about Danny. Madam Malkin made it clear that his uncle gives him "only the best" of things, but she said that he's polite. And it struck me that his uncle brought him to the joke shop, but didn't let him get anything fun. It isn't much, but I'd say that whatever relationship Danny has with his uncle, Professor Masters, it isn't simple. I'm not sure what to make of that."

Hermione added, "And with the Death Eaters on the loose, lots of students are without family members, or have become orphans." Harry stiffened and Hermione realized what she had said. "Sorry, Harry."

Harry shook his head. "Don't worry about it."

Hermione continued, "But none of these students have come to live at Hogwarts for the rest of the summer. And another thing: the Wizarding schools in America are said to be comparable to those here in Europe. Even if the school Danny went to wasn't as good as Hogwarts, I can't believe that it would take a whole month of tutoring to catch up."

Harry said, "I don't know what's going on, but something isn't the way it seems."

The next morning, they woke early. They needed to have breakfast early enough to Floo to Hogsmeade and get to Hogwarts in time for Danny's Defense Against the Dark Arts tutoring session. Mrs. Weasley hugged the three children, and Mr. Weasley shook Harry's hand. They said Goodbye to Ginny who stared after them wistfully, and they followed Hagrid through the Floo to the Three Broomsticks.

This time, things worked as they were supposed to, Hagrid surmised. They checked their things with Madam Rosmerta for transportation later, and they started the trek to Hogwarts. Harry asked Hagrid, "You've met Danny. What is he like?"

Hagrid considered his answer carefully. "He's a survivor. I don't know if he's had a chance ta work through his loss yet. But from what I've seen, he seems to be a good kid. Buckbeak liked him and let Danny ride him. He does look like ya, Harry, but he's got blue eyes." Harry thought about this. Whatever else Danny might be, he seemed to be considerate and brave, or he wouldn't have been able to ride Buckbeak. He was looking forward to meeting this new student.

They talked about their respective summers and their time at the Weasleys' together. They were cheerful as they entered the castle.

As they neared the classroom for Defense Against the Dark Arts, Professor Snape greeted them. "Well, Potter, it appears that your celebrated choice to become an Auror has given you yet another exception to the rules. Professor McGonagall has asked me to let both you and Weasley into my NEWT level Potions class, even though you don't qualify.

"The only reason I've considered this exception is that you now have the ability to _earn_ yourself some extra credit. You will tutor the newest Slytherin in both Potions and Defense Against the Dark Arts. You _will_ catch him up to speed, or you will find yourself _out_ of my class, where you belong, and the Auror Academy will be short one." Harry glared at Professor Snape, but he recognized the truth of his words. "And now, I'll leave you to your task."

"Well, now we know what House he's in," commented Hermione.

"He's a stinkin' Slytherin!" exclaimed Ron.

Harry shrugged and opened the door. Danny sat at a desk by the window, turning as the door swung open. Harry, Ron, and Hermione filed in, and Danny rose to meet them. Harry and Danny took a moment to study each other. Madam Malkin and Hagrid were right: Danny _did_ look a bit like him.

Danny shook off his amazement first. "Hi, I'm Danny Fenton. You must be Harry Potter."

Harry nodded. "And these are my best mates, Ron Weasley and Hermione Granger."

Danny thought, 'They're three best friends, like Sam, Tucker, and me.' He gulped. "I'm pleased to meet you. I've heard a bit about you. And Myrtle says 'Hello'." He extended his hand. The gesture wasn't returned, as Harry thought of his first encounter with Draco. Danny frowned. "What's wrong?"

"You're new, and you're already teasing me about Moaning Myrtle."

Danny blinked and shook his head. "What? Who said I was teasing you? I spoke to her, and she said that she missed you." He grimaced in confusion. "When a person sends regards, they're usually thanked. I'm sorry if I said something wrong." More quietly, he said to himself, "_Moaning_ Myrtle?"

Harry saw Danny's honest confusion. "I'm sorry for not believing you. Slytherin students usually delight in giving me a hard time, and I thought this was more of the same."

"I just got here. Why would I give you a hard time? You're supposed to be here to help me. Besides being pointlessly rude, giving you a hard time would be counterproductive. And anyway… I heard you're a good guy. So what's the problem?"

Hermione was the first to realize that Danny didn't have that arrogant air they were so used to from Danny's Housemates. "I'm sorry. The rivalry between Gryffindors and Slytherins is legendary, and since _we_ got here in First Year, Slytherins usually are very unpleasant to us, particularly to Harry."

"Geez, Sir Nicholas and the Bloody Baron mentioned the rivalry, but they said it was lighthearted. I never realized how seriously they meant it when they said that some students take it farther than necessary."

Ron's eyes widened. "You've talked to the Bloody Baron?"

Danny raised his eyebrows. "Sure, I've talked to him. All the House ghosts told me they make themselves available for students to talk to them." Witnessing the continued stares of disbelief, he rolled his eyes. "I take it that most students don't care to avail themselves of the ghosts' knowledge."

Harry defended, "Well… sometimes. But not usually. And most students are afraid of the Bloody Baron."

"Why? Because he's covered in blood and chains? That probably has to do with why he became a ghost and didn't 'move on'." So these people assumed that because the ghost looked like he suffered, they decided he was dangerous. Wizarding World or not, some things never change.

He sighed. "Fine. Can we push past the idea that I'm in Slytherin and, apparently, you're in Gryffindor, and get some learning done? Professor Snape says that this class takes top priority."

Harry narrowed his eyes. "Did he?"

Danny smacked himself in the face. "You've got to be kidding me. A professor of this school shows that he's concerned for my well-being and my career as a student here, and you're giving _me_ grief? What is your problem?"

Hermione tried to bring some reason back to this conversation. "Harry, try to see this from Danny's perspective. He is _new_ here. He hasn't seen the Gryffindors and Slytherins in action (although this isn't a fair demonstration, Danny. I'm terribly sorry.), and he's never seen your troubles with Professor Snape. Is there any way we can back this up and try again? We're going to be here for a month without the rest of the students. We should probably try to make this work."

Danny sighed. "Sure. Now what?"

Harry thought about what Hermione said. Most students didn't like the Slytherins because they usually looked down at anyone who didn't meet their specifications of acceptability. In the case of most Slytherins, they have no problem judging Muggle-born students harshly for no reason. And here was Harry, judging a new student harshly for as little reason. He was ashamed.

In a far kinder tone, Harry began, "Last year, due to complications of an incompetent teacher, we formed a club to work on the practical applications of Defense Against the Dark Arts. I guess we should start now where we started with the club.

"We're going to start with a Disarming Charm." Harry had Danny take out his wand and start with _Expelliarmus_. It didn't work when Danny did it, no matter how many times he said the words, to Harry's growing frustration.

"Look – why don't you let me see what it's supposed to look like when done properly?" Danny suggested. Ron and Harry practiced on each other. Danny's eyes widened, and he suddenly appreciated the spell the twins put on his and Vlad's 'wands'.

After about half an hour of getting no results with this and a couple of other simple spells, Harry tried a new tack. "What can you do in the way of shielding?"

Danny smiled. "Quite a bit, actually."

"Let's see it, then." Harry aimed a Stunning Spell at Danny, and Danny pointed and waved his wand but put up a shield of ectoplasmic glass. Danny was rather proud of the fact he could do that almost as well as Vlad could. True, Vlad could still manipulate his better, but Danny could produce it and put it in place as necessary.

It was Harry's turn to be surprised. He was not used to a Shielding Spell having visual results. "Okay. Now you aim a Stunning Spell at me." Danny peaked his eyebrows. He copied the motions he watched Ron and Harry do, and said the words they said, but it had no effect, as he knew it wouldn't. He didn't mean to frustrate his tutors, but he was, indeed, a Muggle. At least he learned the sounds and sights of the various protective and defensive spells, which he gathered was Professor Dumbledore's point of this exercise. But now Danny appreciated Professor Flitwick's direction of having his ghost powers look like magical spells.

Before they broke for lunch, Harry paled. "What am I going to do? Professor Snape said that if I can't catch you up, I can't take his NEWT level Potions class. And we seem to be getting nowhere."

Danny looked concerned. "It's not your fault that I can't do certain things. The professor can't blame you for my failings."

Harry's face darkened, but Hermione jumped in before Harry said something he might regret later. "Um, that's not our experience. There is another student our year, Neville Longbottom, who had a lot of trouble in Potions. It wasn't infrequent that Professor Snape blamed Harry and deducted House points in Harry's name when Neville had difficulties."

Danny rubbed the back of his neck. "Wow. That is really unfair. I'm sorry to hear it. But what are House points?"

Ron rolled his eyes. "You don't know about House points?" Apparently, Ron hadn't forgiven him for being in Slytherin. Joy.

Hermione explained, "During the school year, the House point system is supposed to be a competition to spur us on to excellence. If we do well in class, giving an answer a professor appreciates, for example, he or she awards points, or merits, to our House. If we are found breaking rules, a professor can deduct points from our House. In the Entrance Hall, there are great hour-glasses that keep record of said points. Gryffindor's are rubies, Slytherin's are emeralds, Ravenclaw's are sapphires, and Hufflepuff's are topazes.

"Anyway, besides personal excellence, the point system is there to help us encourage our Housemates to excel in studies and good behavior."

Ron chimed in, "And don't forget Quidditch."

Danny asked, "What is Quidditch? Sir Nicholas mentioned it, and said that it often stirs up House rivalries. But other than the fact it's a sport, I don't know what it is."

Ron seemed to wake up out of his surliness to talk about Quidditch. "Even in America, I'd think that you would have heard of it. But Quodpot is more popular there." Okay, now Danny felt more confused. He thought about asking for clarification, but Ron and Harry launched into an excited explanation of Quidditch. He learned about the players' positions, the balls, the points, the hoops, and the fact that Harry was the Seeker and captain of his House team and Ron was the Keeper. He got a private thrill from knowing that someone with a build like his could be a star player at a sport like this.

"In addition to the points counting to add up for the Quidditch Cup, the points from the games are added to the House points." Harry concluded.

"What happens with all those points?" Danny asked.

Hermione answered, "At the end of the year, the points are totaled and the House with the most points earns the House Cup. It's a matter of bragging rights and House pride that lasts from year to year."

Ron pointed out, "Before we got here, Slytherin won the Cup for six years running. Since our year, Gryffindor has won it every year." He didn't explain what happened Fourth Year. He didn't want to upset Harry again.

"Ah, so the competition is particularly intense. What about Ravenclaw and Hufflepuff? They don't seem to hit that competitive button when you talk about them."

Harry blushed. "I don't know. I'm sure they try for it, too. I guess Gryffindors and Slytherins usually feel for it more." He said more quietly, "Until Ron said it, I didn't know that Gryffindor won last year."

Danny tilted his head. "Why not?"

Harry sighed. "In a battle against Voldemort's followers," Ron winced at hearing the name, "my godfather Sirius Black was killed. It was my –"

Hermione shouted, "It wasn't your fault, Harry!"

Harry shook his head. "Well… Let's just say that I wasn't in the mood to celebrate the end of the year." He looked away from them. Ron and Hermione looked at him with deep sympathy.

Danny was immediately reminded of Sam and Tucker. That is how they would look at _him_ when Danny was discouraged because of difficulties in ghost fighting.

"Look – you guys head to lunch. I have to go." Danny started to walk away from them. Once he turned a corner, he turned ghost and flew through the wall and out of the castle. He kept going until he came to a grassy patch by the lake. Sitting on the grass, Danny felt the enormity of everything and everyone he lost. All the emotions he dammed up inside him burst. He hugged his knees and cried without reserve.

He thought of his parents, who loved him. He wondered if he ever made them proud. And he never told them his secret, after the Reality Gauntlet incident. He thought of Jazz, who protected him, even when she didn't understand him. Had he ever thanked her properly for all the help she gave him? Sam and Tucker. There wasn't anything he didn't share with them. Tucker was the best friend a guy could ever have, and they've been best friends forever.

And Sam. He should have picked up on Sam from their first "fake-out make-out," but it took him the whole of a year and a crush on Paulina, and then Valerie, and then Sam's crush on Gregor – or Elliot – for him to realize how much Sam meant to him. He never told her that he loved her. And now he would never be able to.

All the people he had known and loved were gone. Valerie was still there, but it wasn't the same. He thought about the road trip that his parents took him on at Jazz's behest when they thought he was going nuts. True, Youngblood didn't make his life easy, but the fact was that his family tried to help him, and they cared. That meant something to him.

And Christmas! After the whole "lesson was learned" from the Ghostwriter, he promised to be better this year. His parents weren't going to be there for their annual never-ending argument about Santa. But no one was going to notice when he worked to be in better spirits this year.

He cried until he ran out of tears. Then he sat, rocking back and forth, miserable. His ghost sense went off. Self-preservation was the only thing that made Danny look up. Sir Nicholas stood there and crouched down to be closer to Danny, putting an arm around his shoulder. He stayed silent until Danny spoke first.

"They're gone. I can't believe they're gone, Sir Nicholas. And there was nothing I could do to protect them."

"Shh," soothed Sir Nicholas, "I'm sure you did your best."

"What am I going to do? My whole family, my best friends… everyone who honestly cared about me. Even Mr. Lancer, a teacher who took time out to help me when my grades weren't so good, is gone. Everything that helped to define me is gone."

"Danny, you're still here. And the fact that people know you tried is still here. You have a sense of purpose, your sense of right and wrong, and – believe it or not – your ability to comfort Vlad is all part of what defines you."

Danny screwed up his face. "Comforting Vlad?"

"It sounds strange to you, I know. But he does care for you. And he wants to see you healthy and strong, physically and emotionally."

Danny frowned. "He never cared before."

"That might be. But he _does_ want you to succeed. It might surprise you to know that he has always respected you, even as he taunted and tormented you."

"Sir Nicholas, how do you know all of this?"

"Vlad is a very private person, but even he needs someone to talk to. He may not have said much, but the fact that he has put everything on hold and has come here to be with and to protect you speaks volumes."

"But he's been my arch-enemy for so long."

"True. There is no getting around that. And I'm sure it will take you both plenty of time to work on your relationship. Assuming that neither of you changes overly much, I'm sure you'll continue to clash over a great many things. That is natural, and that will be a good thing." Danny looked thoughtful. "Come. You could probably use something to eat. Officially, lunch will be over, but I'm sure an elf or two might like to see you again." Danny smiled and, together with Sir Nicholas, started walking back to the castle.


	10. Chapter 10

I thank everyone who reviewed, and the newer folks who put this on their favorites and/or alert lists. Just a thought to those who are concerned: no, Danny is not done grieving. This will be an issue that will crop up from time to time, but last chapter was his first real release.

For the request to fast-forward to September, we'll get there. But first, Danny has to hang out with Myrtle. Maybe we'll move forward faster after the weekend.

I have yet to come up with a suitable entrance for Vlad to greet his first Defense Against the Dark Arts class. I'm not sure of the theatrics involved, but I will work on it.

Disclaimer: I do not own either Danny Phantom or Harry Potter.

Chapter 10

Harry, Ron, and Hermione shared a glance at Danny's abrupt departure. "I wonder what that was about," said Ron.

The three of them walked silently to lunch, lost in their own thoughts of their meeting with the new student. The Great Hall was arranged in the same fashion as it was during the holidays without the decorations. The professors they knew – Professor Dumbledore, the Heads of House, Hagrid, and Firenze – were with a man who had his white hair held back in a ponytail, and wearing a Muggle business suit. They guessed that this was Professor Masters.

When they approached the table, Professor Masters demanded, "Where is Daniel?"

Taken aback by the force of his question, the three of them stopped still. "When we broke to come to lunch, Danny told us to go on ahead, saying he had to go," Harry answered.

Professor Masters shut his eyes tightly, putting a hand on his forehead. "Fudge buckets!" He exclaimed. "I knew it had to happen sooner or later. He's overcome by his loss." He steepled his hands before his face in thought, frowning. He looked up and noticed Nearly Headless Nick floating nearby, concern crossing Nick's face. "Sir Nicholas, please find him and say… something comforting." He shook his head in his own concentration as the addressed ghost nodded and left.

Snape started to ask, "But why would you –"

"That is between Daniel and me. Thank you." Vlad said icily, with finality.

Professor Dumbledore sat impassively as Professor McGonagall raised an eyebrow. The other professors looked on in confusion, but only Snape registered shock. The three students didn't know what to make of this. Danny feeling a sense of loss made sense: the deaths only happened last Saturday. But why would his uncle send an emissary to comfort his nephew? And why choose a ghost, of all people?

Recognizing the tone from when Snape used it on Lockhart several years ago, the students realized that pursuing this further would not only be fruitless, it could possibly be dangerous.

Professor Masters stood up. "If anyone asks, I'll be in my room." With that, he turned on his heel and stalked out.

The room remained silent for a few moments. Snape broke the silence. "I imagine that if Daniel found the need for a moment to grieve, Professor Masters might need one of his own."

The tension at the table lifted. Lunch was quieter than it might ordinarily be because no one wanted to discuss the mysterious professor and his private but odd way of dealing with his nephew.

Once people started leaving the table, Harry and his friends approached Professor Dumbledore. "Um, professor? Do you have a moment?"

Professor Dumbledore smiled. "Certainly. Let's meet in my office." He led the three of them to his office. "Pumpkin Pasties," he told the gargoyle, who sprang out of their way.

Once in the office, Professor Dumbledore offered the three students seats and lemon drops. "What's on your mind, Harry?"

"Well," he began, "it's Danny. We went over a few simple spells, but Danny wasn't able to perform _any_ of them. He did produce an impressive shield wordlessly, but I've never seen a visible Shielding Charm."

Dumbledore's eyes widened at the mention of the shield. 'Fascinating,' he thought. 'Using a ghost-powered shield as a Shielding Spell. Well done!' "Danny will have difficulty producing many spells. I know Professor Snape wants you to work with him in Defense Against the Dark Arts. Concentrate more on showing him the spells, and make sure he knows the proper incantations that go with them."

"But…"

"Don't worry about results for this class," he said seriously, but in a far lighter tone, he continued, "Even so, you can do wonders while tutoring him in Potions."

Confusion spread across the faces of the three teens. "But I thought that Defense is best done practically," Harry protested.

"Yes, that is usually correct. You are just going to have to trust me on this. And even Professor Snape will understand. In Potions, however, I make no promises." The professor smiled enigmatically. "What do you think of our new student?"

Harry cycled through his thoughts. Some of them embarrassed him. "He seems to be okay, I guess. He must be brave if he rode Buckbeak and spoke to the Bloody Baron."

Professor Dumbledore nodded. "From what I've heard, he's actually very brave indeed."

Hermione asked, "Professor, why are he and Professor Masters here so early?"

The professor took a moment before he answered the question. "The Death Eater attack was particularly vicious in his town. Practically the whole of his town was massacred. No Aurors were able to come in time. Unlike many of the attacks you hear reported, there were very few survivors from his entire town. We felt it would be easier to help them heal if we brought them to an entirely different location." While this was not the only reason he brought them here, it certainly was a valid one.

This answer brought the students to silence. After a minute, Hermione asked, "Why is Danny so far behind in his studies?"

"That is a very good question. Unfortunately, I'm not at liberty to say. However, I might suggest that you ask him about his classes. I believe he will prove to be motivated."

Harry looked pointedly at Professor Dumbledore. "You told me at the end of last term that you would tell me everything."

Dumbledore sighed sadly. "Yes, Harry, I did. I will tell you everything pertaining to you, to the war with Voldemort, to the Wizarding World at large. However, Danny's situation was explained to me in confidence. It isn't my secret to tell. What I _can_ tell you is that – for whatever reason – he is behind in his studies. Be patient with him in Charms and Defense Against the Dark Arts, and don't worry about his failure in performance. But _do _catch him up in the other classes he's taking. He may surprise you."

* * *

After a delightful, informal lunch in the kitchens, where Dobby and a few other elves greeted him warmly, Danny went back outside with Sir Nicholas. Along the way, they were joined by the other House ghosts. (None of them wanted to lose an opportunity to just spend time with the lad.) Greatly cheered, Danny listened as the Bloody Baron regaled him with the tale of Sir Nicholas's 500th Deathday Party. Danny was torn between the desire to laugh in amusement or not, to spare Sir Nicholas's feelings.

"It was Halloween, 1992. Hundreds of ghosts showed up from all over the country," began the Baron.

With reluctant pride, Sir Nicholas said, "Yes. The Wailing Widow came all the way from Kent. I invited Harry and his friends. It was most exciting and satisfactory to me that they came. It almost made it worth it after Sir Patrick Delaney-Podmore and the other members of the Headless Hunt came and made a mess of things." Shaking his head bitterly, he said, "They flaunt the fact that THEY'VE been _properly_ decapitated. Nothing but a half inch of skin and sinew holding my head to my body, and they say that isn't – "

"Um," Danny interrupted, uncertain. "Skulker has been talking about wanting _my_ head, or my 'pelt' on his wall," he shuddered. "The concept of a headless ghost must mean something very different to you than it does to me."

"It must mean something different per force, Danny. In the Wizarding World, if a spirit becomes a ghost, it bears traces of how it died." The Bloody Baron blushed, if you could call the rush of silver opacity that graced his face that. The Grey Lady looked away. The Fat Friar shook his head in resignation. Sir Nicholas continued, "We are mere shades, shadows of who we once were in life. There are reasons we've chosen not to go on, but we bear the scars of how we died.

"You, and most ghosts who reside in the Ghost Zone, are of a different sort. You actually interact physically with the living world. It is a wonder to us, but you handle yourself so well."

Danny blushed. "Um, thanks. But tell me about the party."

"Yes. There were black tapers glowing blue, an orchestra playing saws, decaying food graced the tables…" Sir Nicholas described.

Danny winced. "Eww…" The House ghosts stopped in shock. Suddenly aware that he mistakenly hurt their feelings, Danny tried to backtrack. "Sorry. It's just… last year, I visited the annual Christmas party in the Ghost Zone – LONG story – but the room was brightly lit. I'm sure Technus wouldn't have it any other way. Ember offered me Christmas goose, fresh out of an oven, completely fit for human consumption. Cheerful music played. And it was explained to me that ALL ghosts keep the Christmas truce. 'Even half-ghosts like me.' Skulker said so, and he's been after me since…well, a month or two after I first became a half-ghost."

Almost absently, he added, "If I don't have other plans by then, I hope to go this year. This time, it wouldn't be incidental to… whatever, but on purpose."

"Perhaps at another time, we'll show you a magically enhanced natural portal we sometimes use to shorten travel time to various places in Britain." Sir Nicholas confided. The other ghosts nodded, but the Bloody Baron wasn't done with his part in telling the story.

"Right. But you forgot the best part of the story of the party, Sir Nicholas. You started to – or rather, you TRIED to start giving your speech, when Sir Patrick started playing Head Hockey with the others from the Headless Hunt. I'd say Sir Patrick scored a goal, with his head soaring right past Sir Nicholas at the opening salutations." Sir Nicholas covered his eyes. "The rest of the party cheered. We thought the party started properly with that." He grinned. "Sorry, Sir Nick. But honestly…"

"Students coming at nine o'clock," Danny announced. The House ghosts looked up to see Harry, Ron, and Hermione.

Sir Nicholas traded his expression of exasperated mortification at the Baron's telling of his least favorite moment of his Deathday Party for joy. "Ah, we were just talking about you. I am _still_ grateful that all of you came to my 500th Deathday Party."

Harry smiled awkwardly. "It was nothing, Nick." Ron and Hermione blushed, thinking not so much of the party, but the unfortunate incident afterwards. Ron's memory of the decayed food turned him a little nauseous, before he thought of the writing on the wall, announcing the opening of the Chamber of Secrets.

Harry continued, "Danny, how are you doing?"

Danny smiled. "Better, thanks."

Hermione asked, "What happened?"

Danny sighed. "I noticed that you three are best friends, two guys and a girl. My best friends were also a guy and a girl. Sam and Tucker." At a look of confusion, Danny made an annoyed noise with his throat. "Samantha." Oh. "They were the best friends a guy could ever hope to have. If you are anywhere near that close, I suggest that you don't take that friendship for granted."

Eyebrows went up at such sage advice from a fellow teen, but it was completely understandable. Ron asked, "What was your family like?"

Danny smiled. "It was the four of us: my parents, my older sister Jazz, and me. My parents were very much in love, sometimes embarrassingly so. But that love was awesome, and spilled over to Jazz and me." To the continual annoyance of Vlad, Danny thought. His smile brightened. "Jazz was very protective of me. Sometimes a little _over_ protective, but she always meant well. All three of them were brilliant. Jazz was at the top of her class, always." Hermione smiled. "I was more of a 'C' student. But I miss all of them so much."

The trio nodded. Harry asked, "What did your parents do?"

Danny tensed. "I'd prefer not to talk about it." The ghosts nodded.

Ron saw that the House ghosts knew what was going on. He wanted to know, too. "Why?"

Danny looked down. "It's complicated, and I don't want to get into it."

Time to change topics, Ron decided. "What is up with your uncle?" Hermione jabbed him in the ribs with her elbow – it was obvious that Professor Masters wasn't interested in this being discussed. One look at Danny told them that he wasn't interested, either.

"We are SO not going there!" The three students looked wide-eyed at him. "This much I'll tell you. He was happy to take me in when my parents died, but I miss my parents very much. And we'll leave it at that."

"You're very lucky that way," Harry sighed. Danny looked curious. "Voldemort killed my parents when I was a baby. I live with my mother's sister, my Aunt Petunia, Uncle Vernon, and cousin, Dudley." He frowned bitterly. "They hate me for being a wizard. They always have. And Dudley hates me just because."

It was Danny's turn to be sympathetic. "I'm very sorry to hear it, Harry." With a respectful pause and a crooked smile, he said, "I'm pretty sure Uncle Vlad took an interest in me _because_ of what I am." Only after the words left his lips did he realize what he had said. He paled, hoping he didn't say too much. Harry, Ron, and Hermione stared, absorbing this interesting bit of information. Danny looked at all the students and ghosts, and whispered in a panic, "Please don't tell him I told you."

Confused, Harry, Hermione, and Ron shared a quick glance and nodded. "Okay. Your…" Harry wanted to say, 'Your secret is safe with us,' but he realized that Danny hadn't told them any useful information. He shrugged. "We won't tell."

The ghosts just looked on in complete understanding. "You _know_ your secrets are safe with us." Harry noticed the multiple secrets mentioned by the ghosts.

Danny relaxed, the tension visibly dropping. "Thanks. You don't know how much that means to me. All of it."

Sir Nicholas noticed the sun's position in the sky. "You might want to head back to the castle and get ready for dinner."

When they got to the Great Hall, Professor Masters had come back, this time wearing red wizard robes. Danny was reminded of the underside of Plasmius's cape. Professor Masters spoke to Professor Flitwick, but paused when he caught sight of Danny. He smiled at Danny's return and resumed his conversation.

Hermione decided to follow Professor Dumbledore's advice, and asked, "Danny, what courses will you be taking?"

Danny looked thoughtful as he recalled. Gesturing to Vlad, he said, "Defense Against the Dark Arts, of course. And then Potions, Herbology, Charms," he winced a little, "Astronomy, History of Magic, and Care of Magical Creatures." He rolled his eyes. "And because Uncle Vlad decided that 'a well-rounded education wouldn't be complete without them,' he's giving me private lessons in English lit and Business math, in addition to extra Defense tutoring."

Ron whistled in appreciation. Hermione said, "That is quite a selection. I'm also taking seven classes, but all of us will be in Charms, Defense Against the Dark Arts, Herbology, and Potions. We are also taking Transfiguration. I am continuing Arithmancy and Ancient Runes."

Danny winced again. "Good luck with that."

Vlad turned his attention back to Danny. "Daniel, I spoke to Professor Dumbledore earlier. You will take the NEWT for Muggle Studies next week."

Danny punched a fist in the air. "Yes!"

The Gryffindors looked at Danny strangely. Harry asked, "Why are you taking a NEWT exam in Muggle Studies?"

Danny grinned madly. "Because I'm testing out of the class."

Vlad was amused by Danny's antics. "Yes. On a practice exam, he scored 320 percent." He was still proud.

Hermione looked deflated. "I got that in Muggle Studies in Third Year, but on NEWT level? And before Sixth Year? Wow." Danny continued to smile, but was confused at Hermione's darkened expression.

Ron eyed Danny suspiciously. "Why does a Slytherin care enough about Muggles and Muggle Studies to test out of it?"

"We're back to that again, huh?" Danny crossed his arms.

Professor Snape swooped down to their end of the table. "Daniel, we need to have a little chat. It can wait until tomorrow, but no later."

Danny was surprised at Professor Snape's urgency. "Uh, okay."

Professor Snape decided, "Meet me in my office after breakfast."

Danny said, "I'll be there." The professor nodded and went back to his seat farther down the table. Danny was confused by the alternatively curious glances he received and the vicious glare his fellow students aimed at Professor Snape. "You don't like him very much, do you?"

Harry, remembering Hermione's rebuke, scaled down his response from his originally intended delivery. "In a word, no. For one thing, he blatantly favors Slytherins. Secondly, he's had it in for me since he first laid eyes on me in First Year." He had no interest in sharing the Occlumency debacle with this new student, but he figured this much he would share. "He didn't get along with my father, and they were in the same year in Hogwarts."

"That's rough." Danny was unaware of the politics involved here. Then he experienced _déjà vu_: Vlad and his father didn't get along since college. Well… at least, Vlad was the one who hated his father. Part of Vlad's hate stemmed from the accident that caused the Ecto-Acne as well as his ghost powers. And the main part was over his mother, and later, him.

In any event, Danny didn't have the full picture of Harry's father and the professor, but he didn't think it was appropriate to ask further. Lost in his thoughts, he finished eating quietly until Vlad collected him for Powers Training.

8


	11. Chapter 11

Disclaimer: I do not own either _Danny Phantom _or _Harry Potter_.

Chapter 11

When they entered their usual classroom, Vlad turned to Danny. "I'm very proud of the progress you're making on teleportation. We will get back to range at another time. But today, we are going to work on levitation.

"Professor Flitwick told me that in your ghost form, your levitation is creditable. However, in your human form, he said that your levitation is as pathetic as the attempt you made in the joke shop. This will _not_ do."

"It's not pathetic," protested Danny.

"It is indeed. You can do far better. We've covered all the things you _can_ do. I want to see you develop your powers so that you can do the things you _can't_ do.

"I'm sure you remember the hunting lodge incident, hmm?"

"Of course I do. It was the first time we actually had a fair fight."

Vlad smirked. "It's amazing what you can do with some anti-ghost technology. But right now, I'm not talking about that Specter Deflector, or even the Plasmius Maximus. I'm talking about the eye-beams I shot at you when you showed me your temper."

Danny bristled. He remembered that Vlad had insulted his father. Danny did lose his temper, and his eyes flashed ghostly green. Vlad taunted him, saying, 'Oh, the SCARY eyes!' and shot ectobeams from his eyes, in human form, no less. Apparently, Vlad's eyes were scarier.

"Yeah, I remember. So what?"

Vlad shook his head. "You don't see the possibilities. I can show you how to use your _own_ eye beams. Levitation in your human form. Countless other talents you already have but simply need to learn to focus to use." Vlad peaked his eyebrows. "Think of all the things I can show you now that we're no longer enemies."

His tone turned menacing. "But don't think you can try to defy me. I still have 20 years more experience than you."

Danny waved a hand, almost bored. "Is there a reason you're bringing this up?"

Vlad was mildly annoyed. He intended to needle Danny into proving himself, but Danny wasn't taking the bait. "Yes, Daniel. After the discussion I had with Professor Flitwick, I started thinking. There are quite a few possibilities available with your powers, as there always were. But mixing the magic available with the ghost powers has caught my imagination.

"There are going to be things we'll work on that will look – for all the world to see – like you are performing magic spells. Some of the things will be useful in actual defense in ways we haven't discussed yet. And some of the things you may not like at first. But you _will_ do them. With our lessons going so smoothly, I thought a healthy reminder of our 'less smooth' moments was worth mentioning.

"Besides… arousing latent powers is only part of what we will do. Using known powers in unexpected ways may surprise you."

Great, Danny thought. For the first time since Danny's world fell apart, Vlad reminded him exactly why Danny dubbed him a "crazed-up Froot-Loop." But this time, there wasn't a way out of the situation if he didn't like what Vlad would do.

He sighed. Vlad told him "not to defy him." As long as Danny didn't find whatever Vlad told him to be "obnoxious and objectionable" (he smiled inwardly as he thought briefly of Sam's parents), he would play along. He didn't intend to stand for it if Vlad told him to do something he found morally incorrect. But for now, Vlad was right: his power of levitation in human form needed work.

The next morning, Danny went to Professor Snape's office after breakfast as directed. The professor opened the door. "Good morning, Daniel. Take a seat." Danny did, and noticed jars of interesting looking things all around the room. He caught sight of the Blood Blossom and shuddered. He looked back to Professor Snape, who was seated back at his desk.

"Mr. Weasley's unkind comment last night reminded me that I've been derelict in my duties as your Head of House. While his suspicions of you were misplaced, his general notion about Slytherins and their general attitude about Muggles is correct." Danny's eyes widened in surprise.

"It is my job to explain the general culture of our House, as it is different in nature from that of the other Houses. Salazar Slytherin, the Founder of this House, chose the students he would teach based on their character: they would be ambitious, not minding a little deviousness and creative interpretation of the rules to accomplish their goals. But he also had a blood policy, over which he had a falling out with the other Founders, particularly with Godric Gryffindor."

"Hence, the rivalry between Gryffindor and Slytherin was born," observed Danny.

"Indeed. Salazar wanted the bloodlines of witches and wizards he taught to be strong. Therefore, he would only choose students who were Pureblood or Half-Blood as students. He didn't think that Muggle-born witches or wizards were worth his while."

Danny shivered. That didn't sound too different than the neo-Nazi mantra. "I see such thinking makes you uncomfortable. But you need to know that the general attitude of your Housemates will follow this line of thinking. Families whose Wizarding bloodlines run back generations, if not centuries, have taught their children to be proud of this fact. There is a general… pride that comes with this. Some might call it arrogance.

"There is no need for you to develop nor to express this general attitude. But it will be crucial to your existence in this House to not let it be exposed that you are a Muggle."

Danny stared wide-eyed in horror. "If there is all this anti-Muggle sentiment, why was I sorted into Slytherin?"

Professor Snape thought for a moment. "That is a good question. Sunday night, I was as confused as everyone else, beside the Bloody Baron. With the track record of yours that Sir Nicholas described to Professor Dumbledore, who then told Professor McGonagall, me, and the other members of the Order of the Phoenix – Dumbledore's organization to stop the Dark Lord – we thought you would be in Gryffindor. No other Founder of Hogwarts cared about Muggle heritage the way Slytherin objected to it, and such acts of courage seemed to warrant it.

"And then it occurred to me. In Gryffindor, you might have been careless about sharing your secrets." Danny was about to object, but Professor Snape held up a hand. "It isn't a comment against you." He rolled his eyes, thinking about his next comment. "For the most part, they tend to be a friendly, accepting bunch." He muttered, "Not of Slytherins, but nonetheless…" Back in full voice, he continued, "Because of their general attitude, they are bold, and have nothing to hide. If you were sorted into Gryffindor, as we mostly expected you to be, you might have shared all kinds of secrets with your Housemates. In that milieu, you might have grown complacent and careless about sharing such things, much to your detriment.

"But in Slytherin, EVERYONE has secrets. Sometimes they are about purity of bloodline, sometimes they are about personal weakness, physical or emotional. Out of necessity to survive, you would _need_ to keep your secrets. As long as you keep your secret about being a Muggle, it should be just as easy to keep your secret about being a half-ghost. I realized that your Sorting was a brilliant decision on the part of the Hat."

Danny sat in thought. He was a little overwhelmed by everything the professor just told him. The professor let him absorb it for about two minutes, and then he continued. "Right now, you are still deep in mourning, and so discussing your family is a sensitive topic, understandably. Even when you feel it would become less painful to do so, do NOT share information about your parents and their profession with _anyone_ besides me, your uncle, or Professor Dumbledore. Or perhaps a ghost you've become friendly with, who probably knows more about you than anyone here besides your uncle." He thought for a moment. "Or maybe Hagrid."

Danny nodded. "So that means I won't be able to make friends my age while I'm here," he said sadly.

"Not at all. I'm sure you'll make friends. You will just have to keep an air of mystique about you. And another thing you need to know. You are _not_ to tell fellow Slytherins about the Death Eater attack. Most Slytherins or Slytherin families are somewhat sympathetic to the Dark Lord's cause, whether or not they are motivated or evil enough to join the ranks. The Dark Lord is of the notion that, like Slytherin, the only people worthwhile are wizards, particularly pure- or half-blood wizards." He furrowed his brow. "The difference between Salazar Slytherin and his last descendant is Salazar simply didn't want to teach Muggle-borns. The Dark Lord doesn't want them to live.

"As you have discovered, he thinks nothing of killing Muggles. Muggle-born wizards are barely more acceptable to his way of thinking. As such, it is a general rule that Death Eaters don't attack Slytherins. If you give away the fact that Death Eaters killed your family, many more of your secrets will be in jeopardy."

"Harry and his friends seem to know already."

Professor Snape sighed. "Yes, they probably do. Professor Dumbledore seems to let them in on some secrets." Fear widened Danny's eyes, but Snape shook his head. He rolled his eyes at the thought of them. "Don't worry about them. They are mostly harmless. For personal reasons, I can't stand Potter, but Professor Dumbledore trusts them." Grudgingly, he admitted, "They've earned that trust."

Professor Snape looked thoughtful. "Even Potter has his secrets. But be wary. With all the secrets that surround you and your uncle, lots of students will be curious. Potter and his friends are particularly good at ferreting out some of the deeper secrets that are usually school mysteries." With a wry smile, he said, "I do believe that you and your uncle are this year's mysteries."

"Great. No pressure or anything," Danny said sarcastically. "So what do I do? Uncle Vlad is going to teach me literature that – unless I somehow learn otherwise – was written by Muggles. That's kind of a dead give-away, isn't it?"

"I don't think you have to worry so much about that. First of all, special assignments given by a professor, even if he is your uncle, are not usually thought of by other students, except to be glad that they don't have said assignments. Secondly, no one in this House but Half-Blood students who have a parent or grandparents who are Muggles would know of Muggle authors. And since no one would wish to expose themselves, no one will either notice, care, or otherwise draw attention to such things."

Danny thought about this. Vlad's literature course may fall under the radar for _this_ House. His secrets were still at more risk here. And now, he had to keep them without his friends. If he followed the advice of Professor Snape, it sounded like he would have no opportunity to try to make new friends as close as Sam and Tucker. He missed them, now more than ever.

"Good luck to you on your NEWT next week. You will be the youngest student to take a NEWT in many decades."

"Thanks. Although I probably won't be able to share that with anyone else," Danny said bitterly.

Professor Snape smiled. "You will be able to share your news with that Gryffindor trio. They _are_ going to be tutoring you, and you already told them about your exam." He noticed the depressed look on Danny's face. "There is no reason to worry. Be yourself. Just be cautious. Many students will be suspicious of you for simply being a Slytherin. But I've been told that you have the strength of character to be above that.

"Feel free to come to me at any time to talk to me about anything. The secrets you share with me will be sacrosanct, and I won't pry into the secrets you choose not to share. Because of your circumstances, you will probably face far more pressure than other students, and I understand that for you, this will be nothing new. What will be new is the loss of your closest friends. You _will_ need a pressure valve to release some of what you will go through. I hope to be able to help to relieve some of that pressure."

Danny shook his head sadly. "Thanks, professor."

"Oh, and one more thing." Professor Snape smiled slyly. "In order to amuse yourself before school starts, it might please you to know that flying brooms are pre-spelled to fly. If you should choose to join a random game of Quidditch, there is no reason you should feel left out."

Danny smiled. "Thanks, professor."

After Danny left Professor Snape's office, he ran into Harry, Ron, and Hermione, who had been waiting for him. Harry and Ron were holding broomsticks in their hands, each with a well-polished handle. They carried the brooms as though they were something special. "Danny," Harry called, "we've been waiting for you. Do you want to join us for a two-on-two game of Quidditch?"

Danny smiled, thinking of the parting comment made by Professor Snape. "Sure, I'd love to." He looked at the brooms Ron and Harry held, and then at Hermione's empty hands. "What do Hermione and I use?"

Hermione answered, "We'll use the school brooms. You didn't buy your own either?" Danny shook his head, still curious about the idea of a sport played on a flying broom. Harry, once again, thought of the oddity of Danny's uncle. But the game was at hand.

Harry spoke up. "The Quidditch pitch is always open. We can go there. Come on." The four headed out to the large stadium, picking up two Shooting Stars from the broom shed on the way. There was room in the raised stands for hundreds of people to sit. Three hoops stood at either end of the field, resembling bubble wands for giant children.

Inside, as they set up teams, Ron refused to be on Danny's team on principle. "I refuse to team up with _any_ Slytherin for any reason," the red-head declared adamantly.

Harry rolled his eyes and Hermione apologized, "I'm so sorry, Danny."

Harry agreed to be on Danny's team. "Let's see what you can do before we start," Harry suggested. Danny nodded as he and Harry mounted their brooms. At this point, Danny was curious himself, as he never flew on a broom before. Harry started showing off some moves. Danny copied them. Harry got more complicated and fancy, and Danny kept pace with him.

Ron told Hermione, "It's almost like he's a natural at flying. I haven't seen those Shooting Stars do anything that interesting since Harry caught Neville's Remembrall in First Year."

Hermione thought aloud, "It's just one more oddity. With some magic, Danny seems hopeless. With things like this, he seems near expert." She shook her head in amazement as she watched both dark-haired boys perform aerially. Harry's Firebolt still had more speed, but Danny seemed to be able to do what he liked on his broom, forcing a mediocre broom into excellence.

Privately, Danny thought that flying on a broom was fun, but it was a bit limiting. He thought of the things he could do as a ghost, just enjoying the night air. He hadn't done so at Hogwarts, yet. Maybe later tonight, or when he met Myrtle tomorrow.

Once they started to play, Danny and Harry beat Ron and Hermione three games in a row. Harry asked, "Danny, are you going to try out for the Slytherin House team?"

Danny smiled. "Thanks for the vote of confidence. But with all the reading and work I have to catch up on, and who knows what Vl… Uncle Vlad will assign me, I'll be lucky to be able to _watch_ the games. I imagine it takes a lot of practice to be that good, and that practice will take time that I don't think I'll have."

Harry, Danny, and Ron continued the discussion about practice schedules and the interesting obsessive behaviors of past team captains. Hermione thought about the fact that Danny almost forgot to call Professor Masters "uncle." She didn't know what to make of that, but it was interesting.

After lunch, the four of them went back outside. Danny said, "I've been told that you three are good at solving mysteries. What kind of mysteries have you solved?"

They told him about their adventures surrounding the Philosopher's Stone and the Chamber of Secrets, carefully avoiding mentioning Ginny. (Danny would have to talk to Myrtle about her take on that, tomorrow.) They discussed the Tri-Wizarding tournament (without mentioning "Professor Moody"), and the return of Voldemort. Harry's face darkened, but that was the end of the discussion.

Danny asked, "What about… Professor Lupin? Professor Dumbledore said he was one of the best Defense teachers in decades, and Hagrid seemed to like him, too." The Gryffindors noticed there was no sneer in his voice about Lupin's revelation to be a werewolf. They relaxed and discussed their favorite professor, and many of the things he taught them. They discussed Patronuses, and how they were used against Dementors.

Danny frowned in thought. "In Diagon Alley, by the bookstore, someone tried to sell amulets to protect against werewolves, Dementors and something else." Noticing the suspicion growing on the faces around him Danny continued quickly, "I have nothing against werewolves! But the sign made me curious about Dementors, and those other things."

Harry gave a half-smile. "Dementors are horrible wraith-like creatures that feed off of the happiness of others. When they come into a room, they make people feel like they'll never be happy again." Danny thought of Spectra and shuddered. "They make you relive your darkest memory. But the worst attack is the Dementor's Kiss, where they suck the soul out of a person." Thinking of Danny's weird interest in Muggles, he added, "Muggles can't see them. Neither can Squibs. Wizards can, but life is a lot better to _not_ deal with them. Until recently, they worked as prison guards at Azkaban, the European Wizarding prison. But since Voldemort's gone public, they've decided to serve him, instead."

Danny thought for a moment. "Can ghosts see them?"

Harry jerked his head in surprise. "I don't see why not. Why?"

Danny said simply, "I just wondered."

Hermione piped up, "You're talking about the sign outside of Flourish and Blotts. The third thing listed on the sign were Inferi. They are dead bodies forced to be animated by Dark magic."

Danny shuddered again. "In America, we call them Zombies. But I didn't realize they were real." Receiving blank looks, Danny explained, "I've read about them, but you can't believe everything you read." He thought that movies were too modern to be anything but Muggle entertainment, and Professor Snape made it clear that he wasn't to tell _anyone_ that he was a Muggle.

Ron coughed and said something similar to "Lockhart," earning him a glare from Hermione and a sigh from Harry. Harry told Danny, "Point taken."

* * *

After dinner, Vlad continued to work with Danny on levitation. He shared a general syllabus outlining which powers he intended Danny to work on. Duplication excited Danny, as that was a trick he worked on for months without complete success. To be able to do it properly… that would be awesome! Of course, now he didn't need them to defeat Vlad… Having eye beams of his own could be useful. Giving Vlad a demonstration of his Ghostly Wail gave him mixed feelings. It was a power he discovered to get out of his predicament with his evil future self, and he wasn't sure how he felt about showing it to Vlad. However, Vlad _did _say that he might not like everything.

Vlad gave a sly smile when he mentioned a surprise in September. This was a smile Danny learned to distrust if not fear over the year and a half they spent as arch-enemies. He wasn't sure he wanted to know Vlad's intentions.

* * *

In the Gryffindor Common Room, Hermione wrote up a list of Danny's classes. His list really wasn't much different than Harry and Ron's class list since Third Year, without Transfiguration and Divination. The trouble was getting Harry and Ron interested in tutoring Danny.

"Harry, Professor Snape says you have to tutor Danny in Potions and Defense Against the Dark Arts, but Professor Dumbledore wants us to tutor him in _everything_. What did you have in mind?"

Ron glared at Hermione. "It's the weekend. What makes you think we're interested in thinking about studies? It's the summer _and_ the weekend…"

"And the Auror training Harry wants can only happen if Professor Snape is satisfied with Danny's progress!" Hermione retorted.

Harry sat down on a chair by the fire, looking over Hermione's list. Ron also sat by the fire, but his arms were crossed in defiance of the whole situation.

Looking through the list, Harry was thoughtful. "You're right. Potions wasn't too hard without Snape hovering over me. I'll review my notes and start moving through the years of the material. I don't know how he'll get it all in a month, though… The Potions classroom does have a student supply closet, so we can get everything we need."

It made Hermione proud to see Harry working this out. "Ron, what do you think?"

"I'm trying not to, Hermione."

"Ron!"

"Fine. Herbology and Care of Magical Creatures are easy enough. I'll see what Hagrid has available to see that isn't dangerous. But I'm _not_ going to find Blast-Ended Skrewts!"

"I'm sure you won't have to worry about that, Ron," Harry soothed.

"That leaves History of Magic, Charms, and Astronomy for me," Hermione sighed happily.

Both boys looked at her. "You're the _only_ one who knows anything about History of Magic. You were the only one I know to stay awake in the class," Ron said.

Hermione said, "It's up to us to come up with lesson plans, but we'll figure out Danny's aptitude and desire for learning tomorrow."

Ron continued to grouse, but Harry knew how important his cooperation was. And Danny did seem to be an okay fellow. He DID try, in Defense Against the Dark Arts. Maybe this wasn't an impossible task that could actually be used as a review.

The next morning after breakfast, the trio brought Danny to the Charms classroom. Harry began, "We're going to start the regular tutoring sessions tomorrow. But we wanted to know what you thought of your classes so far."

Danny thought about his list. "I've always been interested in Astronomy." Remember what Hagrid said – wizards are not into the space program, he reminded himself. Darn it! "Professor Sinistra said that my star charts were more complete than those of many Seventh Year students."

"Good for you!" Hermione said, impressed. Between Muggle Studies and Astronomy, Danny seemed to be amazing.

"Potions and Herbology look really interesting, and because of the potential danger in getting things wrong, I'd like to focus on them. History of Magic can be fun. It is history, but with the right presentation, anything can be interesting."

Ron said, "Wait a minute. You took History of Magic with Professor Binns."

"Yes. Wednesday afternoon."

"He's the most boring teacher in the school. The most interesting thing about him is his entrance to each class through the chalkboard."

"I don't know. He started with a riveting lesson about something I already knew about, and he stayed interesting. He does have a quiet monotone that is easy to tune out, I'll admit, but he somehow finds that one detail to pull me back from the clouds."

Harry raised his eyebrows. "Are we talking about the same Professor Binns?"

Danny asked, "Is there more than one?"

Harry shook his head. "If you say so."

Danny smiled as he thought about Professor Binns. He sighed as he thought about the other classes. "I know Defense and Charms are immensely important. It's just difficult to get excited about classes I can't seem to succeed in. But I'll try just as hard." He looked at Harry seriously. "I don't want you to get in trouble because I can't do certain things."

Harry noted Danny's sincerity. "Thanks for saying so. Truly. Professor Dumbledore says it is more important for you to see and hear how things are done. That we can do." Harry smiled.

"Then there is Care of Magical Creatures. I like Hagrid, and these animals are interesting. I met…" Danny had to think of the other name. "Witherwings and Tenebrus. If other magical creatures are like that, they just want to be respected." He thought of the ghost animals Vlad sent against him or otherwise made their way out of the Ghost Zone. "Unless, of course, they're hell-bent on the destruction of the mortal world."

Ron and Harry laughed at Danny's choice of words. "You have _no_ idea. Hagrid has an interesting taste in creatures when he chooses to befriend them," Harry quipped.

That afternoon, Hermione insisted that Harry and Ron set up their lesson plans as she did. Danny got to spend time with Morph, who missed him during the daylight hours.

Vlad had Danny teleport from their classroom to across the lake, back to Hagrid's cabin, and then to the outskirts of Hogsmeade. Danny _was_ getting better at this. Vlad was proud again, and told Danny as much. As much as Danny appreciated Vlad's good will and kind words, he had difficulty reconciling Vlad's attitude today with the one he had yesterday. Danny concluded that Sir Nicholas was right: they were just going to have to work on this relationship.

After Vlad dismissed Danny for the evening (which included "quality time" as well as class time) Danny turned ghost and knocked on Myrtle's bathroom door. Myrtle peeked her head through the closed door. "Danny! I'm so glad you came!"

Danny blushed. "I told you I would. Where would you like to go?"

Myrtle thought for a moment. "We can go to the lake. The fastest way is to be flushed…"

"Myrtle, I'll spend as much time with you as you like (and I can spare, as I have to study and stuff), but I WILL NOT be flushed down a toilet. Just…no." Myrtle was crestfallen. "But we'll still go to the lake, if you like."

Myrtle beamed with joy and soared through the walls. She was going to the lake with Danny Phantom! Danny smiled and followed her.

At the lake, which was dark, Danny created a glowing ball of ectoplasm to give them some light. Myrtle was delighted and clapped her hands joyfully. Danny decided she might like to play catch with it. Myrtle was very easy to please.

Being outside in the moonlight made Danny think of flying. He invited Myrtle to fly with him, but she demurred. Danny took off, keeping her in sight, soaring around the castle. He dipped, dove, swirled, and otherwise simply enjoyed the wind in his face and hair. After several minutes of sheer delight, he came back to Myrtle who watched his aerial display.

"Danny, how come your legs disappear?"

He looked down at his ghostly tail and answered, "Well, sometimes I fly at really fast speeds, and a tail is far more aerodynamic than legs. But I can call them back any time." In demonstration, he changed his tail back into legs. Myrtle cheered.

Danny asked, "What House were you in?"

Myrtle blushed. "You know, I've been a ghost for 50 years, and this is the first time anyone's asked me."

Danny's eyes widened. "Fifty years?"

"Well, maybe a few more than that. Olive Hornby teased me about my glasses, and I was upset. I came to the bathroom and cried. It was actually in that bathroom when I died."

Danny was getting quite an education. Apparently, Myrtle wanted to tell him her story. He'd come back to his question later. "Do you want to tell me about it?"

She swelled with pride. "Oh, yes! The funny thing is, I don't know what exactly happened. See, as I hid from Olive, someone came into the bathroom. It was a boy! I was going to yell at him to go away, and then I died. The last thing I saw were great, big yellow eyes.

"Harry told me later that it was a basilisk that killed me with its stare. It lived down in the Chamber of Secrets."

"What is the Chamber of Secrets?"

"I've been down there a couple of times after Harry killed the basilisk. It's a huge place under the castle, and most people can only get there by speaking a funny language, and one of the sinks moves. Harry did that in his Second Year."

Fascinating. Danny thought, I may have to check it out sometime. But not now. "A funny language? What language?"

Myrtle looked serious. "I don't know. But Harry could speak it."

Danny absorbed this. He might ask Harry about this later. After all, the trio had told him about their adventure, but they didn't tell him about a foreign language, and they certainly didn't tell him about the entrance being in a girl's bathroom.

But he tried again. "Myrtle, what House were you in?"

"Right. I was in Gryffindor. I wasn't afraid of Olive, but she teased me something awful."

"Could you show me the outside of your Common Room?"

"Sure. Let's go!" They flew through the castle and up a flight of stairs Danny passed several times, but never thought of. At the top of the stairs, they stopped in front of a portrait. "In order to get in, you have to give the Fat Lady the password."

Danny was about to bring her back to her bathroom (it seemed like the gentlemanly thing to do), when a voice called out, "Moaning Myrtle! What are you doing up here?" He snapped his head in the direction of the voice. It was Hermione.

* * *

Coming back from the library, Hermione was surprised to see Moaning Myrtle outside the entrance to the Gryffindor Common Room. But more surprising was the fact that she was joined by a new ghost. At least, she thought he was a ghost. He was much more solid and opaque than Myrtle ever was on a good day.

"I was showing my friend the outside of my former Common Room."

Hermione gaped. "I didn't know you were in Gryffindor!"

Danny crossed his arms. "You never asked."

Hermione blushed. This new ghost seemed indignant on Moaning Myrtle's behalf. Rather than get caught up in confusing feelings for not having really thought of Moaning Myrtle as a person, she asked this new ghost, "What is your name?"

Danny felt it was perfectly within his right to give her a hard time, but decided against it. After all, _he_ was the good guy. "My name is Danny Phantom."

"I haven't seen you in Hogwarts before." Hermione stated.

Even though this comment was innocent, Danny's frustration over how little attention was actually paid to the ghosts and their feelings caused him to huff. He closed his eyes and counted to ten before being perfectly congenial. "I'm new here. I'm visiting for at least this year."

"What brings you here?"

Danny had to think a minute before answering. He wouldn't tell the whole truth, but decided not to lie, either. "I've made a few friends amongst the ghosts here and figured that it would be as good a place as any to stay for a while."

"Well, welcome, Danny Phantom. May I ask you a question?"

Interesting. She called me by my whole name. Unlike Sir Nicholas, who became 'Nearly Headless Nick,' and Myrtle, who became '_Moaning_ Myrtle,' I was graced with my proper given name. That may change when she talks about me later, though.

"Go for it," Danny said more graciously than he felt.

"You seem to be more solid and colorful than other ghosts here. Why?"

She stumped him in one. "I really don't know," Danny answered honestly. "Where I'm from, all ghosts are solid, unless they choose not to be. We are capable of interacting with the physical world." Sir Nicholas was rubbing off on him.

It was Hermione's turn to be astonished. "Where are you from?"

Danny smirked and folded his arms. "That is currently classified information." Hermione blinked. "But I'm sure you are busy with things to prepare for tomorrow."

"Yes," Hermione said, a little dazed. "How did you know?"

"A friend told me. Please pardon me, but I have a lady to return home before turning in for the night." He gestured to Myrtle.

Hermione blurted, "You were out on a date with Moaning Myrtle?" Myrtle blushed, embarrassed.

Danny rolled his eyes. "Do you even hear yourself speak? You might consider _her_ feelings before speaking so coldly about how and with whom she spends an evening." Hermione shivered at the ice in his voice. "And for the record, no, it wasn't a date. I am fifteen and she is eleven. But we did have a good time, thank you very much." Vlad would be proud of his formality. He was sure of it, not that Danny would tell him about it. He put his arm around Myrtle. "Come – let me take you home. Good night, Hermione." With that, the two ghosts sank through the floor.

Hermione was shocked. Danny Phantom was right. She never _did_ truly consider Moaning Myrtle's feelings. Or even Nearly Headless Nick, now that she thought about it. She was embarrassed, and probably needed to rethink a few things.

And then she realized something: she never introduced herself. How did Danny Phantom know her name?

14


	12. Chapter 12

Thank you once again for all of your reviews. Also, a great number of you put this fic on your favorite and alert lists, and I am also grateful for that. Truly!

Disclaimer: I do not own either Danny Phantom or Harry Potter.

Chapter 12

When Hermione met the boys in the Common Room before they went to breakfast the next morning, she didn't look ready to leave. She took a chair by the fire, much to Harry and Ron's confusion. Harry asked, "Hermione, what's wrong?"

Hermione frowned. She wasn't sure where to begin. After a couple false starts, she said, "Last night, on my way back from the library, I met a new ghost. His name is Danny Phantom. He…" She trailed off in embarrassment, as she thought of last night's conversation.

Ron cocked his head. "What's the matter? He's only a ghost."

Hermione bit her lip. "That's the thing. He, well,… Moaning Myrtle brought him outside our Common Room."

Harry asked, "Why did she do that?"

Hermione answered, "This used to be _her_ Common Room, too. We've known her… I mean, we've known about her since Second Year, but we've never actually talked to her like a person, or we would have known that."

Harry and Ron looked at her. Ron asked, "So?"

Hermione downcast her eyes. "Danny Phantom said something that made me realize that we haven't really treated the ghosts nicely. I mean, Harry promised to visit Moaning Myrtle, and… You've never gone, have you?"

"No, but she's…"

"She was eleven. And she was teased horribly. That's why she always cries." Hermione shook her head. She never thought of Moaning Myrtle as a person before. And it was becoming clear that Ron and Harry didn't, either.

She thought for a moment. "And Ron, you made an impertinent comment to Nearly Headless Nick by the Sorting Hat's song last year."

"Did I? I don't remember. But surely, it doesn't matter."

"But Ron, what if you hurt Nick's feelings? He may not have 'blood in his veins,' or whatever, but he still has feelings."

Harry asked, "You're probably right, but why has this become important to you?"

Hermione looked at a loss. "I don't know. But Danny Phantom made me think. He… spent the evening with Moaning Myrtle. When I made a comment, Myrtle got embarrassed, and Danny Phantom defended her. That look he gave me and tone of voice he used made me stop and think. It was as frightening as the Bloody Baron, but more so, because… it really wasn't right of me to speak lightly of Myrtle like that."

Harry thought about this. When he wanted to talk to Myrtle in Second Year, she _was _excited. And she _did_ sound disappointed when she told Harry she hadn't seen him. True, she caught him in the prefects' bath, but still… He never bothered to take _her_ feelings into account.

Ron shrugged. "Are you planning to start a 'Society for the Promotion of Ghost Welfare,' too?"

Hermione glared. "No, Ron. There is no reason to _do_ anything different. But maybe we should be careful in what we say to them." She paused for a moment. "I think I'd like to find Nick and Myrtle and apologize for anything I might have said or done unthinkingly." With that, she got up and left the Common Room.

Harry and Ron looked at each other. "You know, Ron, she's got a point. I don't think I was rude to Nick, but I might have to say something to Myrtle."

Ron thought for a minute. Nick told him enough times about his insensitivity. "I don't know. I'll have to think about this."

* * *

As Hermione made her way down the stairs, she had the good fortune of meeting… Nick. She remembered he didn't like being called 'Nearly Headless.' "Nick, can I talk to you a minute?"

He smiled at her, a little surprised. "Certainly. What can I do for you?"

Hermione looked down. "I'm… I'm sorry if I've been rude to you before."

Sir Nicholas blinked. "Why, thank you. I appreciate the fact you cared enough to say so. Of course, I forgive you. But may I ask what brought this about?"

Hermione looked away for a moment. "Last night, I met a new ghost. He said he's visiting for the year."

Curiously, he asked, "Oh? Who did you meet?"

"His name is Danny Phantom. He…what?"

Sir Nicholas smiled broadly. "Ah, yes. Danny Phantom. He is truly a hero among ghosts, and among the living in his home town."

Hermione's eyes widened, and then she cringed a bit. "I guess that explains why he was so protective of Mo - of Myrtle last night."

"Protective? He would be, if it was necessary, I'm sure. But why did he need to protect Myrtle?"

Hermione blushed. "I'm afraid I made an unthinking, unkind comment about her, and he defended her dignity. It started me thinking, and I realized that Myrtle isn't the only one I might have hurt that way."

Sir Nicholas shook his head in pride. "Yes, he would do that." He stared off in a different direction, still thinking about his hero.

"May I ask you a question or two about him?"

"I'll do what I can. He's said a lot to me in confidence, but anything else I might share."

Hermione thought for a moment. "He seems to be more solid and colorful than other ghosts. Why?"

Sir Nicholas smiled. "I'm not sure why, but where he's from, most ghosts have no problem interacting with the physical, living world. We're not exactly sure _why_ such a difference exists, but we know that it indeed does. He is much more powerful than Peeves. Actually, he's much more powerful than many of the ghosts he knows."

"Where does he come from?"

"Ah, my dear, that I _can't_ tell you. He has his reasons for keeping things secret at present."

Hermione nodded. Danny Phantom _did_ say that was 'classified information.' "One more thing – he called me by name, but I didn't introduce myself."

Sir Nicholas's eyes grew wide. "_Did_ he, now?" He paused for a moment. "Well, he must have remembered when I told him of how you and Harry, and Mr. Weasley came to my 500th Deathday Party. It was ever so exciting to me that you came. And I'm sure I told him that the three of you were coming to school early to tutor the new student." He muttered, "I'll have to talk to him about this later."

Now Hermione was curious. "What has he done as a hero?"

Sir Nicholas smiled again. "Why don't you meet me here after breakfast? I'll tell you all about some of his heroics. But remember – he eschews fame much like Harry does."

* * *

Harry and Ron met Danny at breakfast. They were about to discuss tutoring scheduling when Professor McGonagall informed Danny that his NEWT would take place this Tuesday morning. Danny thought that was perfect – he would have enough time to go over those 15 pages from the Muggle Studies textbook one last time.

Hermione got there in time for them to discuss general ideas, such as each of the trio would tutor him in two subjects each; he could probably tutor _them _in Astronomy. Danny was a little cold to Hermione, as he was still annoyed with her for the way she treated Myrtle last night, but he remembered that Danny _Fenton_ didn't witness the scene. Still, he decided to only be civil. At lunch he'd be friendly with her again.

Harry would tutor him in Potions and Defense Against the Dark Arts. Hermione would tutor him in Charms and History of Magic, and Ron would tutor him in Herbology and Care of Magical Creatures.

Danny sighed. Ron still decidedly didn't like him, but at least he understood that it wasn't personal. But, in Danny's favor, he could study and perform flawlessly (if he worked at it) whatever he would need to in the classes Ron would tutor him. A guy who hates him will tutor him for a month in the classes he took, mostly, in the memory of the girl he loved. How ironic was that?

The four of them came up with a workable schedule based on what Danny needed to know, what he wanted to know, and how harshly Professor Snape would take it if Danny didn't succeed. On Mondays, they would have Potions and Herbology. Tuesdays that weren't taken up with the NEWT would be Defense Against the Dark Arts and Charms (joy – both classes Danny couldn't succeed in, on one day. It wasn't going to be hard to hate Tuesdays). Wednesdays would be History of Magic and Care of Magical Creatures. For Thursday and Friday, they mixed it up a bit – Thursdays they'd have Potions and Charms, and Fridays they would have Herbology and Defense Against the Dark Arts.

Hermione finished writing up the schedules just as they finished breakfast. Before Harry and Danny left to get their things together for Potions, Professor Snape came down to their end of the table. He and Harry glared at each other, but Professor Snape only had Hermione give him a copy of Danny's August schedule. Danny felt the temperature drop a couple of degrees, but his ghost sense didn't go off. Apparently, their glare was sufficient for that.

Vlad also noticed the glare between the professor and student. So Professor Snape doesn't like Harry, hmm? This is interesting, and has possibilities for later.

* * *

In the Potions classroom, both Harry and Danny finished setting up their cauldrons and Danny opened a textbook to where he and Professor Snape left off. He looked at Harry expectantly, but was surprised to see Harry fussing with something else.

"Danny, the Weasley twins wanted me to give you this care package."

Danny smiled. "Thanks. But why?"

Harry thought for a moment. "They decided they liked you, and said that your uncle didn't give you a chance to explore and have fun in their shop." Danny looked worried for a moment, but Harry supplied, "They said that these things are harmless and will probably meet with Professor Masters' approval."

Danny smiled again, and took the package gratefully. "Thanks again. They're good guys, the Weasley twins."

Harry nodded. "They are." He thought of them for a couple of seconds. Then he focused back on Danny. "Can I ask you a question?"

Danny said, "Sure. I may or may not be able to answer it, though."

Good enough. "Why wouldn't your uncle let you have fun in the joke shop? Madam Malkin said he only gives you the best of everything."

Danny blushed. "Yeah, about that…" He thought about how much information to give. There were only so many billionaires in the world, and that information could be looked up easily enough. "Uncle Vlad is considerably more wealthy than my parents were, and he's wanted to adopt me for a long time. But we still have issues to work out. We weren't always best buddies. I think that's about as much as I can say about that."

That was about as much as Harry could expect to get from Danny, but Danny was friendly enough about it. But Hermione's discussion was still on his mind, as was his initial meeting with Danny. "I've got one more question before we begin. Did Myrtle really send her regards?" he asked seriously.

Danny noticed Harry's change of tone. "Yes. She told me that I reminded her of you, and told me… she offered to share her toilet with you if the Chamber of Secrets adventure turned out badly. Considering the fact that the bathroom is her favorite haunt, it was a really generous offer, from her perspective." It really was. Ghosts are usually obsessively possessive of their lairs, and the fact that Myrtle offered to share with Harry, perhaps for eternity, showed how much she cared about him.

"And she said that she missed you."

Harry gave a half-smile. Hermione was right. "I'm sorry for doubting you before. You really _did_ talk to Myrtle. I… should probably visit her after lunch."

Danny smiled. "She'd probably like that." A bit more playfully, he continued, "You know, with everything you told me about the Chamber of Secrets, you never told me that you needed to speak a foreign language to gain access to it, or that the entrance was in a _girls' bathroom_."

Harry blushed. "Yeah, well… I didn't know if I could trust you yet, and when I thought you mocked me about Myrtle, imagine how I would have felt if I told you about the girls' bathroom."

Danny nodded. "Understood. And the language?"

"Right. I discovered that I'm a Parselmouth." Danny shook his head. Harry looked confused but explained. "It means I can talk to snakes." Danny's eyes widened. Harry could talk to snakes? "But how do you not know this? It was Salazar Slytherin's talent, and not many people besides his direct descendants (and me, courtesy of Voldemort) can speak it."

Danny stewed for a minute. "All of this might be obvious to you, as everyone around here knows everything about Hogwarts. I might be in Slytherin, but I'm also not from here. I haven't learned every legend concerning Hogwarts, or Slytherin, or general attitudes and stereotypes based on them. I…" He closed his mouth and his eyes. He was about to say that he was new to the Wizarding World, and was about to ask if Muggle-born students got this third degree, when he remembered: he _was_ in Slytherin. According to Professor Snape, there were things he was expected to know.

Not opening them until he could trust his eyes to stay blue and his mouth to stay secretive, Danny felt a wave of emotion wash over him. He opened his eyes, and said quietly, "There are lots of things I don't know. I didn't learn about Hogwarts until Professor Dumbledore came to get Uncle Vlad and me. Can we not worry about this right now and get back to Potions, please?"

* * *

Harry was impressed. Danny truly took Potions seriously. If he kept up this pace, Danny would be caught up before the end of August. He had no clue that Danny saw Potions as a potential life or death situation.

In the middle of lunch, Sir Nicholas drifted over. "Danny, might I have a word?"

Danny said, "Sure." He got up and followed Sir Nicholas out of the Great Hall, into a room behind where the teachers' table would be during the school year.

"I hear you spent an evening with Myrtle."

Danny smiled. "Yeah. She's a cute kid. I'm just sorry she died in her first year here."

Sir Nicholas nodded. "I knew you would be. And you spoke to Miss Granger afterwards?"

Danny frowned. "She was rude to Myrtle. Maybe I should be used to it, considering ghost and human relations back home, but besides what you guys told me about Peeves, none of the ghosts here do anything to hurt or annoy the humans. There was no call for Hermione to disrespect Myrtle."

"Indeed. And after your discussion with her, Miss Granger apologized to me for any rudeness she might have displayed, and after a pleasant chat, she sought out Myrtle to apologize for last night and any other time she might have given offense."

Danny smiled. "Good to know."

Sir Nicholas beamed with pride. "Defending the rights of others is your specialty. And relations may become brighter between ghosts and the living this year, and we have you to thank for it."

Danny blushed. "It's what I do."

Sir Nicholas nodded again. "I know, and there is no end to my gratitude for it. But all of this is not why I pulled you away from lunch (although it would have been worth it)." Danny looked on curiously. "Perhaps in your anger you lost track of a small but important detail. You called Miss Granger by her first name, when she did not introduce herself to your ghostly persona." Danny put a hand over his mouth. "Not to worry. I gave her a cover story that she was able to believe. (I told her I discussed Harry and his friends with you at the telling of the story of the Deathday Party, which is – in fact – true.)

"But you are going to have to be more careful. Students here are more clever than the average residents of Amity Park, and they may piece things together in ways you might not expect. But more clever than most is Miss Granger. She is a very intelligent girl – top of her class since First Year. Still, the concept of a half-ghost is so foreign that it will probably take quite a while for them to put things together.

"Nothing happened this time. And you know you have all of the Hogwarts ghosts in your corner, but you will have to watch what you say." Danny's face fell. "I know it will be hard without your friends. We will help you any way we can." Putting a hand on Danny's shoulder, he smiled and said, "You can always count on me. Now head back to lunch before your next tutoring session."

In Herbology, Ron was annoyed at first, because he still thought of him as a Slytherin, and not as Danny. But once they sat in Greenhouse 1, Ron did seem to know what he was talking about. Ron realized how cool it was to have the new student pay close attention to him. And it was good to show off a bit of his knowledge. He told Danny about their encounter with Devil's Snare in First Year. The line "HAVE YOU GONE MAD? ARE YOU A WITCH OR NOT?" still brought a smile to his lips. He _did_ tell Danny about that, but he toned it down. A lot.

Danny decided that if Ron was capable of working with him like this, he would catch up in no time.

* * *

Harry's conversation with Danny and then Danny's departure with Nick brought Harry back to the idea that he should visit Moaning Myrtle. He did promise he would. At the very least, he had to apologize for not coming sooner.

After lunch, Harry walked along the second floor corridor. The bright painted words from Second Year were either successfully washed away or painted over. Not a trace of the horrific experiences with Tom Riddle's diary or the basilisk remained, except in their memories. He knocked on the bathroom door.

Myrtle popped her head out of the door. "Harry! I'm glad you finally came! I bet you got jealous of Danny Phantom."

Harry blinked. "I'm glad I came, too. But… Danny Phantom. Isn't he the new ghost Hermione spoke about?"

"Yes, he is. And he is as wonderful as I heard of before he got here." She told Harry all about their evening last night, and about some of Phantom's exploits. Harry never heard of the Ghost King Myrtle talked about, but it seemed to be a big deal to her that this Danny Phantom defeated him.

During Myrtle's description, Harry noticed how excited she was. Now that he thought about it, maybe it wasn't fair to call her 'Moaning' Myrtle. Here, she seemed to be as happy as any eleven-year-old might be.

For a moment, Harry thought of Colin Creevey. It is true that Harry was mortified by all the attention he got that Second Year, especially considering how Lockhart blew it out of proportion. But Hermione said that Danny Phantom avoided attention, too. Even so, this new ghost indulged a seriously excitable fan without letting it go to his head. Harry felt a little small because of it.

"Harry, what changed? I hadn't seen you since you figured out your egg." Myrtle giggled.

He sighed. "We have a new student, Danny Fenton, who told me you said 'Hello.' I realized it was only polite to return the favor."

"Danny Fenton?" Myrtle sounded puzzled. "Danny Fenton, Fenton… Danny – oh, Danny FENTON. Right. He looks a lot like you, you know. But his eyes are blue, and yours are green, and he doesn't wear glasses like we do. And he doesn't have a scar on his forehead."

Harry smiled. "That's right." He visited for a few more minutes and wished her well. He told her he'd visit her again, and this time he meant it.

On his way back to the Common Room for a bit before dinner, he thought about his visit. Myrtle was actually pleasant company. But still… He was a bit confused. Why wouldn't she know who Danny was? She sent regards with him. He shrugged, and mentally filed it under another mysterious thing about the new student, Danny Fenton.

* * *

Danny took his NEWT and got an 'O' in it. (It would be a while before it was officially registered, but they told him his grade after they marked it before him.) He danced for joy because of it, but stopped quickly when he noticed the stares he got.

The day after Danny's NEWT was July 31st. It was Harry's birthday! Ron said, "Rotten luck to be in school on your birthday, mate."

Harry smiled ruefully. "It's better than being at the Dursleys' for my birthday."

Ron and Hermione smiled as they realized that, even though this was a working birthday for Harry, he was still in Hogwarts, which was, more or less, Harry's home away from home. Danny grimaced in embarrassment. "Sorry I didn't prepare anything, Harry. I didn't bring anything."

Harry smiled graciously. "There's no way you could have known, Danny." They chatted merrily discussing some of Harry's more interesting birthdays since he turned eleven, especially when Hagrid finally delivered his letter. This cheerful conversation took them to the end of breakfast.

The day progressed along their tutoring schedule, but at dinner they were joined by a guest. "Remus!" Harry exclaimed as they entered the Great Hall.

"Happy Birthday, Harry." The wizard's eyes gleamed sadly, but he was happy enough to join Harry for his sixteenth birthday.

Danny noticed that Professor Snape was conspicuously absent. He looked like he was about to ask a question, but Vlad leaned over and whispered, "_That _is the werewolf. Professor Snape has a grudge against him. Between Harry, him, and me, I don't think the professor will be _too_ sorely missed." Danny frowned, but he saw Vlad's point. _He_ would miss Professor Snape, but it _was_ Harry's birthday and Vlad was indeed correct.

Dinner remained a joyful, celebratory event, crowned by the appearance of a birthday cake replete with candles and gifts bestowed upon Harry. Dinner ran longer than usual, but no one minded.

Once the meal was over, Vlad surprised Danny and the other students by inviting the erstwhile Professor Lupin to their private Defense Against the Dark Arts tutoring session. As they walked to their accustomed classroom, Vlad addressed their unusual visitor. "Mr. Lupin, I don't believe that you have been properly introduced to my young charge and… nephew, Daniel Fenton. Daniel, this is the interesting gentleman we have heard so much about, and who has unwittingly spurred on my inspiration for teaching the course of study I intend for Defense Against the Dark Arts."

Remus Lupin looked slightly unnerved as Vlad's mannerisms and speech patterns seemed reminiscent of those of Severus Snape. He shook himself and smiled congenially. "Hi there, Daniel."

Danny smiled and offered his hand to shake, which Lupin took, saying, "Hi, Mr. Lupin. Please call me Danny."

Upon reaching the classroom, Vlad waved them both in. Once the three of them were seated around a table, Vlad commented, "Normally, this hour is private time between myself and Daniel, when I teach him some of the finer points in the use of his powers."

Danny jerked his head up. "But Vlad…" Danny's eyes went as wide as dinner plates.

Vlad clucked his tongue and said, "Ah, ah, ah. _Uncle_ Vlad, if you please."

Danny bristled in frustration. Lupin took the initiative to soothe the poor, shocked teen. "I'm sorry, Danny. We haven't had time to tell you that I'm a member of the Order."

At this announcement, Danny stopped shaking but glared at Vlad. "You might have told me first," Danny muttered.

Once satisfied that Danny was at least moderately mollified, Lupin turned to his host. "I truly thank you for the honor of inviting me to your inner sanctum of time, but I'm not precisely sure what we're here to discuss."

"First of all, one of the things I hope to accomplish is to share wisdom with and from a former professor of Defense Against the Dark Arts. Second of all, I hope to discuss how to convey certain bits of information, considering the fact that both of us are Muggles. But third of all, and perhaps most importantly, I was infinitely disturbed to hear that your deepest secret was callously revealed by a fellow professor who merely held a childhood grudge against you." This time, Lupin's eyes grew wide. "I was rather hoping that you would have some advice on how to get said professor to keep a sacred secret."

Danny sat, bewildered at Vlad's venomous speech. Lupin covered his mouth with his hand in shock. The speech he heard in the tone that he heard it was the last thing he expected to hear.

After a few minutes, Lupin shook off his shock and thought about how to address the issues Vlad brought up. If young Danny had not been there looking as surprised and unnerved as he was, Lupin might have suspected Vlad of trying to rope him into a seriously villainous plot.

Barely above a whisper, Lupin began, "Right, then." With a pained face, he continued, "I'm not sure what he did, but apparently, Professor Snape has gotten under your skin. While I'll readily admit that he's not my favorite person, I will just as readily admit that he is a professional.

"Despite the grudge he held (and continues to hold) against me, he not only dutifully kept my secret, but produced the Wolfsbane Potion, a very complicated potion that allows me to maintain my human consciousness when I am no longer human. It wasn't until Professor Snape assumed that I put students in harm's way, particularly because of the company of an accused mass murderer," he stopped and held up a hand, "he was innocent of all charges." Putting his hand down, he continued, "It was then, and _only_ then, that he saw fit to reveal my secret.

"It's true that Professor Snape hates me. But he only did what he saw was right by his own lights. And for many months after that, I actually agreed with his assessment." The two half-ghosts looked at him in sincere confusion. With a half-smile, Lupin continued. "In an effort to save Harry and his friends from whom I thought was a very dangerous man, I had forgotten to take that day's dose of the Wolfsbane Potion. It was only that once. Never before, since the invention of this potion, and never since that lapse, have I missed a dose. But that one missed dose, that one mistake of mine, put the lives of three students, two innocent men, and the _actual_ mass murderer all in jeopardy."

"Wow," breathed Danny.

Mr. Lupin focused his attention on Danny. "Unlike me, both of you have complete control over when you choose to be human and when you choose to be ghost. It would be almost impossible for you to make a mistake with consequences of epic proportions, such as mine.

"As such, Professor Snape would never have cause to reveal your secrets. He cares too much for the safety of his students." He flashed another half-smile at Vlad. "And you know better than anyone that if one of your secrets is revealed, the other wouldn't be long in also becoming revealed."

Danny and Vlad sat in silence, absorbing Remus Lupin's tale. After reading the look of pained shock on Vlad's face and a look of deep empathy on Danny's face that sincerely surprised him, Lupin said in a far lighter tone, "Now about the matter of teaching…"

* * *

The month of August was largely uneventful. On the days Danny had Charms, Professor Flitwick slipped him a note at breakfast with suggestions of how to make various ghost powers appear to be magic spells. On days he had Defense Against the Dark Arts, Professor Snape did the same.

It amused Danny to know that Morph became friendly with Hermione's cat, Crookshanks. Hermione told him that Crookshanks was part Kneazle. After reading _Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them_, Danny realized that – among other things – Crookshanks was smarter than most Wizarding pets. It intrigued him to see how well he got along with her cat, and it quietly amused Danny to see that he _didn't_ seem to like Vlad.

By the end of the summer, Danny was mostly caught up to the rest of the Sixth Years. In Charms and Defense, he was woefully inept, but he was a Muggle surrounded by wizards. Professor Snape was pleased with his progress, and it made Danny happy that Harry would get into Professor Snape's NEWT level Potions class.

The most significant milestones for Danny (besides the 'O' on his NEWT) were in the development of his powers. Until August, Vlad had him work on general strength training, aim, and practice with shields, both the ectoplasmic glass and the protective dome, and everything in between.

However, on the first Saturday in August, Vlad arranged for Danny to demonstrate his Ghostly Wail. Danny told Vlad about it, and it intrigued Vlad. But Danny could not safely demonstrate it without a few factors. First of all, they had to send the students away. That was easy enough to do: once Vlad told Professor Dumbledore of his plan, Professor Dumbledore informed the Gryffindor trio that August 3 was their first Hogsmeade outing, and Hagrid would go with them for security.

Harry asked about Danny coming with them, but Professor Masters didn't give permission for his nephew to go. Harry remembered his Third Year quite bitterly, remembering how that could be. Then he thought of Sirius, and that made him smile and sad at the same time.

Once the students were safely gone, Vlad had Professors Dumbledore, McGonagall, and Snape present for presentation and possible damage control. Danny felt uncomfortable with all of this attention, but if he was going to develop this power, this way seemed to be the only logical way to do it. He turned ghost, which surprised Professor McGonagall and Professor Snape. All the professors present were aware that this would be happening, but knowing it and witnessing it were two different things.

Facing the lake, Danny let loose his Ghostly Wail. The four adults stared in disbelief as the trees on the far side of the lake were leveled for up to a distance of 100 yards beyond the start of the tree line on the distant shore. After two minutes, Danny fell to his knees in exhaustion, reverting to human.

Vlad looked at Danny, very impressed. Waiting for Danny to catch his breath but hoping to keep him conscious, Vlad asked. "Have you used this power before?"

Danny panted heavily. "Yes."

The eyes of all four adults grew wide. "When did you use it?"

Danny was _seriously_ not ready to tell anyone here, including Vlad, of his evil future self from an alternate timeline. He remembered a time he _was_ prepared to discuss. "Last Christmas." Still breathing hard, but more easily than before, he continued. "I… well, I managed to upset a ghost named Ghostwriter. Because of an ongoing argument my parents had every year, I was annoyed. I went to the Ghost Zone to destroy some Christmas baubles I bought for the purpose of letting off some steam and frustration. A teddy bear, or something, got too close to the Ghostwriter as he proudly displayed his completed new manuscript. I hit the doll I aimed for, but I also accidentally blew up the manuscript. He was particularly unhappy because it was his only copy.

"That Christmas Eve, the Ghostwriter 'taught me a lesson' on holiday cheer. Needless to say, it was absolutely miserable for me until I learned that lesson. One of the many things the Ghostwriter arranged to torment me was a whole forest of possessed, demonic Christmas trees. I used the Ghostly Wail to demolish those trees."

The adults took a moment to digest this. Professor Dumbledore asked, "Did you learn your lesson?"

Danny rubbed the back of his neck, his breathing returned to normal. "Yeah. My usual host of ghostly enemies came to help me fix everything that was broken because of that first fight I picked with the Ghostwriter." He frowned. "It wouldn't have spiraled out of control if I would have apologized immediately for destroying his manuscript. But because it was a Christmas poem, I didn't care.

"But by the end of the evening, I figured out that everyone celebrates in the way of their choosing, and that holiday spirit should be respected, even when it looks weird to me. I learned about the 'Christmas truce' that is held sacred by all ghosts. Like I said, my usual ghostly enemies helped me fix everything, and let me know that the truce extends to all ghosts, 'even half-ghosts like me.' I don't think I've ever heard Skulker be that gentle before or since.

"Anyway, I made up with my friends and family. And once everyone was in bed, asleep, I came back to the Ghost Zone to apologize to the guy I antagonized to get the craziness started. He forgave me, and became one of my closer friends who are ghosts." He smiled ruefully. "Especially because my misadventures of the evening became his _new_ poem, which he said was much better than the first one."

The adults were quietly amused. However, this story caused them to reflect on a few things. First of all, a ghost from Danny's home was not only capable of manipulating the physical, but he was capable of changing all reality for his own purpose. Thank goodness, the end goal of this ghost was benevolent, if the means were incredibly vindictive. Second, Danny used this intensely destructive talent to save himself. They wondered what he could do with it, if he had the opportunity to develop it. Some shuddered to think of it.

Third of all, Danny learned the lesson intended. Instead of becoming bitter and vengeful towards the character who 'punished' him, Danny befriended him. This was an interesting display of maturity.

* * *

Beyond his Ghostly Wail, Danny decided that the eye beams were a relatively easy thing to learn, as it was just focusing an ectobeam through another channel. He was able to do it in three lessons. The duplication took longer. He cheered when he could successfully make one complete duplicate, but Vlad didn't stop focusing on it (for which Danny was privately thankful) until he could make four of himself at once.

14


	13. Chapter 13

Again, I offer sincere thanks to all who reviewed. And a LOT more people put this fic on their favorite and alert lists. Again, I thank you.

For the record, this is a chapter with elements that I've had in mind for a long time, and I hope you enjoy it as much as I do. But for those who are keeping track, no, this is not the September surprise. That is still up and coming.

I wish everyone a happy and healthy, sweet New Year for 5769.

Disclaimer: I do not own either _Danny Phantom_ or _Harry Potter_.

Chapter 13

On the morning of September 1, Professor Snape knocked on the door to Danny's room. Because of his general routine, he was already up and dressed, and ready for breakfast, but this was the first time he was summoned to breakfast by Professor Snape since his first morning here.

"Good morning, Daniel. Being here this early on September 1 is a rare occurrence for students. Professor Dumbledore will have announcements throughout the day. Today is a Sunday, and most announcements won't pertain to the students. Still, you don't want to miss any, so it is worthwhile to come to breakfast early." Danny followed Professor Snape to the Great Hall.

Professor Dumbledore addressed the seven professors and the four students. "Today is September 1. This will be the last intimate meal of this nature we will share until the holidays. The other professors will come back throughout the day, and at lunch, the table will extend to accommodate whoever is here. But tonight is the Welcoming Feast, and the tables will be in their normal arrangement: House tables for the students and the Head table for the professors.

"It is Sunday, and the last day before term starts. As such, I need to have a quick faculty meeting with the professors here after breakfast. As for the students, you have no set schedule besides lunch until six o'clock. Then you will get into your school uniforms and sit at your House tables until the other students arrive." Looking at Danny, he said, "For the rest of the year, it is mandatory for students to wear school uniforms every day except the weekends and holidays." Danny nodded. "Enjoy breakfast."

Ron said, "I hate to say it, but it sounds like Professor Dumbledore announced the obvious."

Danny simply looked at him. "Maybe the announcement was there to explain things to me and Uncle Vlad without singling us out. Also, the faculty meeting is important, and letting us know timing for putting on our robes and when to come to dinner was useful." Ron rolled his eyes. Danny ignored him. "What does the room look like when the House tables are set up?"

Hermione smiled. "Long tables are set up length-wise across the room. It is almost like this table, but there are four of them, and they are much longer. Gryffindor and Slytherin are against opposite walls. Hufflepuff is nearest Gryffindor and Ravenclaw is nearest Slytherin. And near the wall farthest from the entrance is the Head table."

Towards the end of breakfast, Professor Snape came to speak to Vlad and Danny. With an amused grin, he began, "Professor Masters, I appreciate the fact that you enjoy your evenings with your nephew. However, it will have to be cut short this evening, after your specialized class on Defense Against the Dark Arts."

Vlad's eyes flashed (but not turning red, Danny noticed) in anger. "Whatever for?"

Professor Snape's smile broadened. "Considering that it is September 1, there is a House meeting I have with the students. It is mandatory."

"How dare you -!" Vlad spluttered.

"Professor Masters, I have that happy power because I am Head of House for Slytherin. And while you may be Daniel's uncle, I am his Head of House. Any time I require the students in my House for such a meeting takes precedence over all other arrangements for leisure time or even detention. Class time, however, is different.

"From the end of the Welcoming Feast tonight, you have _one hour_. After that, Daniel will be required to attend this mandatory meeting for all Slytherin students." Vlad fumed. Danny looked from Professor Snape to Vlad and desired to turn invisible. However, he couldn't do that in front of the other students. Instead, he cringed at the fuss being made over him.

"Enjoy your day, Daniel. Professor Masters, I'll see you at the faculty meeting." And with that, he swept away from the table.

* * *

Harry, Danny, Ron, and Hermione enjoyed another morning game of Quidditch. This time, Danny played on Hermione's team. The game stayed very close and was tied by the time they broke for lunch. Privately, Harry was glad that Danny wasn't trying out for the Slytherin team; such skill in flying would give Draco far too much satisfaction. But his thoughts against Malfoy were not connected directly to Danny, who Harry concluded was a good guy.

At lunch, Harry, Hermione, and Ron pointed out the different professors to Danny. Some of the professors did double takes, as there seemed to be two of Harry, but Danny was discussed among them, as were the holidays and musings for the upcoming year. The students discussed the high points or interesting stories from each class. Professor Trelawney made an unusual appearance, and the trio enjoyed telling Danny about some of their more interesting moments with her. None of their discussions covered the actual prophecies, however.

In the afternoon, they visited Hagrid, who prepared the Thestrals for their trip to Hogsmeade station later. Danny patted Tenebrus, who remembered him. Hermione said that she _almost_ wished she could see them, but added quickly that she was sorry that Harry and Danny could. Hagrid was glad for the company, but he had everything under control. At 5:30, he shooed them back to the castle.

Unlike Vlad, who had taken to wearing his wizard robes since Harry and his friends got there, Danny looked at his uniform for the first time since they got them from Madam Malkin's. As he remembered, they were mostly black, with the Hogwarts insignia. What surprised him were the green and silver highlights that did not used to be there. He would have to ask about that.

Coming to the Great Hall, Danny sensed a level of formality that simply wasn't there before. The Bloody Baron waved him over to what would be the Slytherin table. Danny saw that Harry, Ron, and Hermione's uniforms had accents of crimson and gold. He waved at them from across the Hall. They smiled and waved back.

Danny found a seat by the wall, about halfway down the table. The room looked like it was set up for hundreds of students. In Casper High, different classes had lunch at different shifts. But here, it looked like all the students had their meals at the same time. He smiled sadly as he thought of Mr. Lancer and his exclamations. He was sure that Mr. Lancer would have an interesting quip about this.

The Bloody Baron drifted over to keep Danny company. "It is _my_ honor to know that I am your official House Ghost," he said with pride.

Danny smiled. Apparently, Sir Nicholas and the Bloody Baron's gentle rivalry for his attention was still ongoing. "Baron, can I ask you a question?"

"Anything you like, Danny."

"When Uncle Vlad and I went to get my uniform, all of my school robes were black. But now they have green and silver trim and other highlights. What gives?"

The Baron smiled at him. "It is an interesting spell on all Hogwarts students' uniforms. It makes it easier for the tailors to make, but they stay appropriate per the students' given Houses. Slytherin's House colors are green and silver." Looking across the room, he pointed to the trio. "Gryffindor's colors are crimson and gold. Ravenclaw's colors are blue and bronze, and Hufflepuff's are yellow and black."

Danny looked down at his uniform and studied the insignia. "What are these animals for?"

"Every House has an official mascot on their House flag. They symbol for Slytherin is a snake." After what Harry told Danny about the descendants of Slytherin being able to talk to snakes, it made sense. "Gryffindor's is a lion. Ravenclaw's is an eagle, and Hufflepuff's is a badger."

Danny smiled and looked for Vlad at the Head table. "Vlad sometimes calls me 'little badger,' but I think that has more to do with his college football team's mascot. He likes American football." His smile broadened. "He's a Packers fan."

Unsure of the Muggle sport, the Baron smiled indulgently. "If you say so. It might be interesting to see how others react if they hear this pet name for you."

Danny blushed. "I didn't think of that."

The Bloody Baron smiled kindly. "Don't worry about it. It is a term of endearment, so I can't imagine that it would be used to embarrass you."

Danny looked back up at Vlad. "I hope you're right." Looking up in front of him, Danny saw that he had an audience. "Uh, hi there."

The blond boy in front of him said, "You must be very bold to speak to the Bloody Baron. You impress me." Extending a hand, he said, "I am Malfoy. Draco Malfoy."

Danny took his hand and shook it. "I'm Danny Fenton. It's nice to meet you."

Draco cocked his head. "I don't remember hearing of a Fenton Wizarding family."

Danny shrugged. "I'm from America. I can tell you that until today, I never heard the name Malfoy, either."

"Good point." Pointing the larger students standing behind him almost like bodyguards, Draco said, "These are Vincent Crabbe and Gregory Goyle. They are good friends to have."

Danny eyed them cautiously. They looked like they would tower over Dash Baxter, and that was saying something. "It's good to meet you, too." He shook their hands as well. Draco took the seat next to Danny on the side where the Baron was not. Slytherin students found seats all along the table, most of whom studied Danny before finding their own seats.

A pretty girl with a cruel smile sat in front of them. "You know, you look a lot like Potter."

Danny looked across the Hall at Harry. Their eyes met and they smiled. "I know."

"So you met 'the Chosen One,' the blood-traitor, and the Mudblood, have you?" Draco asked in a dark tone.

Danny thought of what Sir Nicholas said about Harry being 'The Boy Who Lived' and what Professor Snape said about the general Slytherin attitude. "I assume you mean Harry, Ron, and Hermione. Yes, we met. But what are these words, 'blood-traitor' and 'mudblood'? We don't use them in America." Smooth, Fenton. Nicely done, he congratulated himself.

"Interesting. A blood-traitor is a well-connected wizard who actually respects Muggles or Muggle-borns. As such, he is a traitor to the purity of his blood. And a Mudblood is a Muggle-born witch or wizard. Unlike witches or wizards with pure bloodlines, they are Muggle-derived upstarts. They have dirty blood. And so… Mudblood. To say it in front of them would be to use fighting words, but who cares?"

Danny gritted his teeth. He now had a better appreciation for Ron's attitude. He closed his eyes to collect his temper. He had lots of secrets to keep, and having his eyes flash green _really_ would not help things at present.

Oblivious to Danny's change in attitude, Draco gestured to the pretty girl across from them. "This charming lady is Pansy Parkinson." She smiled and waggled her fingers at Danny.

"Nice to meet you," Danny said. He wasn't sure he was sincere when he said it, but he hoped that didn't come through.

"So, Danny," Draco drawled, plowing ahead. His smug arrogance reminded Danny of Vlad, and not in a good way. "What does your father do?"

Danny looked down and thought for a moment. "My father doesn't do anything at present. My family is no longer living. I am currently the charge of my Uncle Vlad Masters, who will be the professor for Defense Against the Dark Arts this year."

Draco stopped and gave him a look of sympathy. "I'm so sorry to hear that. How did they die?"

Danny closed his eyes again. "It happened too recently. It's still too painful to talk about."

Draco nodded. He was intrigued. This new student was an orphan, but he was related to a professor. Being related to a professor gave one status. He would want to get to know this student better.

* * *

Draco Malfoy entered the Great Hall, his girlfriend Pansy Parkinson on his arm, and his friends Crabbe and Goyle behind him. His summer had been difficult with his father in Azkaban, but the Dark Lord assured him he would have the opportunity to redeem his family.

The blond teen stopped short when he saw the dark-haired teen sitting in the middle of the Slytherin table. At first he thought it was Potter, but a glance across the Hall at the Gryffindor table convinced him it was not, as Potter was at his proper table with his friends. Other students were also confused by the boy's resemblance to Potter, and continued to stare even after they took seats at their House tables. Who was this boy?

Standing not far from the strange boy, Draco noticed him talking cheerfully with the Bloody Baron, unconcerned by the ghost's gaunt face or the silver blood staining the ghost's transparent clothes. Personally, Draco was impressed by the boy's lack of fear in the presence of the Bloody Baron. He still recalled First Year, when _he_ sat near the Bloody Baron; he didn't enjoy it.

Draco motioned for Pansy to sit across from him and nodded to Crabbe and Goyle. He was going to introduce himself to this student.

It fascinated him that Danny hadn't heard the name Malfoy until now; that also meant that he didn't know that his father was in prison. Danny was an orphan. This was interesting. It also meant Draco had to be careful about how he taunted Potter in front of him, if he wanted to gain and maintain a friendship with him.

Soon, the Hall was filled with students all talking and glancing occasionally at the new student. Everyone grew quiet as Professor McGonagall brought first the stool and the Sorting Hat, an then the First Years into the Great Hall. The Sorting Hat sang its song.

The song was different every year, but this year it reiterated its warning that the school must unite against outside dangers. Draco rolled his eyes in annoyance. Like he would ever get chummy with Potter!

But apparently, Danny already had. That just confused the issue! How was he going to play this? Did he want to taunt him for being friendly with 'Saint Potter'? Or did he want the prestige for getting close to a student with close ties to a professor?

Further, all of the Slytherin families were old, and what their families did (legally, anyway) was usually a matter of public record. This student was foreign, and he refused to discuss his family, including how they died. Perhaps if Draco was friendly, he could solve the mysteries surrounding the new student.

Of the schemes in his mind, he decided that becoming friendly with Danny Fenton seemed to be more beneficial to his aims. Draco would still personally torment Potter, especially because of what happened to his father, but he would have to be careful not to do it in front of Danny. He could do this; it would be worth it.

The list of First Years was shorter than last year. As each student was Sorted, the House they went to cheered loudly. When the last student was sorted, Professor McGonagall removed the stool and Sorting Hat. Draco's mind wandered when Dumbledore officially welcomed the students and enjoined them to enjoy the feast.

Danny looked up and down the table and decided that he didn't care much for his Housemates. Considering that he was stuck with them, he was determined to make the best of a bad situation. Draco and his hulking bodyguards Crabbe and Goyle seemed to be fellows who were better to keep track of. He would make an effort to be friendly, if not precisely friends, with them. That didn't mean he had to trust them farther than he could throw them in human form.

At the end of the feast, Professor Dumbledore stood up to address the assembled crowd. "The very best of evenings to you! To our new students, welcome, to our old students, welcome back! Another year full of magical education awaits you…"

Draco leaned over and told Danny, "You know, Professor Snape is holding a House meeting after dinner. All Slytherin students have to be there."

Danny answered, "I know, thanks for telling me. I'll be there after my regular evening tutoring session of Defense Against the Dark Arts with my uncle. Now, do you mind? I'd like to hear what Professor Dumbledore has to say." That gave Draco something to think about. This new student took regular study sessions in DADA with his uncle. Very interesting.

"…and Mr. Filch, our caretaker, has asked me to say that there is a blanket ban on any joke items bought at the shop called 'Weasleys' Wizard Wheezes'." This comment drew smiles from students from all four Houses who had no intention of following this rule.

"Those wishing to play for their House Quidditch teams should give their names to their Heads of House as usual. We are also looking for new Quidditch commentators, who should do likewise.

"We are pleased to welcome a new member of staff this year. Professor Masters is visiting from America, and has graciously agreed to fill the position of Defense Against the Dark Arts teacher." Danny looked up and smiled at Vlad. Their eyes met and he smiled back. While there was a ways to go before he became one of Danny's favorite people, he was more friendly company than the folks Danny would have to spend lots of time with on a regular basis.

Further, Danny was proud of the fact that Vlad took this job. It wasn't anywhere near as prestigious or financially stimulating as what the billionaire usually did (whatever that was), but he took it to give Danny safety and shelter from Voldemort and the Death Eaters. Vlad DID care about him, and he decided he cared in return.

"Now, as everybody in this Hall knows, Lord Voldemort and his followers are once more at large and gaining in strength." Yeah. Danny wasn't going to forget that anytime soon.

"I cannot emphasize strongly enough how dangerous the present situation is, and how much care each of us at Hogwarts must take to ensure that we will remain safe. The castle's magical fortifications have been strengthened over the summer, we are protected in new and more powerful ways, but we must still guard scrupulously against carelessness on the part of any student or member of staff. I urge you, therefore, to abide by any security restrictions that your teachers might impose upon you, however irksome you might find them, in particular the rule that you are not to be out of bed after hours."

Safety rules, Danny would pay attention to. Bedtime and rules about where he could be when? Not so much.

"I implore you, should you notice anything strange or suspicious within or outside the castle, to report it to a member of staff immediately. I trust you to conduct yourselves, always, with the utmost regard for your own and others' safety." That's what being a hero was about: protecting the safety of others.

"But now, your beds await, as warm and comfortable as you could possibly wish, and I know your top priority is to be well-rested for your lessons tomorrow. Let us therefore say good night. Pip pip!"

Draco stood up and announced, "As a prefect of Slytherin, it is my duty to inform you that the first password to the Common Room this year is 'Pureblood.' I'll see you when you get back from your tutoring session, Danny. First Years, follow me!"

* * *

After Snape's announcement that their evening would be cut short, Vlad started rethinking his personal lesson plan for Daniel. He already had a few things in mind for Defense Against the Dark Arts for the upcoming week, but only Daniel's private sessions held any importance for him.

At lunch, he asked Snape for a copy of his notes on his findings on their personal lessons on Defense Against the Dark Arts. Professor Snape raised an eyebrow, but Vlad assured him that it was time to inform Daniel of their findings. Professor Snape had no problem giving Vlad a hard time, but he would not do anything to stand in the way of Daniel's progress. Vlad smiled; he was counting on that.

Once the Welcoming Feast was over, Vlad knew his time was limited. He gestured to Danny, and Danny nodded. They looked at the mass of humanity exiting the Great Hall, and nodded at each other again. When they felt no eyes were on them, both Vlad and Danny turned invisible and intangible, and flew to their classroom, to see Professor Snape standing there. Once they materialized inside the classroom, Professor Snape stuck his head in and announced "One hour."

Keeping his eye on his watch, Vlad told Danny of Professor Snape's 'experiments.' This word caught Danny's attention, as he remembered the painful experiments planned by the Guys in White. That was the reaction Vlad was looking for.

He shared the notes that served as Professor Snape's report on how various Dark spells affected him, and how likely the same results would occur with Danny.

Mentally cursing the time limit, Vlad used the last fifteen minutes to convince Danny of his next lesson plan. "Daniel, I'm sure you remember the ectoplasmic restraints Skulker used to bind you."

Danny shuddered. "How could I forget?"

Vlad smiled dangerously. "Good. That is what we are going to work on this week: you shall produce your own ectoplasmic restraints, binding limbs and a gag to bind mouths."

Danny's eyes widened. He thought of how his future evil self used such bindings to hold his loved ones captive. In a panic, he cried, "I don't see how that could be used for anything but villainous purposes!" He backed away from Vlad.

Vlad sighed. He didn't have time for this. "Daniel, such bindings can actually be used as a proper Defense Against the Dark Arts. Most of the curses, jinxes, incantations, and other harmful spells are performed verbally, or with a wave of a wand. If, for example, a Death Eater wished to use the Killing Curse, it wouldn't affect you (in ghost form, anyway), but wouldn't it be useful to gag him so he couldn't curse anyone else?"

Vlad knew he struck gold when dismay left Daniel's face, replaced by determination. He knew Daniel's hero complex had to be good for _something_.

"I guess that would be a useful way to stop evil wizards."

Vlad continued, "And wayward ghosts." Vlad smiled knowingly as Daniel saw the possibilities unfold.

A knock came at the door, and Snape stuck his head in. "The hour is up." Vlad rolled his eyes. It was, indeed. "Daniel, I know your uncle can teleport. Can you?" Danny nodded. "Then please take us outside the Slytherin Common Room. We are late."

Danny took Professor Snape's forearm but looked back at the older half-ghost. "Goodnight, Uncle Vlad." With that, they disappeared in a green mist.

How dare that blasted professor use Daniel's powers to humiliate him!? No matter. Snape would pay for this. In spades. All to help Daniel.

* * *

In the Slytherin Common Room, Professor Snape gestured for Danny to take a seat. The professor cleared his throat, and the room became silent. The professor began.

"Welcome, one and all. You have the privilege of belonging to Slytherin House. But this privilege comes at a rather high cost.

"The majority of all witches and wizards that turn Dark usually (but not always) come from this House. As such, you will be mistrusted. Students will avoid you and side against you, and other professors may readily find fault with you. Ever cognizant of this fact, I will do my best to even the playing fields. I will bend over backwards to find merit for you. If you find innovative ways to break the rules, I will most likely be lenient with you, and may actually award points for creativity, especially in situations where I might be harsh with students from other Houses.

"But this leniency, as all things in life, comes with a price. I expect excellence in your academic efforts." Looking at Danny, he said, "Results will be what they may, but you WILL put in the effort."

Still focused on Danny, but scanning the rest of the room, he continued. "Situations will arise that may present moral dilemmas. Following your natural inclinations to fulfill your ambitions, it may be difficult to piece together what is right, when what is easy may fill that niche more readily. Many will not understand you, or the options you have to sift through.

"Some of you may feel pulled to the cause of the Dark Lord, whether from family pressure, peer pressure, or personal desire. For some, it is a tempting call. I would urge you to carefully weigh your options, and be honest in your assessment of whether it would benefit you.

"Regardless of the choices you make, I want you to understand that my door is always open. I repeat: I know that your options and dilemmas will be difficult. And it is most likely that no one _else_ will understand. I will make it my _business_ to understand, and to help you find your way to your personal safety and your benefit. Some solutions require common sense. Some solutions require creative thinking. And some solutions may be completely counterintuitive.

"You may come to me at any time. And I do mean _any_ time. I will post a regularly updated list of the hours I am in class, on patrol, or will otherwise plan to not be in my office. On those days, you may wait for my return in my office. On other days and at other times, if I am not in my office, you may knock on my personal door. This is a privilege that none but you and the Headmaster share. You may use but not abuse this privilege.

"Because of the sensitive nature of the affairs of this House, I may hold meetings like this throughout the year as I see necessary. When they exist, they are mandatory. These meetings supersede all leisure activities, and even detention. (If you have earned or otherwise found yourself a detention, you may need to make it up on another day.) This rule is known by all professors, so you will have little to no problems with this.

"It is my honor, privilege, and sacred duty to serve as your Head of House. I look forward to working with you, and wish you a successful year. Have a good night."

11


	14. Chapter 14

Thank you to all who reviewed. This time, everyone had reviews which made me stop and think. I appreciate them all.

Disclaimer: I do not own _Danny Phantom_ or _Harry Potter_.

Chapter 14

At breakfast, Professor Snape handed the Slytherins their class schedules. Professor Snape handed Danny his schedule, as it was already discussed, arranged, and approved of by Professor Dumbledore, Vlad, Professor McGonagall, and himself. The schedules for the other Sixth Year students took longer, as the process was more complicated – Professor Snape needed to confirm that everybody had achieved the necessary OWL grades to continue with their chosen NEWTs. Because the sifting process shifted students towards their natural strengths, the classes of Sixth and Seventh Years were not separated by House, but were combined with students from all four Houses.

Danny already knew that he was in Harry and his friends' classes for Potions, Herbology, Charms, and Defense Against the Dark Arts. Draco, who assumed a place near Danny and peeked at his schedule, was thrilled to know that Danny was at least in those four classes. It was a pity that the student who was his new project was not also in Transfigurations or his other classes.

Comparing schedules, Draco incredulously asked Danny, "You're taking Care of Magical Creatures and History of Magic?"

Danny answered, "Yes. My girlfriend used to like all kinds of plants and animals, and I thought of her when I signed up for Care of Magical Creatures. Hagrid has an interesting taste in animals, and I'm fascinated by them."

"Really. What did that oaf show you?"

Danny decided that he could learn to dislike Draco if he tried. Vlad also called Hagrid an oaf, which annoyed Danny at the time. But to hear a student be that rude about a teacher… He didn't have a problem with making fun of teachers, _per se_ (especially considering that his favorite series of horror movies was "Dead Teacher"), but for a student to insult the expertise of a teacher was just… wrong.

Draco was still waiting for an answer. "He showed me a Hippogriff called Witherwings."

Draco laughed a cruel laugh. "You mean he got another one? I remember in Third Year, he showed us a Hippogriff called Buckbeak. After Potter flew on him, I decided all the fuss about pride was just puff and nonsense. I called it ugly. It reared and scratched me. But Hagrid liked the stupid thing so much. I made such a fuss, Potter cut every vile potions ingredient for me for a week. And when I complained to my father, he arranged for it to be killed. That oaf cried for months."

Danny closed his eyes. He almost found himself wishing to have Dash back. Did he even live? Regardless – once Dash finished whatever cruel act of bullying he came up with, it was over. But this type of cruelty was evil. And he was stuck dealing with this jerk for a year. There had to be some topic of conversation they could have to further their 'friendship' without Danny wanting to strangle this kid.

Last night's meeting with Professor Snape came to mind. And then it dawned on him: Professor Snape was beloved by all Slytherins. He offered these students, who Jazz might call 'at risk,' a safe place. Danny smiled as he remembered Jazz's _almost_ breakthrough with the Goth punk Spike during his first encounter with the Lunch Lady. If students in this House were drawn to the Dark side, someone had to be there to offer them love, trust, respect, a safe haven to help them stay on the side of law and order and Light.

Then he shuddered. What about himself? Danny saw his evil future self. Clockwork showed him how he, personally, was 'at risk' but for his promise. While he might despise some of his Housemates for their attitudes and what they stood for, were they really much different than he was? Life's all about choices. Clockwork showed him that. His evil future self came from one set of choices. His mom being married to Vlad (eww…) was caused by a different potential choice. And, apparently, his fellow Slytherins had some other interesting, if difficult, choices. And Professor Snape promised to be there _regardless of the choices we make._ Danny felt oddly better.

After the speech, he could see clearly why students who _weren't_ in Slytherin were not enamored of this professor. Professor Snape made it obvious that he would indeed favor Slytherins, cheerfully to the detriment of students from other Houses. Danny wasn't sure how he felt about that. Still, that chilling glare between Professor Snape and Harry yesterday seemed to go above and beyond a casual dislike that wasn't hard to envision between Professor Snape and other students. Professor Snape said his thing with Harry was personal.

Draco also didn't like Harry. (Apparently, Draco only had a small circle of people he liked, and Hagrid didn't fall within that circle.) Draco's reasoning was far less esoteric than Professor Snape's, but Danny was sure that he didn't want to continue the discussion against Harry. But Professor Snape was an appealing topic.

"Draco, what was your favorite potion that Professor Snape had you make?"

* * *

Vlad sat at his desk as his Sixth Year Defense Against the Dark Arts class filed in. When the last of the twenty five students on his roster took a seat, Vlad briskly moved from his seat to a place in front of the desk. Some of the students found his crisp movements oddly reminiscent of Professor Snape. In a voice loud, clear, and demanding, Vlad began. "Who, here, can tell me about werewolves?"

Hermione's hand was up in an instant. Vlad nodded at her. "In their wolf form, the shape of the snout is different…"

Vlad rolled his eyes and cut her off. "Thank you, Miss Granger. Anyone else?"

Draco raised his hand, and Vlad called on him. "The best way to kill a werewolf…"

"I didn't ask about ways to _kill_ a werewolf. I asked about the werewolves _themselves, _Mr. …"

"Malfoy."

"Thank you. Anyone else?"

Danny raised his hand. "Werewolves are mostly human for the entire month, except for the night of the full moon."

Vlad beamed. "Exactly right. _That_ was the answer I was looking for. Now, werewolves are considered Dark creatures. Why?"

Harry took a turn. "Because on that one night, if he doesn't take his Wolfsbane Potion, a werewolf can turn feral, and potentially be able to kill or turn other people into werewolves."

"Very good, Mr. Potter. Let's think of this. Werewolves are mostly human at all times except one, or maybe two nights a month, and they can _still_ maintain their human consciousness if they take their Wolfsbane Potion, and thanks to the Ministry's Werewolf Registry, they all do. If that is the case, then why does the Ministry still despise them?" The class was silent, but Hermione's eyes lit up. She decided she liked Professor Masters' perspective.

"I've had the opportunity to speak to your former teacher, Professor Lupin. He is widely acknowledged by most of the staff to have been one of the best professors of Defense Against the Dark Arts this school has seen in many years, a good man, and a very capable wizard. But because it was discovered that he is a werewolf, he resigned out of fear of what your parents or guardians would say or do.

"Since his time as a teacher here, there has been a good deal of anti-werewolf legislation, making it nearly impossible for werewolves to get honest jobs, forget about jobs they would and could do if allowed to live up to their potential. It is a testament to your Professor Lupin's good will and inherent decency that he has put up with all the humiliation of being rejected from his calling and training as a skilled and effective teacher to deal with the impossible burden the Ministry has given him for having a condition he had no control over initially contracting. And, for reasons I'm not sure _I_ understand, he still wishes to uphold Wizarding Law, living with the knowledge that society refuses to acknowledge his humanity, doing his best to protect the greater good of the Wizarding World, that rejects him for his very existence.

"Right now, we live in dangerous times. For all intents and purposes, if a werewolf would choose to forego the Wolfsbane Potion, he or she could wreak havoc against the human world. In a world where Voldemort" Many in the class winced, but Harry was seriously impressed with Professor Masters' lack of problem saying the name, "is gaining power, he also has no problem destroying many in the human world.

"Should he offer a bid of power to werewolves to get them to join his cause, one of the first things he would do is appeal to their _human_ sense of indignity over how badly they've been treated under current Wizarding law and order." The class was spellbound, as Vlad offered a perspective that few of them actually considered.

"This is Defense Against the Dark Arts. Of all the tactics and lessons you have learned, one thing you have NOT spent time on is the psychology of the enemy, or even learning who or what _is_ the enemy. One of the best ways to defend against evil is to understand how the opposition thinks.

"We are going to spend time discussing Dark creatures that may or may not have a sentience comparable to that of humans. We will discuss their motivations, talking about whether or not they can be reasoned with, and possible ways to defend against them, if necessary. We will discuss Dark creatures and their impact on _our_ psychology as well. What we'll learn may surprise you, as I hope to offer you new perspectives on ideas you may have taken for granted.

"Your first assignment is to write a persuasive letter to a werewolf you don't know, trying to convince him or her why he or she should continue to protect humanity and not work to destroy it, despite how horribly the Ministry and society at large has treated them. The letter should be a minimum of a foot and a half long, but it can be longer. Feel free to use the book _Hairy Snout, Human Heart_ as a reference, perhaps to give you ideas on the perspective of one werewolf. Other werewolves may share the author's perspective. If you _do_ use the book, be sure to cite your source, including the page numbers used. Be sure to finish reading the book by next Monday.

"In this letter, you will appeal to the humanity of said werewolf. Under _no_ circumstances will any point in this letter address a threat of retribution from the Ministry's Department of the Regulation and Control of Magical Creatures. For any such mention, I will not only deduct points from your grade, but I will also deduct points from your House. How many would be determined by how egregious an affront I perceive the offense would cause an actual werewolf if he or she was the recipient of this letter. The letter will be addressed, 'Dear Sir or Madam.' The letter is due on Wednesday. Class dismissed."

* * *

During a morning break, Professor Snape read and corrected essays he had assigned for summer work, in the staff lounge. Vlad approached him. "Excuse me, Professor Snape, but I wonder if I could have a word with you."

Snape put down the essay he held and indicated to Vlad to pull up a chair. "Of course. What would you like to discuss?"

Vlad sat opposite the Potions master. "I would like to request your presence at my private tutoring session with Daniel. I will be teaching him a new skill that would be vital for Defense Against the Dark Arts, and the presence of a person besides the two of us would be necessary. It would start this evening, and I expect him to take a week to perfect the skill. The time would be longer or shorter, depending on how long he actually takes to master the skill."

Professor Snape thought for a moment. Besides the demonstration of Danny's Ghostly Wail, no one ever saw what Vlad taught Danny during their Power Training sessions. Vlad was an intensely private person, and he held his private time with Daniel sacred. The fact that Snape was being invited to join this private lesson made him feel both honored and suspicious. He studied Vlad carefully, but Vlad's face gave away nothing. "Alright. As it _is _for Daniel, I shall be there."

A sober look crossed Vlad's face. "I hope I need not remind you that what you will see may not be shared with anyone besides myself and Daniel."

Snape raised an eyebrow. "Of course."

Vlad smiled. "Excellent. After dinner, then. At your earliest convenience." With that, the bell rang to signal the end of the break.

* * *

In Charms, Draco assigned himself to be Danny's partner. Danny forced himself not to roll his eyes at this development. Professor Flitwick announced that this term, they were going to practice casting spells non-verbally. He winked at Danny, who blinked in return. After assigning the class different spells to work on, he approached Danny. "Mr. Fenton, may I see you a minute? Mr. Malfoy, I'll return your partner shortly."

Pulling Danny aside, he said, "Your uncle tells me that Ghostly Possession does more than simple levitation but can work like Summoning Charms as well. He told me to remind you of 'Technus' and 'the Lunch Lady.' Do these terms or names mean anything to you?"

Danny grimaced. "Yes. They are two of my regular ghostly adversaries who regularly possess items, bending them to their every whim." Danny smiled as he realized that Vlad left the Box Ghost off of his list. Apparently, the annoying blue ghost was beneath Vlad's attention.

Professor Flitwick nodded. "Your uncle is of the mind that unlike those ghosts' specialized talents, you would be able to possess any number or type of items." And people, Danny mentally added. "I would like to see you work on that today. Also, tomorrow, I want you to come to me during your free period in the morning so we can review the new skills you've been working on with your uncle." Joy. "Very good. You may return to your partner and practice. Just so that you know, the Summoning Charm is _Accio_, with a general wand wave. Whether you say it or not, wave your wand when you do it. Go on."

Danny and Draco practiced until lunch. Sitting next to Draco at lunch, Danny asked, "So, what do you think of your new Defense Against the Dark Arts professor?"

Draco thought for a moment. "Your uncle certainly is interesting. I'll give him that. But I think he spends far too much time and effort on the feelings of creatures who aren't even human."

"_Fully_ human," Danny corrected.

"Whatever," Draco shrugged. Danny bristled, realizing that he fit into the category of 'creatures whose feelings didn't count' according to his new 'friend'. He did remember that Professor Dumbledore said there were wizards who believed as much, the day Danny and Vlad met him. Danny sighed and rolled his eyes.

"Correct me if I'm wrong," Danny said with a raised eyebrow, "but you wouldn't care for feelings of some people who are fully human, but aren't 'wizard' enough for you."

"True," Draco smiled. He was puzzled when his new friend didn't share his expression or his sentiment. "Why do _you_ care so much?"

If he wasn't in the middle of eating, Danny would have crossed his arms. Instead, he looked askance and announced, "Probably because I'm from America, the Land of the Free and the Home of the Brave. You know, 'We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable rights, that among these are Life, Liberty, and the pursuit of Happiness'."

Draco stared blankly. "What nonsense is this?"

Danny glared at him. "It's from the United States' Declaration of Independence."

Draco shook his head. "What's that?"

"The fact that you are British and have never heard of it might have offended me, but it occurs to me that you are so removed from Muggle history that the American Revolution has entirely escaped your notice."

Draco blinked. "Is it that important to you?"

"Yeah, it is."

"Right, then. The Declaration of Independence. I'll try to remember that." Apparently, this monumental document in Muggle history was seriously important to Danny. He couldn't fathom why such a thing would be useful to know, but it offended Danny to know that _he_ didn't know of it. Draco would make it his business to learn about it - his whole plan might depend on it. Maybe he'd find a moment and ask Professor Burbage about it. SOMEONE had to know about this, if it was that important. Muggles _still_ didn't matter, but he could stand to learn about this thing. It was a small enough sacrifice on Draco's part.

* * *

Care of Magical Creatures was relatively uneventful. Only two other students decided to take this class NEWT level, Terry Boot and Ernie Macmillan. They were from Ravenclaw and Hufflepuff, respectively. It was a very friendly, intimate class. Hagrid was rather subdued, though; he was hurt that Harry, Ron, and Hermione didn't continue his class. The three guys in the class tried to cheer up Hagrid, who introduced them to a Crup.

It closely resembled a Jack Russel terrier, except for its forked tail. Hagrid couldn't bring himself to cut off its tail, as per Ministry regulations. The Crup was perfectly friendly to Terry and Ernie, but it wasn't sure about Danny. It looked like it wanted to attack, but it didn't seem sure about it. Hagrid said that Crups were loyal to wizards and ferocious to Muggles. But it honestly didn't know what to make of Danny. Instead, it backed away from him, whimpering in fear. Terry and Ernie were confused, and Hagrid apologized to Danny for not thinking. Danny shook his head in bemusement. He made a mental note to review _Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them_ and _Monster Book of Monsters_ and remind Hagrid if any animals he would read about had any weird interactions with Muggles or ghosts.

Potions was a class Danny looked forward to. He enjoyed working with Professor Snape in the summer. Danny tried not to think of the experiments the professor performed on Vlad, until he asked Professor Snape about it during his afternoon free period. Professor Snape soberly told him that everything he and Vlad did by way of experimentation was only to learn how to better protect Danny himself. Vlad was an experienced adult and a skilled half-ghost, and both of them wanted what was best for him. He did not admit that he might have enjoyed the painful sessions a little too much, but in truth, even these _were_ to learn about how certain Dark spells would affect a half-ghost. And it gave Snape a good deal of satisfaction to keep young Daniel out of harm's way by putting Vlad directly in it.

There were thirteen students in Potions. Besides Danny, there were Draco, Blaise Zabini, Theodore Nott, and Millicent Bulstrode from Slytherin, Terry Boot, Michael Corner, Lisa Turpin, and Mandy Brocklehurst from Ravenclaw, Harry, Ron, Hermione, and Ernie Macmillan. Everyone knew each other, and Danny was afraid that he would be the odd man out. Harry and Ron started setting up next to each other, and Draco was about to settle next to him (he was kind of flattered that Draco didn't want him to be alone, but he wasn't sure this 'friendship' with Draco was a good idea), but Professor Snape had other plans.

"I don't think so, Potter." With an oily smile Danny hadn't seen before, Professor Snape continued, "I'm glad you finally _earned_ your place in my class this year, but I think it would be best to break up the 'Dream Team'."

Danny noticed Harry flushed with embarrassment, and Danny did the same. But Danny also noticed that while Professor Snape didn't mind embarrassing Harry, Professor Snape never mentioned Harry's grade or _how_ he earned his way into this class. With a pang, he realized that it wasn't so much to spare Harry as it was to spare him from letting the class know he needed tutoring.

"You will work with our newest Slytherin, Mr. Fenton. You work so well together, I wouldn't dream of separating you." Danny sighed.

Harry's eyes flashed with anger at Snape for humiliating him, and the other Slytherins around him enjoyed Harry's pain. As Harry moved his cauldron closer to Danny, Danny said, "I'm so sorry." It was clear to Harry that, unlike his Housemates, Danny didn't enjoy Harry's misery.

Something clicked in Harry's head. He looked at Danny seriously, stuck out his hand to shake, and said, "It will be a pleasure to work with you this year."

Danny smiled and nodded. "Same here." They shook hands.

Ron and Hermione looked at each other. It was finally clear to Ron that while Danny might be in Slytherin, he was different. Ron finally got the message that he was just Danny, and should be treated like the individual he was.

Draco shook his head. He suspected that Danny was friends with Potter, but now it was undeniable. He huffed. Draco determined more firmly that he _was_ going to torment Potter. It was going to be a challenge to do so in a way that Danny didn't notice, but he would punish Potter for taking the spot he coveted: working so closely to the new, mysterious, well-connected student in Double Potions.

Professor Snape began the class. "The first potion you will make is the Draught of Living Death. This time, Potter, I'm sure you remember the main ingredients?"

Harry looked down in an effort to control his temper. "Yes, I do, _sir_. Asphodel and Wormwood."

Snape raised his eyebrows. "Impressive. You remembered." Harry blinked. He was sure that was the last time he would receive praise from this professor. "The instructions are on the board. Begin."

The room was tension-filled. With Danny's sense of urgency, he nudged Harry any time he seemed distracted to put him back on track. Every time Professor Snape passed their cauldrons, he praised Danny's perfect potion but said nothing about Harry's, though Harry's was exactly the same. Danny shook his head at the injustice, but Harry muttered, "Don't worry about it. I'm almost used to this."

* * *

At dinner, Danny managed to get away from Draco, reminding him that Crabbe and Goyle hadn't spent any time with him today, and that Pansy also missed him. Draco considered this a mark of true friendship, Danny thinking about his friend and his _other_ relationships. Satisfied, he let Danny alone, and told others to give Danny some space.

Danny quietly reflected over his first day of classes. The politics between students here were just as marked as they were in Casper High. The difference was in _how_ the groups distinguished themselves. There didn't seem to be jocks and band nerds, and the groups he was used to. (Admittedly, they might exist, but he hadn't seen this aspect pop up yet.) For the most part, the consistent rivalry was between Houses, most particularly Slytherin and Gryffindor, but Professor Snape said that if it came down to it, the Ravenclaws and Hufflepuffs would side with Gryffindor rather than Slytherin.

Danny sighed. He did not have the time or emotional energy to spend on this petty nonsense. He missed Sam and Tucker. He missed his family. He missed Amity Park. He missed America. He wanted to go home, but there was no home to go to. Later that night, he might speak to Sir Nicholas. Or he might go flying. Or he might do both.

But right now, he didn't see Vlad at the Head table, so when he finished dinner, he went to the classroom he and Vlad had been using.

"Good evening, Daniel." Danny turned ghost and smiled uncomfortably at Vlad. He knew what they were going to work on, and while he recognized that there were purposes for it that were constructive, he still had Skulker and his evil future self in mind when it came to creating…

Then he noticed they had company. "Professor Snape!"

"Good evening, Daniel. Your uncle invited me to the rare treat of watching and possibly helping with your Powers Training."

Distrustfully, Danny looked at Vlad, who smiled dangerously. "Remember that skill we discussed yesterday? Today we are going to practice using it on Professor Snape."

Upon hearing this, the professor paled, but his expression did not change. Danny took one look at his pallid professor and then turned back to Vlad, defiantly crossing his arms. "No."

Vlad balked. "No, what?"

Frowning, Danny spat, as he would at any villain, "I won't use my powers against a _human_."

Three thoughts came to Professor Snape in rapid succession. First of all, if the word 'human' was changed for 'Muggle,' he could have imagined his beloved Lily saying the same sentence, with the same recrimination and implied rebuke, 'And neither should you.'

Second, humans, particularly wizards, were at the top of the power pyramid. It was acknowledged in the ridiculous 'Fountain of Magical Brethren' in the lobby of the Ministry. Of all creatures and beings that had magic, human wizards had the most powerful, versatile magic. Therefore, stating that powers would not be used against humans implied that humans were _not_ the most powerful of beings, and were in need of being protected.

Third of all, he realized that his student excluded himself and his uncle from the category of human. Wait a minute…

Vlad, also in ghost form, said, "Does that include the humans who killed your family and friends?" Danny looked down, furrowing his brows, clearly struggling over this moral dilemma. "Don't be ridiculous, Daniel. You won't actually hurt the professor." Although I may teach him how to do that with the bonds later, he thought. But first things first…

Still not looking at either man, Danny still struggled with this, mentally. Professor Snape sighed. He promised he would help his students with any moral dilemma. "Daniel, what does your uncle want you to do to me?"

Danny looked up into Professor Snape's eyes, and cast his gaze back at the floor. "Uncle Vlad wants me to learn how to create ectoplasmic restraints, capable of binding limbs and gagging mouths." Professor Snape's eyes widened, but Danny didn't notice as his eyes were still focused on the floor. "He says that such things can be useful in Defense Against the Dark Arts because it can prevent an evil wizard from waving a wand or casting a verbal spell."

Professor Snape thought for a moment. What Daniel described in his proposed course of study was not unlike the conjured bonds Potter described that Pettigrew used against him during the rebirth of the Dark Lord. But Masters was correct – besides being used for Dark purposes, using such bonds for defense was definitely possible.

"Daniel, your uncle is absolutely correct. Such bonds would be similar to seriously advanced magic, but more to the point, such bonds could render any wizard practically powerless. In your defense against Dark wizards, particularly against the Dark Lord, the production of such bonds would be a truly useful tool."

Danny looked back up into Professor Snape's eyes. "But…"

"Daniel, you have my permission to use me as a target to develop this skill." Danny was still worried, but smiled gratefully. He opened his mouth to say something, but Vlad got there first.

"I'm sure he'll thank you for that, Professor Snape, but I didn't need your permission." Both Danny and the professor glared at Vlad, who ignored these expressions of outrage. "And now we'll begin."

* * *

"I thank you for your cooperation, Professor Snape. But enough of this for the evening. Tonight, Daniel and I still have to discuss Shakespeare's 'Hamlet,' and then cover some terms frequently used in Business math. We'll see you here again tomorrow night, same time, hmm?"

Professor Snape looked at Daniel, who was tired and still vaguely embarrassed, but prepared to do whatever Masters had planned for him. This was for Daniel. "Of course. Good evening, Professor Masters. Good night, Daniel." With that, he turned and exited the classroom.

Whatever else he might say about Professor Masters, he was a very good, patient teacher. He explained the theory, gave a demonstration, and patiently directed Daniel in the technique. It was fascinating to see what ghosts of Daniel and Vlad's caliber were capable. Calling a ball of bright green ectoplasm into existence, Daniel was capable of generating and manipulating the material of his existence as a ghost.

In demonstration, he could tell that Professor Masters took great pleasure in hog-tying and gagging him over and over, that illegitimate, half-human cur! But being honest with himself, turnabout was fair play. And his own experimentation on the older half-ghost gave _him_ more pleasure than might have been reasonable. But he also noticed that not one stroke, gesture, or ectoplasmic emanation was without purpose in the instruction of young Daniel. Part of the evening replayed in his mind.

Daniel looked at the bound and gagged professor sympathetically, but looked back up at his uncle. "So what are these?"

Vlad waved a hand carelessly, releasing the gag, which fell into Daniel's hand. "It is just ectoplasm. You make it and use it. You can manipulate it, shift it, and master it. The only limits on what you can do with it are only your imagination."

Danny handled the gag. "This is sticky and like elastic."

"Right."

Danny shuddered, looking at his bound professor. "And are those?" he asked, crouching and touching the restraints around Snape's ankles.

"Yes. When done right, the bonds can stick to human, ghost, or other flesh, and nothing else, and are as elastic as you desire them to be. But that is only one option of what you can do with them." Dispelling all bonds, making them disappear in a pink mist, Vlad said, "Now _you_ will make these bonds."

Relieved that Professor Snape was free for the moment, Danny stood up and looked at Vlad. "How do I do that?"

Vlad frowned in thought. "Start by making a benign ball of ectoplasm. Make it big so that we can practice manipulating it, and the bigger it is, the easier it will be to see." Interesting. Professor Masters intended to give his guest an education in ghost powers as well. Snape watched Danny's hand glow green, and in his hand grew a ball that resembled a slightly oversized green glowing Quaffle.

"You know you can make such a ball fiery hot or let it be cool and smooth, at your will." Danny nodded. "Good. First, we'll work on shape." He directed Danny to elongate the ball until it was a tube. Snape watched with fascination as the ball slowly became a pile of rope. The rope naturally (if such an adverb could be applied to anything spectral) defied gravity, unless Danny directed it to do otherwise.

"Very good. Very good indeed, Daniel! Clear it away, and we'll work on texture." The rope disappeared, and a new green ball appeared. "Make it sticky."

Danny shook his head. "How do I do that?"

Vlad put a finger to his mouth in thought. "Perhaps that texture will come later. Your ball is smooth and benign, right?" Danny nodded. "Good. Now concentrate and see about giving it a rough texture." Danny closed his eyes, and the ball developed small bumps and grooves. "Very well done! Now…"

The lesson continued, and Vlad encouraged and gently directed Daniel until he was capable of creating something similar to the specifications Vlad set. Part of the lesson was having Danny direct his rope to wind around Snape's wrists. Danny balked, but even Professor Snape encouraged him. Danny was reluctant and apologetic, but the bonds wound around Snape's wrists as Danny directed them, as Vlad commanded him.

Professor Snape couldn't help but compare Vlad's lesson with Danny to his own lessons in Occlumency with Potter. The lessons were just as if not more necessary for Potter than this particular skill was for Daniel. As a professor, Snape analyzed this lesson, and compared it to his own individual lessons with a different dark-haired boy.

At the start, Daniel and his uncle seemed almost adversarial. This aspect of the relationship surprised Snape, but for that brief moment, it was similar to his own relationship to Potter. But the similarity ended there.

Snape remembered that Potter was also reluctant to learn Occlumency. However, it gave Snape too much pleasure to intimidate Potter, putting down his skill and his ability to control his emotions to actually focus on giving Potter the tender care Vlad gave Daniel. If Snape was brutally honest with himself, he could have been far more encouraging. He could have explained the technique of _how _to clear his mind. He could have been far more patient. Maybe, if Snape would have explained things, Potter might never have looked into the Pensieve… that arrogant Potter! Someone had to put that boy in his place! However, that Umbridge toad overdid it. Even _he_ knew that. But back to Occlumency… Perhaps he could have been far more successful with Potter if he put his personal feelings on hold to teach Potter properly.

As a result of Snape's failure with Potter, Sirius Black was killed. That was no great loss, as far as he was concerned, but Potter, Lily's only son, was almost killed. He heard the report from both Dumbledore and the Dark Lord. Perhaps he could have been gentler with the boy. Perhaps… But it doesn't matter now.

One shining moment of success for today was forcing Potter to work with Daniel in Potions. Besides annoying Potter, which was almost always worth it, he put Potter in a position to actually help Daniel. But almost more importantly, because of Daniel's urgent understanding of the importance of Potions, Potter will actually focus and learn something in this class. If Potter puts one half of the energy Daniel does into Potions, Potter may actually succeed. He may actually become an Auror. He may actually defeat the Dark Lord. And _that_ would be worth everything.


	15. Chapter 15

Thank you to all who reviewed. Over the holiday month or so, lots of people reviewed, added this to their alert and favorite lists, and added me to their favorite author list. I am duly honored, and I thank you kindly.

For the record, I thank you for your patience. Since Chapter 4, I've been out of prewritten chapters, so I update as soon as I come up with the chapter, type it, review it a few times, and then post. I realize that this one was long in coming, but I've worked steadily. I hope you enjoy it as much as I had fun writing it.

Disclaimer: I do not own either _Danny Phantom_ or _Harry Potter_.

Chapter 15

At breakfast, Draco determined to figure out the new student. He didn't operate like any other Slytherin he knew, but that might be because of the fact he came from America, as Danny said. Draco spoke to Professor Burbage. Apparently, there was some Muggle fuss about taxes and representation in the late 1700s. It really had nothing to do with the Wizarding World, but according to Burbage, even the Wizards in America (if Danny was any indication) seemed to care a lot about the separation between England and the United States.

With all this talk about equality, there didn't seem to be a hierarchy between pure-bloods and Muggle-borns there. Professor Masters was also from America, he realized. Maybe _that_ was where his unnatural attention to the affairs of non-humans came from. Were non-humans also equal in the weird American society? He wasn't sure, but for some reason, this was really important to Danny and Professor Masters. He would make an effort to steer clear of this topic of conversation with Danny until he could figure this out.

Draco decided that if Danny was anything, he was considerate. With all the attention he gave Danny, Draco almost neglected his other friends. The fact that Danny reminded him of this fact only showed how valuable a friend Danny could be. Besides getting closer to Professor Masters and figuring out the mysteries surrounding the new student and professor, Danny might be worthwhile to have as a friend…just because. This was a novel idea to Draco.

Once he made his intentions known that he wanted to get to know the new student better, the other Slytherins kept a seat open near Danny for him. Being a prefect had its privileges, after all. And one topic was always fair game: Quidditch. Turning to Danny, he asked, "So, are you going to try out for the House Quidditch team? You've an excellent build for a Seeker."

Danny seemed focused on something else. "Sure, more pancakes, please."

Draco shook Danny's shoulder. "Danny, are you okay? I asked about Quidditch."

Danny took a second to take in his surroundings. "Oh, sorry. Quidditch. It sounds like fun, but I don't think I'll have the time. I'm taking seven normal classes, and my Uncle Vlad has me taking three special classes with him. I have a LOT of reading to do. Like I told Harry, I'll be glad if I can _watch_ the games, but I'll make it my business to try to come."

Draco grimaced at Harry's name, but he didn't say anything nasty. He schooled his features back to a pleasant expression and asked, "Oh? When did you tell him?"

Danny thought about how to answer. "My uncle and I came to Hogwarts after my family was killed. My magical education in America was behind Hogwarts' standards, so Harry came to tutor me, to catch me up. Professor Snape is pleased with the progress we made." He paused for a second. "Please don't tell anyone I needed tutoring. It would make the schools in America look bad, and I'm already so different from the other students, seeing as I'm about five years late." Danny smiled. He was proud of his cover story, and he didn't actually lie to tell it.

Draco also smiled. So _that's_ what Professor Snape meant when he said they worked so well together. "Not to worry. Your secret is safe with me." For now.

"Thanks." Danny's eyes unfocussed again. Draco was concerned. Something wasn't right. He only knew him for a couple of days, but from what he could tell, Danny normally stayed on target, sometimes noticing far more in a conversation than was convenient. But spacing out like this didn't seem like him. Maybe Professor Snape would know what to do. Draco resolved to talk to the professor in the break after Herbology.

In Herbology, Professor Sprout had Danny partner with Neville Longbottom. Although that lout seemed hopeless in just about everything, he seemed to truly excel in Herbology. And if Danny was behind in classes, it made sense to partner him with a student who knew what he was talking about.

He might forgive Neville, but he would still punish Potter. Oh, the things he had planned!

After Herbology, Danny headed to Professor Flitwick's office while Draco went to see Professor Snape. Draco knocked on the door, and the professor bade, "Come in." He entered. "Draco. What a pleasant surprise this morning! What brings you here?"

"Professor, I'm worried about Danny."

"Mr. Fenton?" Draco nodded. "What's wrong?"

"That's just it, Professor. I don't know. His mind was a million miles away at breakfast. Normally, he's sharp as a tack, but he couldn't seem to focus this morning." He thought for a moment. "But in Herbology, he was attentive, as if his life depended on it."

Professor Snape murmured to himself, "Did he? Good for him!" But in a full voice, he told Draco, "Thank you. You have been a help. I'll see what I can do to fix the problem. I'd like you to see me at a later break and tell me if things have improved." Draco smiled. He wasn't sure what was going on, but he could count on Professor Snape to help a Slytherin in need.

* * *

In Professor Flitwick's office, Danny demonstrated his duplication. He was still very proud that he could make four of himself. Professor Flitwick was impressed, although he was sure there was no way to categorize this talent. It wasn't an illusion of being in more than one place, or a duplication of an object. It was an honest duplication of himself. And the different duplicates had a separate consciousness each, almost as if they were separate people, although all were controlled by the original.

When a knock came at the door, Danny absorbed all three duplicates back into himself to the tiny professor's amazement. Danny turned human before Professor Flitwick invited whoever it was to come in. Both professor and student were surprised when Professor Snape entered Professor Flitwick's office.

"Forgive me for interrupting your meeting, but it has come to my attention that something untoward is going on with Daniel." Professor Flitwick looked concerned, and Danny looked away.

Professor Snape turned to Danny and asked in a gentle tone, "Are you concerned about last night's lesson?"

Danny's head snapped in Snape's direction. "Yes, sir," he said quietly.

Professor Snape put his hands on Danny's shoulders and turned him to face him squarely. "Daniel, you have done nothing wrong. You need to understand that first and foremost."

With a grimace, he continued. "Regardless of your uncle's feelings against or intentions toward me, he is teaching you a very valuable skill." He looked to Professor Flitwick. "Professor Masters has asked that this skill be kept secret until such a time as he feels it is appropriate to reveal it. For now, suffice it to say that this skill replicates and goes beyond some advanced magical skill. It will be duly impressive when it is indeed revealed.

"But as far as _you_ are concerned, Daniel, _I_ have deemed this a very worthy and valuable skill. I have agreed to do what is necessary to help you master this skill. Do you understand?"

Danny nodded. "I think so, sir."

"Good. As such, you have no need to worry about propriety, as everything is in order. You will do what your uncle directs, and you will not hesitate to comply with whatever he demands.

"You are doing nothing Dark or untoward. I cannot stress this enough."

Danny slowly started to allow relief to filter into him. "Are you sure?"

"Yes. And you will continue to do so for as long as it takes." Professor Snape answered. He felt the tension leave the boy's shoulders.

"Thank you, sir."

"You are quite welcome. I'll see you in Potions this afternoon. But for now, carry on with whatever Professor Flitwick is having you do. Thank you for your time, Professor."

* * *

After Transfigurations on Tuesday morning, Draco noticed that Professor Snape was coming towards him down the next hall. He decided it was perfect for his plan. Draco was alone with Potter and his friends. It was now or never. "Oh, Potter!" he called out.

The dark-haired boy turned in annoyance. "What is it now, Malfoy?"

Draco grinned. "I hear you're tutoring Danny in Potions, and have been since the summer holidays."

Potter frowned in confusion. "How is that your business?"

Draco's smile broadened. "It isn't. I'm just thinking that it means that you didn't get an 'O' on your OWL. What might the rest of the class say if they knew someone didn't get an 'O' and still got into the class?"

Harry's green eyes narrowed. He drew his wand from his robes as his friends glared angrily at Draco.

At that moment, Professor Snape strode down their section of corridor, and stopped when he saw the four students, Harry with his wand pointed at Draco. "What are you doing, Potter?" he asked threateningly.

Before Harry could answer, Draco cut in. "I was just talking about Potions, sir, and suggested what we might do next in class. That was when he drew his wand on me."

Ignoring Ron and Hermione's protests that there was more to the story, Snape turned to Harry. "Fifteen points from Gryffindor, Potter," he said in a silky voice, "for using magic in the halls."

Harry had an indignant expression on his face, but a new voice intruded on the conversation. "You know, I just remembered something," Professor Masters, who had arrived on the scene unnoticed, interrupted smoothly. He turned to Harry. "I'm rather new to the point system here, so I didn't think of it until now. Your answer to my question in class yesterday was particularly insightful. I think you deserve eighteen points for Gryffindor." Harry was stunned.

Snape glared daggers at Professor Masters, who looked like a cat that had stolen a fish from its tank. Snape swept off angrily, and satisfied, Professor Masters left in the opposite direction. Draco turned furiously to Harry. "This isn't over, Potter." With that, he, too, left.

Harry looked at Ron and Hermione in confusion. "What just happened?" Ron shrugged.

Hermione shook her head in exasperation. "Honestly. Snape and Professor Masters don't seem to get along with each other. It's nothing compared to how much Snape hated Lupin, but they really don't like each other."

Harry sighed. "Great. And I'm in the middle of it, now."

Ron patted him on the shoulder. "Bad luck, mate. Come on – we don't want to be late to Charms."

* * *

Draco was annoyed that Professor Masters had managed to come along at that precise moment. The professor had ruined his plan! Now he'd have to come up with something else. He thought it over on his way to Charms, but had not come up with anything viable by the time he got there. All thoughts of his revenge on Potter flew out of his mind when he saw Danny waiting for him. The dark-haired Slytherin seemed much more cheerful than he had been in Herbology.

Danny's good mood persisted through the rest of the day, and Draco told Professor Snape as much during the afternoon break. In Potions, Professor Snape was particularly kind to Danny, and even more vicious than usual to Harry. While it was probably partially due to Professor Masters' interference earlier, Draco was pleased at Potter's public degradation.

Ron was annoyed that his friend was being treated so harshly. "Harry gets paired with the new student, and all he gets from Snape is grief," he complained to Hermione.

Hermione looked up from her potion, perfectly brewed as usual. "Snape is always horrible to Harry."

Ron scowled as he struggled with his own potion. "It's only been two days, but since Snape made him work with Danny, it's been ten times worse than usual. I know it's not Danny's fault," he said hurriedly, "but you've got to admit that Snape's being worse than ever."

Hermione nodded. "He is being worse today, but I think it's because of what happened earlier today. After all, Professor Masters did give Harry more points than Snape took away immediately before. He probably feels embarrassed, and he's taking it out on Harry." Ron agreed, but he was angry that he was powerless to do anything to stop the situation.

Across the dungeon, Harry and Danny were working quietly. Danny's assistance kept Harry on track with every ingredient and stir of the potion. Snape walked past the two dark-haired students and stopped to watch Harry and Danny work. Noting Harry's near-slip in reading a line of instructions, Snape smirked. "Careful, Potter. You may have found favor with Professor Masters, but you won't be so lucky with me if you keep up such sloppy work in Potions."

Harry glowered, but said nothing. He knew that Snape liked to bait him. If he responded, he could end up in serious trouble. Danny was confused. When Snape moved on, he asked Harry, "What was that about?"

Harry glared after Snape. "Malfoy threatened to tell everyone that I'm tutoring a student. He wouldn't give away _your_ secret, but he has no problem with humiliating me. I pulled my wand out to jinx him into next week, and Snape came along. He took 15 points from my House for attempting to use magic in the halls, and then your uncle showed up. Professor Masters gave me 18 points for my House for my answer to his question in class yesterday."

Danny got a strange look on his face. Concerned, Harry asked, "Is something wrong, Danny?"

Danny shook his head. "Welcome to my world. I'm not sure why Professor Snape and Uncle Vlad don't get along, but their feud seemed to focus on me. And now you are a new target in their fuss. I'm so sorry, but at least you aren't alone in this."

* * *

In his Power Training session, Danny specifically noticed the by-play between Professor Snape and Vlad. Danny was still uncomfortable, but Snape shook his head. "What did I tell you?"

Danny winced. "You said to do whatever was necessary."

Carelessly, Vlad said, "It's nice to know you agree with me, Professor. Now, Daniel, we're working on gags." Professor Snape sighed and nodded.

* * *

It was Wednesday and in Defense Against the Dark Arts, Vlad collected the letters. The scrolls of parchment were different than the typed reports he was used to reading, or even the loose-leaf pages on which he saw Daniel's work before. A foot was about the length of a page, but the fact that every student handed him a scroll set him temporarily off-balance, not that he would show this to the class.

In his lecture, he discussed various humanoid creatures that the Ministry of Magic classified as Beings. He mentioned house-elves, goblins, vampires, hags, and others. When he got to ghosts, he rolled his eyes and then smirked.

"The Ministry classifies ghosts as Beings, but the local ghosts objected, wishing rather to be classified as Has-Beens." Danny huffed indignantly. Professor Masters grinned at this and continued. The class didn't understand Professor Masters' amusement, and Danny's reaction confused them, but neither uncle nor nephew said a word on the matter.

"Years ago, the centaurs and merpeople were offended when human wizards unthinkingly classified them as Beasts and not Beings. When the wizards tried to correct their oversight and resort them, the centaurs and merpeople took umbrage. Out of an understandable objection to humans having authority over them, the centaurs and merpeople opted to keep their status as Beasts. They preferred not to share a categorization with humans as Beings, also rejecting sharing status with vampires and hags."

When Professor Masters reached werewolves, however, a quiet anger could be heard in his voice as he described how werewolves were shunted between the categories of Beings and Beasts. "Werewolf Support is in the Being Division, but the Werewolf Registry, the Capture Unit, and the Discipline and Disposal Units," the third category made Vlad shudder, "are in the Beast Division. Unlike the courtesy extended to the centaurs and merpeople, no one asked the werewolves' opinion on the matter. These supposed Dark creatures, who started as human as everyone in this class, were denied the acknowledgement of their humanity because of an _accident_ caused by _someone else_, over which they had no control."

Danny glared at Professor Masters when he said this. With a pointed look at Danny, Professor Masters shrugged. Students near Danny didn't understand what was going on. This was the first of many in class communications Professor Masters had with Danny that no one else was privy to. They shared something besides a familial tie, and they kept it to themselves. This deepened the mystery surrounding them.

* * *

When Harry met Danny in Potions, Danny had a happy, dreamy look in his eyes. Harry said, "It's good to see you so happy. What happened?"

Danny practically glowed with pleasure. "My first Astronomy lecture."

Harry blinked. "Astronomy lecture?"

Danny explained, "Tonight will be the practical class on the Astronomy Tower. Even with a telescope, there is only so much you can see if you don't know what you're looking for. In the lecture, we discussed quasars and other recent discoveries from NASA, and how to plot them on our star charts this evening." He grinned. "I discovered that there _are_ witches and wizards who work at NASA."

"Really?"

Danny's grin broadened. "Yup. Now I have no problem telling you that I've wanted to be an astronaut for as long as I can remember." Harry and Danny finished setting up for Potions. Once Professor Snape began, that was the end of their discussion.

Harry noticed that one major benefit of working so closely on Potions with Danny was that he was more focused on his work. Danny's focus was so intense, Harry couldn't help but start to focus himself. Once, he almost thought he saw Professor Snape nod appreciatively at him, until he noticed Harry's glance. Then, Snape glared hostilely at him, like normal, as there wasn't much to complain about in his actual potion making.

Still, he had a lot of thoughts to share with Ron and Hermione. He decided that dinner was too public a place to share such thoughts. After finishing his homework, Harry found Ron soundly defeating Hermione at chess in the Common Room, at their regular place by the fire.

"I think I've made an interesting discovery about Danny, but I'm not sure what to make of it, yet."

Ron and Hermione looked at Harry. Ron asked, "What?"

Harry returned the look. "Danny seems to be of a decent sort, so we should keep it to ourselves. He's been a bit distracted today. In Potions, he was happier than I've seen him since he got an 'O' on his NEWT. He was excited about Astronomy."

Hermione said, "He should be. He's better at it than Seventh Years."

Harry nodded. "This is true. He's wanted to be an astronaut for a long time."

Hermione was impressed. Ron was confused. "What's an astronaut?"

Hermione sighed. "An astronaut goes up into outer space to explore the moon, and planets we've put on our star charts and you've made such a fuss over in Divination." She rolled her eyes. "I'm surprised you haven't heard of them, Ron."

Ron blushed. "It's not a thing I've heard wizards do."

Harry shrugged. "Danny said that in the Astronomy lecture (his class before Potions on Wednesday) he discovered that witches and wizards were among the many people working…" Realizing that Ron wouldn't recognize the acronym NASA, he changed his mind on his choice of words, "in the Space Program." Ron still looked confused. "They're people who do advanced research in Astronomy." Ron nodded in understanding.

"What surprised me isn't that he wanted to be an astronaut, as someone as interested in Astronomy as he is might choose to do that sort of thing, but that he said, 'Now he has no problem telling us.' That's a curious choice of words."

Hermione looked thoughtful. "That _is_ a weird way of saying it. It's almost like… no, that can't be right."

Ron and Harry looked at each other and then back at her. "What can't be right?" Ron asked.

Hermione furrowed her brows. "It's almost like he's saying…he's not a wizard. But that can't be right. Someone who isn't a witch or wizard can't _see_ Hogwarts." She thought a second more. "Or a Squib. But Squibs can't be students here, or Mr. Filch might not be as bitter as he is. Further, the castle is spelled so that Muggles wouldn't be able to come here. But more to the point, we've seen him do magic. He _has_ to be a wizard.

"Though it is bizarre… With some spells, Danny seems positively hopeless. With others, he seems advanced. He can do Summoning Charms, Levitating Charms, that visible shield. He flies almost as well as you do, Harry. But Disarming Charms, jinxes, and some of the simpler counter-curses we've worked on are completely beyond him."

The three of them sat in thought. Finally, Ron said, "This is weird, but Harry is right. We should keep this to ourselves."

* * *

Thursday morning at breakfast, Professor Snape came to Danny, who stiffened at the professor's approach. Last night, Danny perfected the elasticity of his bonds, and per instructions, they were tighter than comfortable. Vlad was pleased, but Professor Snape winced in discomfort, and Danny was worried.

Professor Snape was perfectly congenial, as he said, "Daniel, I need to see you in my office in your morning free period. And before you think about it, this has nothing to do with last night." Danny sighed in relief. The professor nodded and moved away.

Draco looked at Danny. "What happened last night?"

Danny shrugged. "Since Monday, Uncle Vlad asked Professor Snape to join us in our extra Defense Against the Dark Arts sessions. Some of the defensive activity I learned last night was more painful than I intended."

Draco cocked his head. "What kind of things are you learning in those special sessions?"

Danny thought about this. "Uncle Vlad has wanted to adopt me for a while, and he's been mentoring me in some special skills." He sighed. "It's part of 'special alone time' with Uncle Vlad."

"He's wanted to adopt you?" Draco tried not to show his excitement. "Why would he do that? Was there something wrong with your parents?"

Danny's face darkened. "There was _nothing_ wrong with my parents, thank you. More than that, you don't need to know." He got up and left for Herbology.

Draco clenched his fists and thought, 'This is more about him than he's let me know since I met him. I _will_ find out his secrets.'

* * *

After Herbology, Danny came to Professor Snape's office. "Ah, Daniel, have a seat." Danny sat. He had no idea what to expect, but at least he knew that this professor wasn't angry with him.

"Since Sunday, you know of the effects of different spells on half-ghosts. Your uncle and I worked hard to determine which spells can harm you in either form. At another time, your uncle will review our findings with you again, to make certain that you are sure of the results. However, with all of our work, there is no way for us to know the results of one very important spell.

"Of all the spells and jinxes available in the Wizarding World, three are considered Unforgivable: the Killing Curse, the _Cruciatus_ Curse, and the Imperius Curse. They are considered unforgivable because there is no way for a wizard to defend himself against them other than dodging out of the way. You already know that the Killing Curse can't hurt you beyond a sharp, stinging sensation. The _Cruciatus_ Curse would indeed torture you as it would an average human, but you could avoid it by turning intangible.

"The only one we can't be sure of is the Imperius Curse, as it affects each person differently. The idea is that the caster of this spell attempts to control the victim's mind." Danny's eyes went wide. "The way this spell works, a command enters the victim's head. If a person has a good deal of strength of mind and will, he can resist."

Scenes of Freakshow flashed through Danny's mind. "I, um…"

"If it makes you feel better, both your uncle and Potter are able to resist it. If you concentrate, you should be able to as well."

"Okay," Danny said uncertainly.

"This is one of the most common curses the Dark Lord uses. People with less strength of mind have been made to do unconscionable things against their will." Danny shuddered. "The prospect bothers you almost as much as 'using your powers against humans.' Why does this trouble you?"

Danny shifted uncomfortably in his seat. "A few months ago, a man called Freakshow brought Circus Gothica into Amity Park. He had a staff with a crystal ball. With it, he controlled a handful of ghosts. Generations of his family enslaved ghosts, and used them to entertain the masses. Freakshow decided that the money of the audiences wasn't enough. He started using ghosts to rob banks and jewelry shops. I stopped a heist or two, but then he got control of me.

"Half-ghosts are more powerful than most other ghosts, and" he downcast his eyes, "I was made to 'supervise' the other ghosts on the thieving missions, torturing them if they didn't move fast enough. Apparently, Freakshow set off my natural 'dark side'." He turned away from Professor Snape. "That was pretty bad, but worse, he had me attempt to kill my best friends. It almost worked." Professor Snape came around his desk and put a comforting hand on Danny's back. "I fought the influence of the mind control, but I failed in all instances except when Sam's life was truly on the line, twice. I saved her from plummeting to her death." He closed his eyes. "But I'm the one who caused her to fall."

Professor Snape stood in silence for a few moments. "You know you are not at fault here."

Danny shrugged, eyes still closed. "If I was stronger, this never would have happened."

Those were the words Snape wanted to hear. "Then we will work to make you stronger." Danny opened his eyes and looked up. "We will work to train your resistance to mind control. Whether it comes in the form of evil wizards or unscrupulous ringmasters, mind control can be defeated, if you build the mental strength to stop it completely. Shall we?" Danny nodded uncertainly.

"Right, then." He had Danny stand away from the desk, closer to the center of the room. "No matter what you hear, or however pleasant acquiescence may feel, resist. This is the prime directive. Understood?" Danny nodded again. "_Imperio!_"

Danny felt all his cares drift away. _Turn ghost_, the command came. He thought about it, but thought back, 'No.' The command came stronger. _Turn ghost._ The pleasant feeling came in fuller force than before. Still, he stayed where he was. _Do it NOW!_ It felt like all the world's ills would disappear if he obeyed. He turned ghost.

The command left him, and he looked at himself. He hung his head and closed his eyes in defeat.

"Alright," said Professor Snape. "We'll have to work on this."

* * *

Friday morning, Vlad discussed the corrected homework before passing it back to the students. "Most of you did creditable jobs, and I may ask you for a corrected or updated copy of your letters in a letter-writing campaign organized by people interested in halting Voldemort's progress. Everyone in Hufflepuff, Ravenclaw, and Gryffindor will take ten points each for their assorted Houses, except for Mr. Potter and Miss Granger. For a truly outstanding letter that not only empathized with the werewolves' general plight, but used insight gained from personal conversations with Mr. Lupin (and correctly citing said discussions as a source), Mr. Potter may take twenty points for Gryffindor.

"Miss Granger's letter, while doing precisely that, is so well researched and cited, I could honestly say that it rivals proposals I've seen drawn up by Muggle lawyers. I'm convinced that Miss Granger is destined to become an advocate for the disenfranchised." Hermione glowed with pride. "On your behalf, I award Gryffindor another twenty points."

Vlad sighed. "Slytherin. Mr. Fenton is the only one among you who understood the assignment. For a brilliant use of logic and persuasion, as well as displaying a true understanding of the perspective of a partial human (perhaps with an unfair advantage, but I wouldn't have it any other way), I also award you twenty points for your House." The class puzzled over the meaning of this comment, for which Danny blushed and smiled.

"Mr. Potter, Miss Granger, and Mr. Fenton, with your permission, I will pass your letters along directly to Professor Dumbledore, who will know how to put said letters to the greatest use." The addressed students nodded their consent. The Slytherin students cheered for the fact that a Housemate was awarded at least as many points and as much attention as Harry Potter, and were glad that he was praised for making use of an unfair advantage, though they couldn't dream of what it would be.

"Unfortunately, all other Slytherin students have disappointed me. I would have imagined that students who are used to being unfairly vilified would have attempted to feel sympathy, if not empathy, for people in a similar situation. Instead, every letter besides Mr. Fenton's was condescending, asking the unknown werewolf in so many words to bow to the supposed superiority of full humans and wizards by dint of the fact that full humans have graciously allowed said werewolf to live. To your credit, not one of you mentioned Ministry retribution. But still, for some reason, my carefully worded instructions explicitly stating that you were to _appeal to the werewolf's humanity_, attempting to seek some sort of commonality with this person, were completely ignored.

"Some of you were creative and innovative in your use of _Hairy Snout, Human Heart_, citing it properly, but you used the author's own words as weapons against werewolves, or any creature who dares to exist in the Wizarding World and challenge the authority of trained Wizards. The invectives used against people 'whose bloodlines have been tainted' were truly inspired, I'm sure.

"For your creativity, I will be lenient. Instead of the full measure of points I would have taken for the offense against werewolves, making a shameful example of how low humans can stoop to denigrate people unfortunate enough to have found themselves not only at the receiving end of a curse with no cure but also of venom from students' quills, I will only deduct a total of 50 points from Slytherin. Consider it a gift. Don't expect me to be as generous next time my directions are expressly ignored."

* * *

Draco wanted to grouse about the unfair treatment of Slytherin students besides Professor Masters' own nephew, but Professor Masters' logic was inescapable. If Danny's letter was good enough to be presented to Professor Dumbledore to stop the Dark Lord, he might have something good going on.

But Potter and that Granger Mudblood! They were called out for distinction. At least Weasley was considered average from that little group. Draco decided that he truly needed to get points back for Slytherin. With the net loss of 30 points, there had to be something he could do. And, of course, he had to humiliate Potter in the works.

Potter somehow won Professor Masters' favor. The plot would have to be in Potions, as in the halls it would have been too risky to have Professor Masters undo whatever damage Professor Snape might attribute to Potter. But it would have to be in such a way as not to offend Danny… he would have to work on it.

Professor Snape still wanted Danny during his morning break for whatever reason, as Danny didn't care to explain it. Putting together the few facts he could, so far Draco pieced together that Danny's uncle wanted to adopt him, but he was so sensitive about his family, he wouldn't say why. Regardless, his uncle taught him extra Defense Against the Dark Arts. Also, Danny could truly understand the plight of "partial humans" with an unfair advantage. At present, he was as confused about this as anyone else in the class.

From his earlier discussions, he knew that Danny was sensitive to werewolves, ghosts, Muggle-borns… What goes on in the American Wizarding World? Almost disgusted, Draco thought that Danny might also be concerned about the slavery of house-elves, too.

Regardless, talking to Danny was always a surprise. He never knew what nuggets of secrets he could worm out of him. At the same time, he had to be careful. Maybe it was because Danny was recently orphaned, or because he was from America, or whatever, but some topics of conversation were sticky. It was a fascinating puzzle. Danny was clever, and even though he was a Slytherin, professors seemed to genuinely like him. He was unassuming, and more pleasant company than many of his friends. He had the rest of the free period to figure out a new conversation gambit for Charms.

In Charms, Danny met Draco, who waited for him. Professor Flitwick had the class start conjuring teacups from mid-air. Danny had no hope of conjuring anything unless it was some form of ectoplasm, so he half-heartedly listened to the list of things that could and couldn't be successfully conjured. He went through the motions fruitlessly, as he knew he must, and then watched Draco for a bit. Draco was good at this. Soon, he not only had teacups, but he successfully conjured a full tea service for four, including saucers, spoons, a tray, a teapot, and water. The leaves and sugar counted as food, and couldn't be conjured.

Danny's lack of persistence in this gave Draco an inspiration. "You know, you can't very well succeed at everything, Danny."

Danny shrugged. "I know. Trust me, I know."

"Today, however, you were brilliant in your uncle's class."

With a broken smile, Danny said, "So it would seem. That's what he said."

This wasn't going the way Draco intended it. "What do you think of our loss of House points?"

Danny shook his head. "Look – I'll work hard not to lose points, as it seems to be a big deal, here. Right now, I have other things to focus on, like my family and best friends not being alive. I'm adjusting to a new school, and for some reason, I think the importance of House points gets lost in the grand scheme of things. What do _you_ think of the loss of House points?"

"Well, first I thought it was glorious that you got at least as many points as Potter. Lots of professors find reasons to give _him_ points. Last year, it got ridiculous! At least Professor Umbridge tried to put a stop to all that."

"Professor Um… Are you serious? Professor Umbrage?"

"Yes. Professor Dolores Umbridge, who usually serves as an undersecretary to the Minister of Magic, was our professor for Defense Against the Dark Arts. As a teacher she was useless, but she was a witch who knew how to acquire power."

Danny winced at the horrible pun in her name, but then sat back and listened. "Really?"

"All the professors despised her, including Professor Snape, but the one thing she was brilliant at was discrediting Potter. Of course, it turns out that he was right about the Dark Lord returning…

"But it was a thing of beauty to watch how every freedom Potter had disappeared. The detentions she gave… And when Potter formed a club called the DA, or Dumbledore's Army, of all things, she disbanded _all_ clubs, only allowing those she specifically approved of.

"Because she worked for the Ministry, she made all kinds of school rules that had the force of Ministry decreed laws. She declared herself Hogwarts High Inquisitor, and took it upon herself to see that all the professors were all acting according to Ministry regulations. Some of the rules she made were a pain, but all were designed to take power for herself and ultimately make Potter miserable.

"She set a handful of Slytherin students up as an Inquisitorial Squad. For the time we had those powers until she lost her influence in the school, the members of the Inquisitorial Squad could give or take points from whomever we saw fit."

Danny piped up, "And I bet you took great pleasure in taking points from Harry and his friends."

Draco smiled. "Of course! But that wasn't the most delicious part of this moment. _That_ happened when we were sent to expose Potter and the students in the DA."

"What was the DA for?"

Draco looked thoughtful. "To be honest, we never knew. What we _did_ know is that it was subversive and otherwise unauthorized by Professor Umbridge. It was a sincere pleasure surprising Potter with a simple Trip Jinx, and then watching Umbridge frog-march him to the Headmaster's office. The Inquisitorial Squad was sent to search for other members, but we found out later that Professor Dumbledore was temporarily removed as Headmaster, and Professor Umbridge installed herself as Headmistress for a time.

"The Weasley twins led a full-scale rebellion. They set off fireworks, turned the majority of the fifth floor into a swamp," Danny remembered that the ghosts thought of this moment fondly, "and a few other things before they were caught by Mr. Filch. They managed to escape punishment by leaving the school."

"They opened their own shop," Danny offered helpfully.

"Yes, well… one of the best moments came when Potter used the Floo from Umbridge's office. It was the only fireplace in the school that wasn't being monitored. At that point, Warrington, Crabbe, Goyle, Millicent, a current Seventh Year girl I don't know if you met yet, and I caught Potter, Granger, Weasley, his sister, Longbottom, and that bizarre misfit Loony Lovegood and held them captive as Umbridge figured out what to do with them.

"Umbridge planned to use the _Cruciatus_ Curse on Potter, but… Granger became pathetic, and told Umbridge of a weapon Dumbledore had stashed in the Forbidden Forest. The usual know-it-all actually didn't know how to use the weapon, and suggested that all students should find out about it and use it on her. I was all set to go to learn about this weapon, when Umbridge changed her mind, and only took Potter and Granger with her."

"What happened then?"

Draco looked down. "I guess we were too distracted by the thought of not going to check out this weapon. Once Potter and Granger went with Umbridge, the others managed to break free. That Weasley girl has a vicious Bat-Bogey Hex she let loose on me. I had my own problems to deal with. Once the Hex finished playing out," he winced at the memory, "they were gone. We never did find out about that weapon.

"But Potter managed to get his little crew to the Ministry of Magic, where the Dark Lord was waiting for him." Draco got quiet and looked away. "A lot of Death Eaters got arrested that evening."

Danny sifted through this emotional change of Draco's quickly. Putting his revulsion of the idea aside for the moment, he asked gently, "Someone close to you got arrested?"

Draco closed his eyes. "My father." Danny's eyes widened, but he said nothing as Draco's eyes were still closed. "I'm going to get Potter for that, if it's the last thing I do."

'That explains a lot,' thought Danny. "Okay…" he said slowly. "You might want to practice that conjuring thing some more, as Professor Flitwick is coming back in this direction."

As announced, Professor Flitwick approached and acknowledged Draco's tea set as very good work. He nodded at Danny. "Keep trying," he said, but winked. Danny nodded back in response. Draco puffed with pride at the professor's praise, and looked to see how Harry was doing. Harry had a few cups in front of him. Draco decided to focus on Harry to be able to more effectively taunt and torment him later.

This gave Danny a moment to himself to think. In July, Harry told Danny about the club he started in Defense Against the Dark Arts to shore up the students' learning, due to the complications of an incompetent teacher. Now he knew her name: Dolores Umbridge. The name made him wince to think about it. He also knew that the club was a secret one called "Dumbledore's Army," or DA for short.

Apparently, this professor and her Inquisitorial Squad were out to get Harry, and Draco and his friends were part of it, and not part of this club. Draco didn't even know the purpose of the club. Harry told Danny that he would start teaching him Defense Against the Dark Arts based on how he taught the people in the club. This was an interesting dynamic.

At present, this gave Danny two ideas. He would have to talk to Harry about one of them later in Potions. The other was disconcerting, as he realized that Vlad would be proud of his coming up with it, but he still didn't like it. He discovered that Draco's father was a Death Eater. This meant Draco might know more about what his father did. If he could get Draco to discuss it, he could tell Professor Snape about it, and they could work on defense against whatever attacks Draco knew his father and compatriots used. This meant that Danny now had a use for Draco's "friendship," which – heretofore – he wasn't sure was a good idea.

It was the idea of using a friendship of convenience for an agenda, no matter how worthy, that bothered him. He was sure Vlad would be thrilled with the idea, if Danny told him about it. Danny was still out of sorts with the idea that he wouldn't be able to make close friends here. The closest he could come, among the humans, was Harry, and perhaps Ron and Hermione. He couldn't tell them everything, but he knew them the longest and he felt that Harry was trustworthy, as far as he could tell.

Among the ghosts, he had any number of friends, advisors, and counselors. And fans. Danny sighed. He could tell them anything he liked. But he couldn't spend too much time with them, as almost all the time he had needed to be devoted to schoolwork and dealing with the students around him. At home, he _always_ had time for ghosts. If he thought about it, he realized that he would have to make time here, too. Life was so complicated! But he knew he could count on his ghostly friends, here.

After lunch, he had History of Magic. As in Care of Magical Creatures, only a few other students cared to continue NEWT level. Lisa Turpin, Michael Corner, Mandy Brocklehurst, and Terry Boot, all Ravenclaws, took it with Danny. Danny was glad they all knew each other and ignored him when his ghost sense went off, signaling Professor Binns' imminent arrival. He wondered how long he could continue in this class before someone noticed a blue mist escaping his lips before the professor entered the classroom. Part of him thought that no one in Casper High noticed for a year and a half. If he concentrated and didn't gasp when his ghost sense went off, maybe no one would notice here, either.

When the class was over, the students took a moment or two before packing up and moving on to their next class. Terry said, "You know, after the first five years, I never thought we'd live to see the day Professor Binns changed his teaching style." The other three students nodded in agreement as Danny looked puzzled.

"What do you mean?" he asked.

Terry furrowed his brows. "Professor Binns usually drones on, not really caring if we actually absorbed what he taught. Luckily, most Ravenclaw students penetrated his monotone to get the underlying lessons, but most others prefer to take our lessons from more interesting sources. That's why there are only four of us here. But this year, besides the two major battles we discussed, he mentioned a few famous ghosts who were created when they died in battle. He's never done that before."

Mandy added, "And he's never gotten anyone's name straight since his last class roster when he still lived. But he called you 'Mr. Fenton' every time he mentioned you."

Danny blushed. "I don't know what to tell you."

Lisa thought for a moment. "Maybe he just likes you. But why single you out?"

Danny _knew_ why he was singled out – _all_ ghosts knew him, and Professor Binns was no exception. But he couldn't tell his classmates that. "Maybe it's because I'm the only student in the class who isn't from Ravenclaw."

The others studied him for a moment. Michael said, "That is logical enough. I'm not sure if it answers all the oddities here, but it makes a lot of sense."

* * *

In Potions, as Danny and Harry set up, Danny said, "Harry, can I ask you something?"

Curious, Harry answered, "Sure. What's on your mind?"

"You told me about the DA, the club for Defense Against the Dark Arts you had last year. Where did you meet?"

Harry blinked and said, "It's complicated to explain off the cuff, but…" He shook his head. "Why do you want to know?"

Danny smiled. "You know that Uncle Vlad and I have extra sessions in Defense Against the Dark Arts, right?" Harry nodded. "Well, there might come a time we need a more 'out of the way' location to practice, and if the place you used for the DA worked for you and remained a secret until the last moment, it could work for Uncle Vlad and me."

Harry smiled in return. "That works. The Room of Requirement is on the Seventh Floor, on the wall opposite the tapestry of Barnabas the Barmy trying to teach trolls ballet."

Danny shook his head. "What?"

Harry chuckled. "Plus there's a trick to get in. If you like, I'll show you after breakfast tomorrow."

"That would be great. Thanks." With that, they finished setting up for Potions.

19


	16. Chapter 16

First of all, thank you for all the people who reviewed, and put this fic on your favorite and alert lists. The list of people who do these things grows every chapter, so I want you to know that I pay attention. My thanks are sincere, even if somewhat repetitive.

Part of this chapter was inspired by Bluemoonalto's "Nothing But Fireworks." Grogan Stump was a wizard found on the Wizard of the Month feature on J.K. Rowling's website, at www . jkrowling . com.

Disclaimer: I do not own either _Danny Phantom_ or _Harry Potter_.

Chapter 16

When Danny left Vlad for the evening, he had quite a lot to think about. He finally was able to call restraints into existence in all specifications to his will. Both Vlad and Professor Snape were pleased at this development. The gag thing was taking more time; Danny was reluctant to learn this bit. Both adults explained the need. He understood their point, but it still made him uncomfortable to gag Professor Snape.

Just then, he thought that tomorrow night, he'd pretend that his victim wasn't his favorite professor but Technus. Shutting up Technus was definitely worth the effort. Danny shored up his determination. He could do this.

In English, he and Vlad finished talking about Act II, scene II in Shakespeare's _Hamlet_. Danny discovered that almost every cliché he ever heard of came from this play, and the latest one he thought of was "The play's the thing." One of the things Vlad wanted him to focus on was how Hamlet planned to manipulate Claudius into revealing his guilt. There were several lessons to be learned from this, and Danny would have to write a paper on it over the weekend, in addition to reading Act III.

Another thing he found insanely disturbing (though he wouldn't _dare_ to mention it) is that Prince Hamlet was in the situation Danny might have found himself in if any of Vlad's schemes to kill his father might have worked. He found how much he related with this Shakespearean character creepy.

The Business math thing… You know, Vlad was good at teaching Danny things he thought were important. Over the course of the week, he built a small vocabulary of terms commonly used in business. One of the many things Vlad picked up on his errands in Muggle London was accounting paper. Vlad showed Danny how to plan a budget, using examples from the textbook. The man explained that it was less high school math, but more of Accounting 101 as a college course. When Danny got to college (eventually), he'd be ahead of the curve. Danny wasn't sure what accounting had to do with astronomy, but getting better at math was a worthy goal, either way.

But what concerned Danny most, at present, were the disturbing things he learned about Draco in Charms this morning. Draco was part of an "Inquisitorial Squad" who had it in for Harry. Danny wasn't sure when this thing between Draco and Harry started, but Danny had no intention of getting involved.

Draco's father was a Death Eater who helped Voldemort do something evil to Harry. What was that about?

If this thing happened in the Ministry, it would be public knowledge. Therefore, he couldn't just ask anyone; they would want to know why he didn't already know what would be international Wizarding news. Who could he ask?

In theory, he could ask Professor Snape about it. But while the good professor would have no problem telling him things he needed to know, he also understood that the details of Draco's father being a Death Eater might be one of _Draco's_ secrets. Professor Snape promised to keep the secrets and safety of _all_ Slytherins, and that included Draco.

He sighed. While he couldn't ask the professor about this Ministry incident, Danny figured he could ask the professor to teach him to defend against the type of Dark magic Death Eaters do, based on what Draco told him. Once they finished working on fighting that mind control spell.

He knew! Danny would ask Sir Nicholas! Sir Nicholas had to have heard something about this incident. He turned ghost and sought out the Gryffindor ghost.

Danny flew to a random picture and asked, "Excuse me, sir?"

The gentleman addressed looked surprised. "You seem to be a new ghost. Who are you?"

"I'm Danny Phantom, sir. Can you tell me where I can find Sir Nicholas?"

Still out of sorts with being addressed by a new ghost, a teenage ghost with an American accent, no less, the man in the picture said, "Wait here. Let me ask one of the people in the portraits where he spends the most time. Either he or I will get back to you."

"Thank you, sir." Danny blinked when the man walked out of his frame. He knew it would happen, but that didn't mean he was used to this by a long shot.

Standing by the picture, he felt something warm brush by his legs. "What the… Mrs. Norris?" The cat meowed at him and he thought of Morph, who was waiting for him. Mrs. Norris sniffed him and sneezed. She wasn't sure what to make of him. He picked her up to pet her, but she jumped out of his arms. Apparently, he was too cold for her. He sighed. She disappeared down the hall. Danny did notice that Mr. Filch came when Mrs. Norris returned.

"What is it, my sweet?" Mr. Filch looked at Danny. "Student out of bed? We _are_ in trouble." Then he looked at the addressed 'student,' as Danny tried to figure out what to say, pulling his legs into a spectral tail. "Wait a minute – you're not a student. You're a ghost!"

Danny nodded enthusiastically. "Yes, sir."

Sir Nicholas popped out of the wall, accompanying the man in the portrait. "Mr. Filch, young Danny Phantom is with me." Turning to Danny, he said, "Mr. Grogan Stump, here, kindly informed me that you were looking for me."

Danny nodded. Mr. Filch scratched his head. Sir Nicholas clarified, "This young ghost is visiting us for a while. Everything is in order."

Mr. Filch shook his head. "As you were. Come, Mrs. Norris." They took off down a different corridor.

"Is this going to happen every time I visit a ghost after hours?" Danny asked, concerned.

Sir Nicholas shook his head. "Now that Mr. Filch knows you're here, he won't bother you. No one minds the ghosts here, except Peeves, of course. But Peeves worked hard to get on _everyone's_ bad side." Danny smirked. "Now, what can I do for you, Danny?"

Danny asked, "Is there somewhere more private we can talk?"

Sir Nicholas raised his eyebrows. This looked like it would be serious. "Sure. We can visit the classroom you use with… your uncle, if you don't mind spending extra time there."

Danny sighed. "It's as good a place as any." They flew back to the classroom, and a torch on the wall lit up for them. It was a nifty spell that made Danny think of motion detecting light switches in Casper High.

Each of them sat on a desk. "So, Danny, what is on your mind?"

Danny thought for a moment. "Draco mentioned something about Voldemort waiting for Harry at the Ministry last year. It sounds like this would be important to know about. So what happened?"

Sir Nicholas blinked. Whatever he might have thought Danny would ask, this wasn't it. "Dear me. Many things happened that night. You-Know-Who made his first public appearance since his rebirth. Sirius Black, Harry's godfather, was killed. But what they were doing there? I… Well, I wasn't there. The students who went were hurt – they are fine now – and most of the Aurors, or Dark Wizard catchers, made it. But Harry misses Sirius terribly." He frowned. "I wish I knew more. You might ask Professor Dumbledore."

Danny gave a half-smile. "Thanks."

The former knight hated to frustrate the young hero, so he found what he hoped would be a more fruitful topic. "You've had your first week of classes. What do you think?"

Danny said, "Like I told Hagrid after we finished our trip in Diagon Alley, Hogwarts is weird, and wonderful, and dangerous. Most of the classes I'm taking are interesting, putting a whole new spin on life."

He thought for a moment. "Taking classes with Vlad is just weird. He knows all _kinds_ of things. Honestly, until recently, I thought his general brand of brilliance was in how much of a crazed-up Froot-Loop he cold be, coming up with all kinds of schemes…" Danny wasn't in the mood to talk about the pervasive themes of killing his dad, marrying his mom, adopting him… _Hamlet_. He sighed.

"But the thing he's teaching us in Defense Against the Dark Arts is what made him so skilled a villain. What made him an effective villain is understanding how to push the enemy's buttons." He flushed. "Mainly, MY buttons. But he's been doing all kinds of things since long before I was born.

"He once said, 'That I used two fourteen-year-old pawns to turn a knight and topple a king? It's chess, Daniel. Of course you don't understand.' He was right – I didn't. But he is a LOT smarter than I ever thought.

"As a teacher in 'worldly' subjects, he's really good, and more interesting than Mr. Lancer and Mr. Faluca combined. His perspective is… different. And he somehow makes it all seem important." Danny shook his head.

"The other classes are interesting. The students are a bit of a puzzle. For the most part, they seem to be okay. Professor Snape was right when he said that most Gryffindors are a friendly bunch. Actually, most of the students seem to be friendly. It seems a lot easier to get along, in general, than it was in my other school."

"The fact that you are new and look shockingly similar to Harry Potter may have something to do with that."

Danny paused for a bit. "Maybe. But still, it is nice to be able to walk the halls without fear of being bullied by the bigger students." He thought of Dash and shivered.

"Professor Snape was also right about the Slytherin students, in general, being treated differently by other students. But at the same time, the Slytherin students almost ask for it. For the most part, they seem to be mean, arrogant, and condescending. In the letters Vlad told us to write, every Slytherin but me wrote hurtful things designed to cause emotional pain to the werewolf who might have received their letters. There was no call for that.

"Even Draco, who's trying to be my friend (kinda), is cruel. He took serious pleasure in hurting Harry."

Sir Nicholas smiled. "Danny, you might think of the Box Ghost."

Danny blushed. "Right." He grumbled to himself, "Misplaced aggression." Looking up, he continued, "Still, it's different. The Box Ghost – while an easy target and a pain, I'll admit – has no problem terrorizing humans, if I let him, or if he gets away from me." He winced. "Has he been bothering anyone?"

Sir Nicholas's smile broadened. "No, Danny. From what I've heard, Plasmius directed all ghosts to desist from menacing Amity Park, out of respect for the survivors. At least until you return to America." Danny sighed sadly. "And none intend to cross your uncle."

"That's good to know." Danny paused for a moment. "But still… The Box Ghost and other 'characters' menace the people. I'm not sure that Harry _does_ anything to warrant Draco's cruelty."

The older ghost nodded. "Point taken."

Danny continued, "There are so many pitfalls. Some might be with students who are looking to sandbag anyone who gets in their way. Most of the things I'm learning are to prevent Death Eaters from hurting me. But the whole thing seems pointless. Not what I'm learning, but the objectives of Voldemort and his minions. It makes no sense."

Sir Nicholas shook his head sadly. "It doesn't _have_ to make sense. We just need to defeat them. It seems to be Harry's (and now your) main objective." Danny yawned. "It's late, Danny. To bed with you. Perhaps, tomorrow after studies and other adventures, you'll visit Myrtle. It's been a while."

Danny nodded. "Yeah. Both are good ideas. Have a good night, Sir Nicholas. And thanks."

Sir Nicholas smiled. "Any time. Good night."

The next morning, Draco chatted merrily with Danny about some of the interesting things his mother sent him by owl. Whatever else went on in that family, the Malfoys loved their son, who had no trouble sharing his bounty with his friends. It seemed twisted, but it was good to know that Draco _did_ have a genuinely nice side.

After breakfast, Harry showed up at their table to collect Danny. "Potter! What are you doing here?" Draco demanded.

Harry smirked. "Danny and I have a study related appointment. Sorry to deprive you of your friend's company, but we have things to do."

Draco glared, but Danny nodded. "It's true. We'll have to catch up later, Draco. See ya!" With that, both dark-haired boys exited the Great Hall.

Harry took Danny to the seventh floor. There was a blank stretch of wall opposite a tapestry of a number of trolls wearing pink tutus clubbing a wizard, working in concert. Harry looked at the blank wall. "See, Danny, the trick is to pass this way three times, thinking about what you need. It is the Room of Requirement. It provides everything you might need. The one who thinks up what they need in the room controls it until they are finished with that particular use."

Danny was intrigued, but it stretched his limit of credulity. "What was it like when you taught the DA?"

"Here, I'll show you." Harry thought of what would be most useful to teach Danny Defense Against the Dark Arts. He passed the stretch of wall three times, and then a door appeared. Harry said, "Go on. Open it."

Danny opened the door and stepped in. His jaw dropped in amazement. There were rings hanging from the ceiling, iron rectangular obstacles, a speed gun (apparently, this room could allow electronic things to function), and any number of toys, tools, and targets Sam and Tucker helped him use many months ago, back home in his parents' lab. Harry looked confused. He knew what a speed gun was – he saw one when Dudley used a batting cage. It was only because of the novelty, as baseball wasn't big, here. Most of the items in this room confused him.

"This looks nothing like it did when we held sessions of the DA last year. But I thought about what would be useful to _you_ in Defense Against the Dark Arts. Does any of this make sense to you?"

Danny whispered, "It makes _perfect_ sense. Wait until I show this to…" he trailed off. "Hey, Harry," Danny said in a full voice. "Can I try something?"

Curiously, Harry said, "Sure." Danny left the room and gestured for Harry to follow. When Harry exited, the door swung shut and vanished.

Danny thought, 'I want this room to be a place I can practice my Ghostly Wail without destroying the castle.' He walked back and forth three times, and then a door appeared. "Sweet!" He opened the door and saw that the room looked to be the size of several city blocks, piled high with items of all sorts. "What is this place?"

Harry looked around. "I don't know. It looks like stuff…that would be against the rules." Danny winced as Harry unwittingly repeated Walker's words. "I mean, I recognize a few Weasley inventions over here, and Mr. Filch declared practically _everything_ invented by the twins contraband. Over there, it looks like potions or spells gone wrong. What were you looking for?"

Danny thought about how to answer that. "A place to practice a particularly destructive spell. This room has enough space, enough stuff, and enough protection that I could practice it without hurting anyone or anything of importance. Uncle Vlad would prefer I don't discuss it yet."

Harry nodded. Professor Masters was very private about what he taught Danny in their special sessions, and he knew from yesterday's lesson that Professor Masters did not take kindly to students ignoring his instructions. "I understand."

* * *

At breakfast, Vlad turned to Professor McGonagall. "Now that class is in session, what do professors usually do on the weekends?"

"There are always a few professors available here or on patrol to make sure the students don't get into too much trouble. Later in the year, there will be the intra-House games of Quidditch to watch. Quidditch is a Wizarding sport, played on broomsticks. If you like, I can explain the game to you at another time. Harry told me that during the summer, Danny became quite good at it, but fears he wouldn't have enough time to practice if he joined his House team."

"Interesting. Daniel never told me that. I may ask him about it this evening. But is there anything else?"

"Certainly. Besides patrolling, office hours, marking homework or tests, and lesson planning, sometimes we choose to go to Hogsmeade for supplies, or a drink at the Three Broomsticks, or for a bit of time without the students about.

"If the students have permission from their parents or guardians, the students have a few scheduled trips to Hogsmeade throughout the year. We gave one to Mr. Potter, Mr. Weasley, and Miss Granger during Danny's demonstration this summer. On those occasions, it is always helpful – but not necessary – for an attending professor to keep a lookout. But it is as much a chance for us to unwind as it is for the students."

"If a professor desired to go elsewhere…"

"Professor Masters, you are an adult and could go anywhere you like. But I would remind you that – like Danny – you are also keeping out of public notice."

With a beleaguered sigh, Vlad said, "Of course. Thank you." He thought for a moment. "I will to go to London later today. May I pick up anything for you while I'm there?"

Starting in surprise, Professor McGonagall said, "Oh! Thank you. I can't think of anything…"

Vlad smiled. "Not to worry. I intend to go again soon. My offer will still stand." He bowed his head and smiled at the professor before leaving the Head table. He thought it would be useful to let Daniel know where he's going. It was odd, really. He never felt the need to tell Daniel of his movements before. But then again, it doesn't do to inform one's arch-nemesis of one's moves.

As a guardian, however, all that changed. This is the first time since that fateful day in July that he and Daniel would not be in moderate proximity to each other. What would a parent do? What would Maddie do? She would at least leave a note, letting Daniel know she was going out of town. If that was what she would do, Vlad would do at least as much.

Vlad headed to the Slytherin table. Daniel was listening to an animated recitation of Mr. Malfoy's about something or other. He could tell that Daniel was listening politely, rather than with interest. He could rescue his charge for a bit. "Daniel, I need to see you a moment." Vlad saw Danny sigh, almost gratefully, before getting up. In a space between the Head table and the House tables, Vlad told Danny, "After breakfast, I'm going to London. I expect to be back by dinnertime. If you need me before then, ask a student to show you how to send an owl, as cell phones won't work here."

Danny raised his eyebrows in surprise. This was the first time since their trip to London that Vlad told him anything about his intended wanderings. But why…wait. Vlad was his guardian. Either of his parents might have told him if they were going anywhere. And now Vlad acted in that capacity. Danny gulped. "Thanks, Vlad. Have a good time. I'll be fine." Of course he would. Wouldn't he?

"Right, then. Good bye, little badger." With that, Vlad left the Great Hall, and Danny returned to Draco's conversation until Harry came to show him the Room of Requirement.

* * *

After Danny and Harry tired of exploring the possibilities available with the Room of Requirement (for now – this was so much fun, they could do it again sometime), Danny sought out Professor Dumbledore. Danny found him in the faculty lounge and asked to speak to him privately. Professor Dumbledore invited Danny to discuss whatever troubled him in his office.

"Danny, take a seat and a lemon drop." Danny was surprised. "Lemon drops are a Muggle sweet that I've developed a taste for. And they often help to break the tension." Danny smiled and took one. "What is on your mind?"

"Well, sir, I learned a few things that confused me yesterday, and I hoped you could fill in the blanks and help me sort them out."

Professor Dumbledore smiled at this student who was as cryptic as he could be. "I'll do my best."

Danny organized his thoughts on this matter, as it was very important. "For one thing, I heard that Harry and other students went to the Ministry of Magic, but Voldemort waited for them there." Professor Dumbldore's eyes stopped twinkling. "Because it happened in the Ministry, and Harry and Voldemort were there, I have the feeling that this made it into international Wizarding news. But beyond that, and that a lot of Death Eaters were arrested, and Harry's godfather died, I don't know anything about it. Sir Nicholas suggested that I ask you."

Professor Dumbldore closed his eyes, remembering the pain of that evening, born of a terrible mistake he made. He opened his eyes to see a curious but concerned student. Dumbledore shook his head sadly. "Some of what happened is private to Harry, and I can't break that confidence. But…" He chose his words carefully. "Most of what happened that night was due to a mistake I made. Voldemort used a mental trick to fool Harry to come to the Ministry. A few students from the DA," the wizard smiled at the mention, "accompanied Harry on what he presumed was a rescue mission of Sirius Black, Harry's godfather. Sirius was the closest thing to a loving family that Harry's known since his parents were killed when he was a baby.

"Sirius wasn't there until the Order came to rescue Harry and his friends. Harry and his friends fought bravely, valiantly, and skillfully. He really _is_ a good teacher in Defense Against the Dark Arts. But the six students there were outnumbered and overpowered.

"When the Order came, some of the students were hurt. Some of the members of the Order protected the students, and others worked to defeat the Death Eaters. Sirius was killed by his own cousin, who is known to be a particularly cruel and a particularly faithful follower of Voldemort.

"Voldemort himself attacked Harry. Again. I did my best to protect him, but it was Harry's own thoughts and emotions that saved him from Voldemort's clutches. Well, that and the presence of Ministry officials who saw that Voldemort had indeed returned encouraged Voldemort to take his remaining free Death Eater and flee."

Danny listened, almost spellbound. "But you said you made a mistake. How did you do that if you saved Harry?"

The professor sighed sadly. "If I had made better choices and better observations, I would have chosen a more appropriate teacher to teach Harry an important skill that would have been useful to avoid Voldemort's trickery. There were other mistakes I made regarding Harry's emotions. I prefer not to discuss them.

"However, I have since worked hard to correct such mistakes. Further, I hope to do what is useful not only for Harry but also for you. The level of trust involved when teaching someone various defenses against mind control is something I failed to take into account with Harry. I believe I have chosen correctly for you."

Danny's eyes widened. He just realized that his work with Professor Snape was not only known, but was directed by Professor Dumbledore. "But how did you know?"

Professor Dumbledore smiled. "There is very little that goes on in this school that I don't know about. For instance, I know that you are reading _Hamlet_ and are learning budgeting with your uncle. But the only powers I know of that he's worked on with you is that impressive Wail and whatever you tell or demonstrate for Professor Flitwick, as your uncle keeps such information private."

Danny looked very disturbed. "Can you read my mind?"

Professor Dumbledore looked thoughtful. "In so many words, yes."

Danny shook with fear. Of all the powers he had or encountered, this scared him the most. Professor Snape showed him how he could be forced to act against his will, and Professor Dumbledore said he could read his mind.

Wait a minute. There _was_ a power he had that does both of those things, but it was far more up close and personal: overshadowing. He stopped shaking. Looking at Professor Dumbledore, he asked, "Have you?"

Noticing the very intense reactions of his lone Muggle student, Professor Dumbledore answered honestly, "No, I haven't. And before you worry about it, you deserve to know that it is not a common gift, so there are only a few wizards capable of it. Of the few who are, I can, as can Professor Snape, and – unfortunately – Voldemort. The skill is called Legilimency, and the wizard capable of performing it is called a Legilimens."

Danny was quietly angry. "Is there a way to defend against this?"

Professor Dumbledore slumped his shoulders in defeat. "Yes, Danny, there is. But even if I told you how, it would not help. It is a magical skill called Occlumency." He looked sorrowfully at Danny. "We can teach you all kinds of defense against Dark magic. But the fact remains that despite our best efforts, you remain a Muggle. No amount of wishing can change that."

Danny looked away. "I know a ghost who _could_ change that. She's good at granting wishes," he said bitterly. "Not that she would, though. And not that I would ask her, even if she would."

It was Professor Dumbledore's turn to widen his eyes in surprise. "Truly? A ghost you know has such a power?"

Danny smiled sardonically. "Yup. She gets more powerful with every wish she grants. The trouble she almost caused during a meteor shower last year was terrible." His expression changed to a grin at a happy memory. "But her biggest limitation is that she has to grant every wish she hears. One time, I wished her into my Fenton Thermos – a device my parents invented to capture and contain ghosts," Danny clarified at the professor's confused expression. Ruefully, he continued, "My sister caught me in one several times when she seriously needed to work on her aim."

This turn of topics intrigued the professor. This was the first time he got to learn about the type of ghosts with which Danny was familiar. But this was also the first time he thought to consider Danny as anything other than a human capable of a different kind of magic. "What was it like, to be caught in the Thermos?"

Danny shook his head. Well, he introduced the topic. He rubbed the back of his neck. "Well… when a ghost is sucked into a Thermos, it doesn't have space to hold a form of any sort, unless it's small enough. As such, the trapped ghost has no sensory perception, even of time passing. But the ghost is effectively trapped until someone hits the Release Button.

"After stopping and catching a rogue ghost – with the exception of one, and I don't want to talk about it – I would release it back into the Ghost Zone. There are only three humanoid ghosts I've fought outside the Ghost Zone that never got either sucked into the Thermos or hit by my parents' Fenton Bazooka – which opens a temporary portal to the Ghost Zone, open long enough to suck in the nearest ghost: the Ghost King Pariah Dark, the Fright Knight, and Vlad."

Interesting. Danny and Vlad were enemies? Dumbledore was sure Danny didn't mean to let this piece of information slip. The professor was heretofore unaware of such an adversarial relationship, but he might have surmised as much. Sir Nicholas and the other ghosts at Hogwarts regarded Danny as nothing short of a hero. Even while Sir Nicholas became the grieving Vlad's confidante, the ghosts were ever wary of him. If Danny was a hero and Vlad was a villain, nothing short of a complete catastrophe would bring them together. Indeed, a complete catastrophe HAS happened such that these otherwise enemies have bonded as uncle and nephew.

It occurred to him that he was the only living soul who knew of this secret of Danny and Vlad's. He would make sure to keep it that way. It would be best to distract Danny from his last statement, Dumbledore decided. "You said that you sent wayward ghosts back to the Ghost Zone. Since our trip from Wisconsin to Illinois via the Ghost Zone, I've been meaning to ask about that…"

* * *

Leaving Professor Dumbledore's office to go to lunch, Danny had a lot to think about. The Ministry incident he asked about had terrifying implications. He remembered when Hagrid told him that the Death Eaters were busy this summer. He didn't hear students talking about the deaths of their families and friends. Then again, he didn't talk much about his family and friends, either. Further, Professor Snape said that as a general rule, Slytherins didn't get attacked by Death Eaters. And from Professor Snape's "Welcome Back" speech, it sounded like the families of Slytherins often WERE Death Eaters. Danny shivered.

Draco's father was a Death Eater, and Harry's godfather Sirius was killed by Death Eaters in that attack. Harry himself was almost killed, and Draco's father got arrested. And Draco was angry with Harry for his father being in prison. Danny shook his head at this injustice.

But Voldemort used a mind trick on Harry to get him (and whoever went with him) to the Ministry. The concept of psychological warfare was something Danny heard of, but this was ridiculous. Actual mind control was illegal, was Unforgivable, but seemed to be an attack of choice by Voldemort. After practicing with Professor Snape, Danny was getting better, but he still couldn't throw it off completely yet.

This whole mental assault thing scared him. There were wizards who could _read _minds (or something – a note in Professor Dumbledore's description made it seem more complicated than that), and apparently, the only people who could block this magical attack were other wizards. He had no hope of even learning to mount a defense against this magic, unless it worked like fighting off the Imperius Curse. But Professor Dumbledore said it could only be fought off by a spell called Occlumency.

Danny reflected and thought about the ghost power which acts anything like that: overshadowing. It was only a passing thought before, but now that he was thinking about an assault on a person's will and thoughts, he thought about the morality of overshadowing someone.

Danny discovered the power when he overshadowed Dash after Dash humiliated him when he asked Paulina to the homecoming dance. Now that he thought about it, he overshadowed Dash quite a bit. That time, he did it almost by accident. However, when Danny did it and Sydney Poindexter caught him, Danny was "hoist by his own petard." (Vlad would be proud of him for thinking it – this was a cool expression used in _Hamlet_ to say his own plan backfired against him.) He overshadowed Dash, and then Sydney overshadowed _him_, forcing Danny's consciousness out of his body, until he got it back. During the week of the fight with the Ghost King, he overshadowed Dash again, and Vlad reminded Danny of how much he behaved like Vlad, and not in a good way.

Danny overshadowed his father. At first, it was because his father scared him about "taking out his frustration on the next person to bring him bad news." But then, he did it again at the parent-teacher conference, and again at the dance, so that Mr. Lancer didn't tell his father about his tangibility control problem he had with his pants. When he overshadowed his father at the college reunion, it was a defensive move. It helped him defeat Vlad and made Vlad leave his family alone (for a while, anyway).

There were times he overshadowed Tucker. The first time was right before that homecoming dance. Danny was so taken with the idea that he had a date with Paulina (and realized that Paulina had the dragon amulet that was triggered by a volatile emotional shift), that he failed to realize that he missed the fact that Sam wanted to go. He felt bad. Tucker even told him "no," as he had a date with Valerie, but Sam… While he was glad that Sam had a chance to come to the dance, he only now realized that Tucker told him no. And Tucker was powerless to fight Danny's ghostly influence over him.

Then there was the time when Danny practiced overshadowing as one of the many things he did in the Power Training session with Sam and Tucker, before Vlad tricked him and his mom into going to his hunting chalet in Colorado. He remembered that Tucker said, "I hate when you do that." Tucker objected, but there was nothing he could do about it.

Maybe this overshadowing power was as terrifying to humans who knew about it as he was terrified by the idea of mind control and mind reading by wizards. Danny remembered when he overshadowed Sam's parents to give Sam permission to come on a cross-country trip with his family. He hid the details of that episode from Sam. It felt clever at the time, as it got him what he wanted but… Now he started to realize how out of line it was. If he was embarrassed to admit it to Sam, maybe it was wrong to do it in the first place.

He thought of Professor Snape's words: "Situations will arise that may present moral dilemmas. Following your natural inclinations to fulfill your ambitions, it may be difficult to piece together what is right, when what is easy may fill that niche more readily." Danny understood that overshadowing was a power that was easy, but he came to understand now that it wasn't right. He was ashamed.

He trudged down the stairs as he thought of one last piece of his conversation with Professor Dumbledore. Professor Dumbledore is the first and only human here who showed any interest in the Ghost Zone. He doubted if any other living professors knew about it. He was almost positive that none of the other students had a clue about it.

He thought of how his parents worked tirelessly until they produced the Fenton Portal, which opens a portal between his parents' lab and the Ghost Zone. Sam and Tucker convinced him to go into the non-functioning Portal that gave him his powers, turning him half-ghost. Danny smiled, though tears rolled down his face.

His first trip into the Ghost Zone was to retrieve an anniversary present his father planned for his mother, and Danny carelessly knocked it into the open Portal after he used his powers to clean the lab. Sam and Tucker came to retrieve HIM when this adventure got him in trouble with Walker…

No. Danny was not going to lunch. He looked around, noticed that no one saw him, turned invisible and intangible, and sank through the floor. He spent the lunch period alone on his bed, with his thoughts, emotions, tears, and Morph.

14


	17. Chapter 17

Hey there! Thank you all for reading, reviewing, and placing this fic on your favorite and alert lists!

Spartan Commander and inukagome15 asked a good question (they asked it differently, but it comes to the same thing, in my mind), and I thought that it deserved to be answered for all.

The question is whether or not Danny could learn Occlumency, or at least fight against Legilimency. I have read other fics where Danny can and did. However, I am of the mind that these skills are strictly magical, and as such can only be fought with magic, which Danny doesn't have. This will actually be a salient plot point later.

Fighting the Imperius Curse, however, seems like something that could be done. In "Control Freak," Danny fought the mind control. He lost, but he fought it. That is why I have no problem with Danny and Vlad fighting the Imperius Curse. It seemed to be more of a test of wills and control.

But the mind reading in Legilimency is something that I decided was purely magical.

Lots of the reviews written for Chapter 16 made me think. While I love all kinds of reviews, well thought out reviews make me glow with pleasure, as they often give me inspiration for future chapters, or help me think, rethink, or otherwise justify why a chapter works or doesn't work. Thank you kindly, one and all.

Disclaimer: I do not own either _Danny Phantom_ or _Harry Potter_.

Chapter 17

Danny finished crying and enjoyed playing with Morph when the door to the room opened. Draco, having left Crabbe and Goyle in the Common Room, came to find Danny.

"Danny, we missed you at lunch. Is everything okay?"

The game Danny played with Morph ended, and Danny stroked Morph as he answered. "I'm okay. I just thought over a few things. I _really_ miss my parents and sister, and my closest friends."

Draco asked, "Would you like to talk about it?"

Danny thought about this. He _did_ want to talk about his family and friends, but he had to be careful - very careful. "Yeah. For one thing, I miss my older sister. It was only the last couple of years that we became really close. She was older than me, and always protective of me, her 'little brother'." He smiled. "Only in the past year or so, we came to an understanding. She was a bit overprotective, but only now do I truly appreciate her. I always loved her and cared about her, even as we teased each other.

"For the last few months I had her, we started sharing secrets. She was pretty good at that. She was also one of the smartest people I knew, not that I ever told her," he said, with sincere regret. "She was always the top of her class, and full of pep and positive energy. She was always able to find the bright side of a situation. I really miss her." He sighed sadly.

Draco listened, concerned and sympathetic. "I'm sorry for your loss. I'm an only child, but it sounds like your sister was a fascinating person. What's her name?"

Danny smiled. "Jasmine, but everyone called her Jazz."

"It's good to see you smile, Danny. I'm glad you have happy memories. You know, you missed lunch. How would you like some of the snacks my mother sent?"

Danny said, "Sure. What do you have?"

Draco smiled. "She sent lots of things. But for now, I think you should have some chocolate. It always seems to calm the nerves." He walked over to his trunk and pulled out a large canvas bag. Inside was a bunch of what looked like junk food. The image reminded Danny of a pillowcase of Halloween candy. Draco sat on Danny's bed and dumped the bag. Draco separated five packages of something called "chocolate frogs."

Danny blinked. "I've never seen these before. Are they chocolate shaped to look like frogs or," he grimaced, "frogs dipped in chocolate, like chocolate covered ants?"

Draco laughed at Danny's expression. "They are chocolate shaped like frogs. If you've never seen them, then you don't yet know that every chocolate frog comes with a card, which has the picture, name, and information of a famous witch or wizard. Many of us collect the cards. It might be fun to start a new hobby."

Danny was intrigued. He opened a box and ate a frog. He never tasted chocolate quite like it. It was sweet and rich, but no so rich that he couldn't stand to eat all five of the proffered frogs. He looked at the wizard cards and blinked when they moved. (He was going to have to get used to the idea of pictures moving in the Wizarding World.)

Draco enjoyed Danny's perfectly congenial company, and gave him one of his bags of Bertie Bott's Every Flavor Beans, and figured he'd enjoy them later. Taking advantage of Danny's decidedly better mood, Draco said, "If you're feeling better, let's come back to the Common Room. How do you fancy a game of Wizard Chess?"

Leaving the bag of what he thought of as jellybeans on his bed, he returned with Draco to the Common Room. There were students all about, but Draco brought Danny to a table near a couch where Crabbe and Goyle waited for them. Danny asked, "Wizard Chess?"

Draco looked at him. "Surely you've heard of it. It is a game of strategy played all over the world."

Danny nodded, and said slowly, "Right." Draco arranged his set for game play. The set looked to be expensive and made of marble. But the pieces moved. If game play was anything like normal chess, Danny thought this could work. Vlad had been teaching him.

Still, the animated game pieces confused Danny. He offered Draco, "Why don't you play white?"

Draco looked taken aback. "You know that the advantage is with the first move."

Danny smiled and shook his head. "With a good enough strategy, it doesn't matter whether you go first or second. The main thing is who plays last." Danny lost enough games to Vlad to know exactly what he was talking about. Still, it seemed important to Vlad to teach Danny to play, and to develop strategies. One day, he might even beat Vlad at chess. But, for now, he had enough skill to play (and perhaps beat) Draco.

Danny and Draco played at least four games before dinner, winning two games apiece. Danny decided that Vlad would be proud. It dawned on Danny how often he thought of the idea of Vlad being proud of him lately. This was never something Danny thought of before. Being "like Vlad" was something to be avoided, because Danny knew how evil and twisted Vlad could be. But since July, he discovered – and was learning to appreciate – a whole new side of the older half-ghost. This side was caring, compassionate, and – dare he think it? – loving.

Danny wasn't sure what he thought about this, but when they came up to dinner, Danny was honestly relieved and happy to see Vlad back at the Head table.

* * *

At the end of tonight's lesson with Vlad and Professor Snape, Vlad was satisfied with Danny's progress. Apparently, envisioning silencing Technus helped a great deal. However, Professor Snape left the lesson rubbing his lips. The ectoplasmic goop that formed the gag was effective and unmovable until Danny released it mentally. The only problem was that Danny's version produced a skin irritant. Professor Snape was proud, if a bit sore.

After Professor Snape left for the evening, Vlad told Danny, "You have done excellently. While I'm seriously tempted to leave your skill with this where it is, part of this exercise is to perfect your mastery over your ectoplasm. I don't think you will need more than a day or two to finish learning this skill to perfection. Then we'll review what we've learned. Next weekend, we will start with what I like to call 'the September Surprise.'

"Now lessons are over for today." Vlad's change in demeanor unsettled Danny. It's been over a month, and he thought he would be used to this by now, but Danny still felt out of sorts. Almost playfully, Vlad said, "Today, I spoke to Professor McGonagall. She told me that over the summer, you've become good at the Wizarding game of Quidditch. Why didn't you tell me?"

Danny thought this question came out of nowhere. After staring for a moment, he began slowly. "I… didn't know that you cared about me having fun."

Almost surprised, Vlad asked, "Why would you think that?" Danny glared at him and crossed his arms. Something in Vlad's head registered, and he raised his hands in resignation. "Right, right. Never mind that. But tell me, really, are you good?"

Unaware of what goal Vlad looked to reach with this line of questioning, Danny said cautiously, "When Harry, Ron, Hermione, and I had free time this summer – usually the weekends – we would take school brooms (Harry and Ron have their own) and we would fly and play." Vlad narrowed his eyes. Danny shrugged. "Brooms have been pre-spelled to fly. Professor Snape told me."

Vlad put a finger to his lips. "Interesting."

Danny continued. "Before the first time we played, Harry showed me a handful of trick moves. While they were intricate and graceful (and, I suppose, useful during a full game, when the opposing team bats balls at you that have lives of their own, or you're trying to catch a large volleyball-ish sized ball, or one player on each team tries to look for and catch what looks like a golden walnut with humming bird wings), I've had more complicated flight patterns trying to out-maneuver various enemies as a ghost." Danny looked away. Out of all of Danny's enemies (still not counting his evil, future self), Vlad was the most complicated. But Valerie kept him hopping. He had to evade her, not hurt her beyond a few bruises, and hope that no one _else_ got hurt in the heat of a battle. And, of course, Vlad gave Valerie her first set of ghost hunting equipment… Danny closed his eyes.

Vlad thought about this. His attempts to capture and otherwise observe Daniel and other ghosts who had their own agendas helped to hone Daniel's skills to where they are. And wizards who fly on broomsticks recognized the boy's grace and skill in flight. He felt proud, but almost guilty. These people should see what Danny _could_ do. But studies come first.

Danny broke the silence. "If I could ask, what did you do in London?"

Woken out of his reverie, Vlad looked at Danny. "I took care of a few things. After more than a month in this Wizarding World, a day of normalcy proved useful. Also, I bought a copy of 'The Wall Street Journal.' It is hard to track the progress of all my companies when I can't even make a phone call." He grumbled incoherently about magic interfering with electronics.

"Oh, you might be interested to know that – should we leave the confines of the castle and the rest of the Wizarding World – your phone has been reactivated. There were a couple of hoops I needed to jump through to make sure your number stayed the same, but at least you're on my plan now."

There were so many levels on which that comment could be understood… Still, Danny realized what might have been done to give him that one bit of familiarity – his own number. Danny stared at the floor. "Thanks, Vlad."

With excitement, Vlad asked, "So, did you do anything interesting today?"

Danny was seriously unnerved. Vlad was asking a question that his mom might ask. Vlad… parent… not going there. Not now, anyway. "Um…" He wasn't sure if he wanted to share the Room of Requirement with Vlad yet. He would eventually, but it was too new. He wasn't sure how to explain his conversation with Professor Dumbledore, or the ensuing thoughts that occurred to him.

"This morning, I explored part of the castle with Harry. And this afternoon, I played Wizard Chess with Draco." Vlad zeroed in on the comment on chess. "Wizard Chess is exactly like regular chess, but the pieces move and have their own personalities."

"And how did you do?"

"We played four games, and we both won two apiece. I guess all the time we've spent on chess is beginning to pay off."

Vlad smiled. "It's a start." Danny rolled his eyes. "A healthy start," Vlad amended. Danny was right. Vlad was proud of him. He wasn't sure what he thought about that. But Vlad would use the next couple of hours to teach him strategy and to speak about whatever.

After their "bonding time," Danny went to find Myrtle. Sir Nicholas was right – it had been a while since he visited her. He came to her bathroom door and knocked. Myrtle poked her head out of the door. "Danny! I'm so glad you came. I wasn't expecting you."

Danny smiled. "Well, it _has_ been a while."

Myrtle thought for a moment. "You know, the other ghosts are meeting in the Great Hall. Do you want to join us for a game of Hide and Seek?"

Danny thought about the size of the castle and the fact that everyone knew the layout far better than he did. "Not tonight."

This didn't change Myrtle's expression one iota. "Then, will you come and tell us some stories?"

Danny sighed. "Sure. How many ghosts are there?"

Myrtle answered, "There are about 20 who stay here. Some visit, but… Did I tell you that Harry came to visit me?"

Harry told Danny that he would visit Myrtle, but Danny never got the details. "No. Why don't you tell me about it?"

She beamed. "He knew that you visited! And he told me that you sent regards. It took me a second to remember that your last name among the living is Fenton, but I got it. I told him of our trip to the lake, and our game of catch. I haven't been able to touch anything but water and their pipes in years, so just holding the ball was exciting!" That was an aspect of their little game that Danny hadn't thought of. "And I told him all about your defeat of Pariah Dark."

Danny said, "I'm only beginning to understand how far of an influence he actually had. I didn't really know how serious the Ghost King's reign was for anyone outside of Amity Park. Professor Binns explained it, but if even _you_ were worried… wow." He floated quietly in thought.

"But we should go to the Great Hall. They are expecting me, but you will be a nice surprise." Danny followed Myrtle to the Great Hall.

Danny hadn't seen as large a collection of ghosts outside the Ghost Zone since Skulker explained the situation about Pariah Dark. His heart sped up as he got closer to the assembled ghosts, until the Bloody Baron called out, "Danny!"

"Baron! Why are so many ghosts here… in the same place?" Danny asked nervously.

The Bloody Baron smiled. "Over the course of the school year, we meet at least once a month to form a Ghost Council. Once we…"

"Ghost Council?" Danny cried, his eyes going wide. "Like the Observants' High Council?" He didn't see them in action, but they once sent Clockwork to kill him.

The Baron put an arm around the terrified teen's shoulder. "It is nothing that important. The world won't come to an end on the basis of our decisions." Danny winced. Slightly puzzled, the Baron continued. "We _do_ meet to make decisions about ghostly affairs in Hogwarts. In September of 1991, we almost had enough votes to expel Peeves. But the decision had to be unanimous." Glaring at the Fat Friar, he said, "But _someone_ said he could use another chance."

"Forgiveness is divine, and he really _has_ been better," the Fat Friar said. "Think of the Weasley and faculty sponsored trouble he caused for Professor Umbridge. He used his mischief making talents for a useful purpose."

This was a new spin on the story. "I heard that the Weasley twins started a full-scale rebellion against Professor Umbridge. I didn't know that the other professors approved of it."

The Fat Friar said, "I don't know what you heard, Danny, but you should know what took place here last year. As a Ministry representative, Dolores Umbridge made decrees to hurt the students, particularly Harry Potter, and the teachers who believed him. She went so far as to decree that teachers could not talk to students about ANYTHING not involved with the specific subject they taught." The Friar huffed. "As if the subjects they teach solely define the interactions between teachers and students!"

Danny asked, "But why?"

The Bloody Baron frowned. "She wanted to hurt Mr. Potter for mentioning the return of He-Who-Must-Not-Be-Named." Danny inwardly rolled his eyes at yet another avoidance of saying Voldemort's name. "The Ministry didn't want to deal with the responsibility, so they found it easier to discredit the sole living witness to the preparations of He-Who-Must-Not-Be-Named's rebirth."

"Living witness?"

"Another student almost witnessed the event," the Friar said sadly. "Cedric Diggory. He was one of the two Hogwarts Tri-Wizard champions. He was the pride of Hufflepuff." He sighed sadly. "He was murdered by Death Eaters right in front of Harry Potter."

Danny slumped his shoulders for the moment, and then squared them in determination. "They won't get away with this!"

The Friar smiled. "We were hoping you would say that. You still have much to learn to defeat them, but you won't be alone."

Danny scanned the ghosts assembled. "Where is Sir Nicholas?"

The Baron smirked. "This evening, the Council had nothing of true importance to discuss. Sir Nicholas is taking his turn patrolling the halls to make sure the students are safe and everything is in order."

Myrtle said, "Danny, will you tell us a story?"

Danny was thrown off-balance. "What?"

The Grey Lady smiled. "We are all collected, and nothing pressing is due to be discussed this evening. But while at home you may be an unsung hero, we are all excited, first at your general presence in Hogwarts, and second at our own Ghost Council. Would you be so kind as to share a story with us?"

Danny studied the ghosts. He knew the House Ghosts and Myrtle, but the others he had not yet seen. Peeves was not present. Some of the ghosts were adults, and others were children – not as young as Myrtle, but old enough to have been students at one time.

Danny felt thrown through a loop. Sir Nicholas didn't tell him about this. Still, it was a happy ending to a hard day. "Okay. Which story would you like me to tell?"

Two male ghosts Danny hadn't met yet gestured to be acknowledged. "How did you escape from Showenhower?"

Danny paled. "I…what?"

"Surely he told you that accursed staff of his was in his family for generations. My brother George and I were controlled by the grandfather of the man you met, as Circus Gothica toured Europe before the First World War." Danny sympathized completely. "So how did you escape?"

Danny blushed. "I had a couple of friends who helped me snap out of it. My two best friends, Sam and Tucker, came to rescue me. I fought the influence, but when Sam fell from the roof of the train when we were on a tressel, the commands I was given didn't matter. Saving Sam's life was all that mattered. The staff fell to the rocks and the crystal ball shattered. The spell was broken, and Freakshow was arrested at the last stop of the train."

George's brother said, "You mean it is illegal for the living to enslave ghosts in America?"

Danny muttered, "I wish." In a full voice, he said, "No, but Freakshow got more, um, _creative_ with what he wanted us to do. Besides high-wire acts and other circus tricks, he… had us rob banks and jewelry shops, and…" He gulped, not wanting to explain the full extent to which he was exploited. "_Those_ things are illegal. Once the police found him in a car on the train buried in the stolen goods, he was arrested.

"And Professor Snape and I are working to make sure that 'evil wizards and unscrupulous ringmasters' won't be able to control me like that again."

The ghosts cheered. Someone else looked like they wanted to ask something else, but before he could begin, Sir Nicholas popped in. "It is eleven o'clock. While most here have all the time in the world, our favorite hero has homework to do tomorrow. I would not have done my job patrolling if I didn't at least inform you of this."

Most of the ghosts present made noises of disappointment, but Danny was grateful. Sir Nicholas smiled and whispered, "I told you that ghosts would not keep you up all night, here. You need your sleep and to do your schoolwork."

"Thanks, Sir Nicholas. Why didn't you tell me about this yesterday?"

Silver opacity rushed to Sir Nicholas's face. "Mostly because I forgot. By the time I remembered this morning, you were busy. And… I was afraid you might not have come. I know you don't like the attention, but they were so excited to meet you."

Danny gave a half-smile. "For you, Sir Nicholas, I could do this anytime. But you're right." He yawned. "I have a lot to do tomorrow. And I will probably visit Myrtle another time soon. Just… warn me before another one of these Council meetings, okay?"

Sir Nicholas smiled. "Of course. Have a good night."

Danny left the Great Hall, heading for the stairs to the dungeon, when he saw Harry. "Oh!"

* * *

After his special learning session with Professor Dumbledore, Harry had a lot to think about. The memory of Bob Ogden showed him Voldemort's grandfather, uncle, mother, and father. There was no love anywhere to be found. Merope Gaunt wanted to love Tom Riddle (Senior), but was unloved in return.

This grandfather, Marvolo Gaunt, had supreme disdain for all people Muggle, and was drunk on his pride in his pure blood and the fact he was descended from Salazar Slytherin. Harry saw that the ring on Marvolo's hand (in the memory) was on Professor Dumbledore's desk. The stone was cracked, but Professor Dumbledore didn't want to talk about it. Yet. Dumbledore promised to tell him everything about Voldemort.

Tom Riddle, Voldemort's father, was also cruel in his arrogance against people less financially well off. Between his father, his grandfather, and his uncle, Voldemort seemed to inherit nothing but arrogance and cruelty. And all of this somehow connected to the prophecy. Harry wasn't sure how this related, but Professor Dumbledore made it seem that the images he saw tonight were intimately related to the prophecy.

The locket worn by Merope, Voldemort's mother, looked familiar. He wasn't sure where he saw it. Harry thought about this as he descended a flight of stairs, from Dumbledore's office to the sixth floor. From there, a staircase connected to the landing where he needed to be to get to Gryffindor Tower. But it wasn't there. It moved while Harry and Dumbledore were together.

Harry sighed. He looked down from where the staircase should have been, and observed the new pattern. In their new configuration, the only way to get from where he was to his dormitory was to go to the ground floor and start the maze of staircases all over again. This was part of the magic that made Hogwarts unpredictable, but it was no help when he was tired and an hour after curfew on the wrong floor.

As he made his way down the stairs, he thought about his meeting with Danny. Exploring the Room of Requirement was fun! But he still thought about how oddly outfitted the room was when he thought of what Danny would need for Defense Against the Dark Arts. The targets he understood, but from what Harry could tell, Danny wasn't capable of firing spells, jinxes, or curses that would affect the targets in any way.

Danny seemed to admit that he was a Muggle, but like Hermione said, that didn't seem right. Danny produced that shield, and a few spells in Charms. It was like there was a pattern to which spells he could do and which he couldn't but Harry couldn't put his finger on it. And what does a speed gun, using electricity, have to do with Defense Against the Dark Arts? There was that seriously destructive spell Danny spoke of. But Danny couldn't do the _Reducto_ curse. Harry coached him, so he knew. What was more destructive than…

"Oh!"

Harry looked up. A boy with white hair and glowing green eyes, and a black Hazmat suit looked at him. He glowed a bit. "You must be Danny Phantom! Hermione told me about you."

The boy who looked too solid to be a proper ghost thought for a moment. "And you must be Harry Potter. Sir Nicholas told me about you." He smiled, satisfied about something.

"Are you really a ghost? You don't look like the others I've seen."

Phantom smiled. "Yup." He floated, adopting his spectral tail for the moment.

Harry blinked, as no other ghost he had seen had one of those. He latched on to a fact Hermione didn't share with him: Phantom was an American ghost. "Danny, what's it like for ghosts in America?"

Phantom shook his head. "Huh?"

Harry stopped when he realized he caught this ghost off-guard. "Well, before I rejoined the Wizarding World when I was eleven, no one took ghosts seriously, as Muggles think they are silly Halloween props. But when I came to Hogwarts and discovered ghosts are real… I thought it was fascinating. Nick was friendly. Actually, all the House Ghosts encourage the students in their Houses." Harry stopped.

Phantom, concerned, asked, "What's wrong, Harry?"

Looking down, Harry said, "Nick comforted me after my godfather died. I… kinda hoped he would be a ghost, so I would see him again. But Nick explained why Sirius would never choose that."

Phantom put a comforting hand on Harry's shoulder. "I'm sorry to hear of your loss." Harry wondered at that. Unlike the time he touched Nick, when it felt like his hand was dunked in ice water, Phantom's hand was cool, but not terribly so. Hermione said that no one knew why Phantom was different than the local ghosts, so it didn't pay to ask him.

Instead, Harry looked up and said, "Thanks." Phantom's hand was cool but his smile was warm. Harry felt encouraged to continue his line of questioning. "Myrtle told me that she became a ghost to torment Olive Hornby, the girl who teased her the day she died. She said that the Ministry of Magic stopped her from stalking Olive, and that she had to come back to her bathroom.

"All of this makes me curious about what it is like for ghosts in America. You are from America, right?"

Phantom smiled again. "Yes, I am." He thought for a moment. "Until a year or so ago, most Muggles in America thought of ghosts the same way as Muggles here. But after a massive ghost invasion which I helped to stop…" Phantom blushed. He didn't flush silver, but he blushed red. Interesting. "The humans in my town had no choice but to believe." He got quiet.

"What's wrong, Danny?"

Phantom sighed. "It's just that the ghost who started the invasion was out to get me. He framed me for kidnapping the mayor." He frowned. "It took at least a year of trying to save my town from marauding ghosts and to save the town from being sucked into a different dimension before people realized that I'm the _good_ guy."

With a wry smile, he continued. "Not long after that, my arch-enemy – another ghost – sicced a government agency against me: The Guys in White. Apparently, the ghost invasion got the attention of someone in the government, and they set up a federal Anti-Ecto Control Act. It allows the government to capture and treat ghosts as the government sees fit. Torturing them is a bonus." Phantom shuddered.

Harry took a moment to digest this. Curious, he asked, "How come you have so many enemies who are ghosts?"

Phantom answered, "Since I became a ghost, I realized that it was my job to stop rogue ghosts from whatever insanity they want to perpetrate against the human world. I capture them and send them back to the Ghost Zone, the dimension ghosts come from. They don't take kindly to having their plans stopped. Some of them have world domination in mind, and some of them came close to succeeding."

Harry said, "Nick says you're a hero among ghosts. So how does that work?"

Phantom smiled. "I was surprised to discover that bit of notoriety myself. But, for the most part, ghosts just want to be left alone. It is the ghosts that become obsessed with power and other illicit things that have to be stopped. It is ghosts like that, that give ghosts like me a bad name."

Harry nodded. Phantom was a fascinating character. "I notice that you speak of the living as 'humans' and not 'the living.' Why is that?"

Phantom thought for a moment. "Unlike here in the Wizarding World, where I'm from, not all ghosts are spirits of dead people. Some are, but other ghosts are just creatures made of ectoplasm. Actually, the first ghosts I encountered weren't even humanoid. They were ghostly octopuses.

"One of my most persistent enemies, Skulker, is actually about six inches tall. However, he wears a fully armed and loaded mechanized battle suit, which stands over six _feet_ tall. While his battle suit looks vaguely humanoid, he looks like a giant robot, but suited up or not, he is all ghost. I don't think he was ever human.

"Other ghosts I've encountered might have been, and some I'm pretty sure were. But others… It's hard to say for sure. So I differentiate between ghosts and humans. Since I met the ghosts here in Hogwarts, I understand why they would choose to differentiate themselves from the living, as they once were and are no longer."

Harry asked, "What about you? You look human, except for your tail. You feel human, if a little cool to the touch. Are you a spirit of the dead or a creature of ectoplasm?"

"That is complicated to explain, and more than I care to." Phantom gave a sad smile. "However, one of my favorite humans once called me an 'odd manifestation of ectoplasmic energy and post-human consciousness.' What I am is more complicated than that, but I never got the chance to tell her otherwise."

Harry said gently, "Can I ask what happened to her?"

Phantom looked at the floor. "She was killed by Death Eaters." He looked positively mournful.

"I'm sorry for your loss, I guess."

Phantom looked up. "Thanks." He looked at his watch, which made Harry blink. "You know, it's getting late. I can take you to the outside of your Common Room quickly and invisibly. I wouldn't want you to get in trouble because of me."

Harry jerked his head. He remembered that Danny _Fenton_ said those same words when he failed to perform certain spells in Defense Against the Dark Arts _with that same inflection_. But Danny Fenton was a living boy, and Phantom was a ghost. Further, the ghost's voice had an echo-y quality.

But Phantom was waiting for an answer. "Thank you. That would be kind of you." Phantom put an arm under his arms and flew him up to Gryffindor Tower, depositing him in front of the picture of the Fat Lady. "Have a good night, Danny Phantom."

"Good night, Harry." With that, Phantom sank through the floor.

13


	18. Chapter 18

First of all, I want to thank everyone who reviewed. So far, there are 16 reviews for last chapter, but 176 reviews for the whole fic so far. I want to thank all the people who put this fic on their Favorites list: there are 43 of you. This fic is on 61 Alert lists. And a few more people have put ME on your Favorite Author list. I thank you kindly for that.

This chapter was long in coming, but it was long, altogether. I hope you enjoy reading it as much as I enjoyed writing it.

Happy Thanksgiving, one and all!

Disclaimer: I do not own either _Danny Phantom_ or _Harry Potter_.

Chapter 18

Sunday was uneventful for Danny. He got the sleep he needed Saturday night and did the homework he was assigned, spending most of the day in the library. Most Sixth and Seventh Years did the same.

After lunch, and after a good deal of homework was done, Harry, Ron, and Hermione met outdoors. Harry avoided a handful of girls who giggled and gushed over him. The media hyping him as 'the Chosen One' gave him his latest headache. Last year, most of the school thought he was nuts or a rabid attention seeker. Now, he couldn't get the fans to leave him alone.

Getting away from the bevy of giggling girls, Harry threw his hands up. "I don't know how Danny Phantom does it!"

Ron and Hermione stared at Harry. Hermione asked, "What are you talking about?"

Harry shook his head. "Nick told you that Danny Phantom is famous among ghosts. Phantom even met with one of his more excitable fans, and he managed to maintain some semblance of dignity. These people here won't leave me alone! Where were they _last_ year, when their support or even their friendly acquaintance would have been useful?"

Thinking of Romilda Vane's assault on Harry earlier this week, Ron and Hermione sympathized. Ron suggested, "Maybe it's different for him because he's a ghost."

Hermione thought for a moment. "Harry, what made you think of Danny Phantom?"

Harry sighed, a little calmer. "I met him last night on my way back from my session with Professor Dumbledore. The closest staircase from his office to Gryffindor Tower moved, and I almost bumped into him on the ground floor."

Hermione perked up. "Did you? What did you think of him?"

Harry took a second before answering. "At first, he looked just like any other teenager, but his hair was white and his eyes glowed green. And _he_ glowed a bit. His voice echoes. Hermione, you didn't tell me he was from America."

She blushed. "I didn't think of it. But what does it matter?"

Harry shrugged. "It doesn't, I guess. But it was interesting. I asked him about American ghosts. We may not know which city he's from, but maybe we could learn more about him now."

"What else did he tell you?" Ron started getting interested.

"He says that where he's from, not all ghosts are spirits of dead people, but some are creatures made of ectoplasm. When I asked him what _he_ was, he said that it was complicated, but he wouldn't say. Regardless, he explained that was why he referred to the living as 'humans' and not 'the living'."

Hermione said, "That is a rather unique perspective."

"I thought the two most interesting things about him is when he blushed, he colored red, like any of us might. He didn't turn silver at all. Second of all, when we finished our discussion, he… well, he put an arm around me and carried me from the ground floor to the Gryffindor Common Room."

Ron blinked. "He _carried_ you? But how?"

Harry shook his head. "I don't know, Ron. He's solid, and he's strong. He's not like any other ghost I've met."

Hermione asked, "What does he feel like?"

Harry cocked his head in thought. "It was different than when I touched Nick. If you accidentally touch a Hogwarts ghost, it feels like that limb was plunged into a bucket of ice water. Phantom is cool to the touch, but only just so. Otherwise, he feels just like a person might." He thought for a minute. "But something caught my attention. He said, 'I wouldn't want you to get in trouble because of me'."

Ron interrupted. "That was nice of him."

"Yes it was. But the thing is, he sounded just like Danny _Fenton_."

Hermione looked at him for a moment. "Harry, maybe it's because he comes from America. People with similar accents sometimes sound the same."

Harry didn't think of that. "Maybe. We don't know what town Danny Fenton comes from, either."

Ron asked, "Do you think we should ask Danny if he's met Danny Phantom?"

Hermione said, "Ron! Do you have any idea how _big_ America is? What are the odds that the Dannys would have met? For all we know, one could have come from the East Coast and one could have come from the West Coast." Glancing significantly at Ron, she said, "They are 3,000 miles apart from each other."

Ron groused. "I still think it's a good idea to ask."

Hermione thought a change in subjects was in order. "So, what happened when you showed Danny the Room of Requirement?"

Harry smiled. "We had a lot of fun exploring what we could make it do. Danny's pretty creative. But when I asked the room for the ideal set up for him to learn Defense Against the Dark Arts, it did something I've never seen it do before. It set up an obstacle course with rings, targets, and all kinds of things I couldn't identify. The weirdest thing I saw was a speed gun. That runs on electricity."

Both Ron and Hermione stared at him. "But Harry, magic interferes with electronics. Nothing with electricity should work here," Hermione protested.

Harry answered, "I know. But apparently this room not only allowed it to work, but the room provided it."

Ron asked, "What is a speed gun?"

Hermione continued to puzzle this out. "If there were electronics in the room, that implies a Muggle need. But he's not a Muggle."

This provided a puzzle for them for the rest of the afternoon.

* * *

In Defense Against the Dark Arts Monday morning, Vlad had the students discuss _Hairy Snout, Human Heart_. Most of the Slytherin students were subdued. The general discussion was animated, but the Slytherin students winced when Vlad discussed passages they misused, as per his instructions. He didn't take away any more points, but he purposefully made them squirm as he met their eyes. Different students used different passages, so it wasn't public, as Vlad didn't mention who misused what. It gave Vlad a perverse pleasure to dig at them that way.

When Vlad mentioned that later that week they were moving on to vampires, they breathed a collective sigh of relief. The students now completely understood that Professor Masters was a force to be reckoned with. The other students in the class found Vlad exciting and informative, but they were wary. Vlad got what he wanted.

In Charms, Professor Flitwick had the class work on conjuring again, but this time it had to be non-verbally. While Draco was skilled at conjuration, he needed to work to do this non-verbally. As such, Danny felt free to let his eyes wander. Harry was doing better than Draco was. Danny was impressed.

Ron and Hermione worked together. Hermione had no problem. It wouldn't be inaccurate to say that she had the best handle on this skill, far better than every other student here. Ron, however, was having difficulty.

"No, Ron, you're not focusing. Think about the size, the shape, the color, and then the spell."

"I'm trying, Hermione! It's just not working!"

As Danny listened, he realized that he had a similar conversation with Sam in Chemistry. That conversation took place when he tried to get a grip on his intangibility, before he was permanently banned from handling all glass and otherwise delicate equipment in Casper High.

Tucker, his best buddy, didn't have any advice for him. But Sam coached him, encouraged him, and made him work to focus. Her prodding helped him become successful. Of course, that became moot once Mr. Lancer gave the order forbidding him from touching beakers, vials, slides, or anything of that nature.

He smacked himself in the face. Sam felt something for him even then. How could he have missed it? No wonder they called him 'Clueless One.' Even his _dad_ knew. With a small, sad smile, he watched them as Hermione guided Ron to success. This time, it looked like _Ron_ was the one who was clueless.

In Potions, Danny turned to his partner. "Harry, can I ask you about Ron and Hermione?"

Never expecting a question in this direction, he responded, "What about them?"

Danny furrowed his brows. "I noticed they kind of… are they, well…" He waved his hand about in a small gesture, as this conversation was meant to be private.

Harry picked up the import. "Yes, they are."

Danny noticed them arguing about something. "Clueless?"

Regarding his partner, looking over at his best mates, he sighed and turned back to Danny. "Clueless."

* * *

Towards the middle of the Power Training session, both Vlad and Professor Snape were proud of Danny's progress. He could create the bonds and gags to whatever specifications, with minimum effort. Danny was glad that this fact completed this particular skill set, and that he wasn't going to have to bind Professor Snape anymore; just because he had express permission didn't mean that Danny was happy about it.

Vlad smiled a little too broadly. "Daniel, I know that you have a Ghost Stinger. I think you can apply it to these bonds." The word 'stinger' caught Snape's attention.

"No," Danny said resolutely.

Professor Snape said, "Daniel, this isn't…"

"This isn't necessary," Danny said. Professor Snape was shocked, as Danny never used this defiant tone with him. Before either adult put his thoughts together for a command, demand, or reprimand, Danny said firmly, "I know I can use my Ghost Stinger. Now that I can call up this new form of ectoplasm, I'm sure I can control that ectoplasm into the painful sting." Looking pointedly at Vlad, he said, "There is no need to electrocute my professor to prove that I can do it."

Professor Snape blanched but refrained from shuddering. "Electrocute?"

Danny crossed his arms. "I thank you for helping me learn this skill, but I'm pretty sure that once a villain is bound and gagged, there is no need for this type of torture. I've used the Stinger defensively, and there is no need for it now."

Both teachers stared at Danny for a bit. Both of them were rather proud, not just of the sound logic given, but of the nobility displayed. Even as he was proud, Vlad was annoyed at Danny's refusal. He would rectify the situation later. "Very well. We thank you, Professor Snape, for your cooperation."

Refusing to show Vlad how shaken he was at the prospect that his student had the power to electrocute him (though it wasn't more dangerous than some of the curses he invented on his own), Snape smiled at Danny. "It was an honor to help you hone a useful and worthy skill. Good night, Daniel. I'll see you in the morning." With that, he exited the classroom.

Vlad looked at Danny. "What did he mean? You don't have Potions until the afternoon."

Danny explained, "Professor Snape has been helping me fight mind control. We've been…"

"He did not!" Vlad hissed.

Danny peaked his eyebrows. "What?"

"He did _not_ use the Imperius Curse against you," Vlad stated dangerously.

Looking at Vlad oddly, Danny said, "Yes he did. I can almost throw it off completely now. Professor Snape says he thinks I'll be able to do it by the end of this week."

Vlad's face was the picture of outrage, but Danny was not the cause. "How long has this practice been going on?"

"Since last Thursday."

"Oh, no, no, no, no, no."

"Vlad…"

"That wizard will _not_ take advantage of a ghost!"

"Vlad…"

"We will fight fire with fire. I was planning this for later this week, but we are starting this posthaste. How _dare_ he use what their society dubs Unforgivable Curses against you!"

"But he's been helping me fight…"

Vlad grabbed Danny's shoulders. "That professor has taken too much pleasure in showing us magic we can't defend against. I have a plan to possibly use their own magic against them, starting with an attack humans can't defend against… well, without the proper equipment which we didn't bring, and I'm pretty sure they don't have. Darn!" He smiled dangerously.

Danny pulled away. "Vlad, you're starting to scare me."

Vlad woke from his partial reverie and refocused on Danny. "This week, you will finish learning to throw off the Imperius Curse, correct?"

Confused, Danny nodded. "That's the plan."

Vlad nodded. "And we are going to start some experiments of our own. The way we will begin is you will overshadow a human here."

Danny jerked his head. "No, I won't."

This was not going according to the plan he formed. "Of course you will."

Danny backed away. "Vlad, no. I spoke to Professor Dumbledore. When I found out that magic can force people to do things against their will, and that some people can use magic to read minds…"

"WHAT?"

Danny winced, but he continued. "The idea of being forced to act against my will scared me, but I've been working to fight it. But this mind reading thing terrified me, because it can only be fought with magic we don't have. But overshadowing can work just like that. It is wrong, and…"

"And you will do it. This is part of a bigger lesson in defense…"

"Vlad, no!"

Taking a step back to look at the boy, Vlad thought for a moment. "Why not? You've done it before. When we first met, you overshadowed your father."

Danny's eyes blazed green. "That was to protect him from you!"

Pretending to consider the matter, Vlad put a finger to his chin. In a patient voice that only aggravated Danny, he said, "I suppose you're right. Overshadowing someone to protect people… a convincing argument if I ever heard one."

"Vlad, that's not what I meant, and you know it!"

The older half-ghost frowned. "And about that time I found you in your school… You overshadowed that bigger student who was bullying you. At the time, I taunted you for using your powers against your human enemies. But now that I think about it, you probably wouldn't have done it unless he deserved it."

"And it was wrong. And I apologized." Danny lowered his voice. "And he bullied me for my trouble, but that time, I deserved it."

"Daniel, this is part of your powers training. You will do what I tell you."

Danny backed up. "No, Vlad. This is wrong. I won't do it."

Vlad lost his patience. "I don't remember giving you an option, boy!"

"I promised I'd never turn evil. I won't do this!"

Vlad growled, "Who said anything about evil? This is a _skill_, Daniel, and you will learn it!"

"No!"

Vlad's eyes glowed red. "Daniel, you WILL!" He shot eye beams at Danny that threw him halfway across the room, destroying the desk and chair he landed on.

Danny picked himself up and shot back at Vlad with his own eye beams. "I will NOT, you crazed-up Froot-Loop!" The hit scored, sending Vlad flying, destroying another chair when he landed.

Still human, Vlad shot at Danny with an ectoblast from his hand. "I may be a 'crazed-up Froot-Loop,' but I am your GUARDIAN, and you WILL obey me!" Danny ducked and shot back. Vlad's shot missed.

Danny ran out of words and fired again, also still human, throwing Vlad into a bookshelf, which broke and rained books on Vlad's head before he turned intangible.

"Why you…"

"Professor Masters?" someone asked in a terrified squeak.

Vlad and Danny stood up and looked at each other. Their eyes shifted back to blue. Addressing the girl in the doorway, Vlad said, "Miss Spradt, how may I help you?"

"I… I heard explosions and yelling, and as a prefect, I needed to see that the students are safe." She trembled.

With a calm, professorial air, Vlad said, "Five points to your House for a job well done."

The girl looked around the room. With smashed chairs and a desk and books on the floor, she asked, "Wh-what happened here?"

"Well, Miss Spradt, you should know that my nephew and I have extra Defense Against the Dark Arts lessons after dinner. A spell or two had gone awry."

"But Professor, the yelling…"

"Yes, well… I was giving Mr. Fenton an assignment, and he objected. We had an altercation, but at this point, all is settled." Turning to Danny, he said, "He _will_ do it or… I'll have to come up with a detention, won't I?" He quirked an eyebrow and smirked.

Danny gritted his teeth and scowled, but answered, "Yes, Uncle Vlad."

"Very good, then."

"Professor, why were your and Danny's eyes glowing?"

Both half-ghosts snapped their heads in her direction. Cool as marble, Vlad looked puzzled. "Whatever do you mean?"

She shook her head. "Danny, why were your eyes glowing?"

Not needing the prompting look from Vlad, Danny said, "Melissa, what are you talking about?"

Melissa Spradt huffed. "I know what I saw."

Vlad and Danny looked at each other and shrugged. "If you say so," Danny said.

The girl furrowed her eyebrows. "Miss Spradt, if that is all, I suggest you finish your rounds for patrol. There are a few details my nephew and I have to hammer out before he's dismissed."

"Yes, sir. Good night, Professor Masters. Good night, Danny."

She closed the door, and they listened for her departure. When Vlad decided she was far enough away, he said quietly, "This is your assignment. Tomorrow, you will tell me whom you intend to target when we meet here. You will use our Power Training timeslot from tomorrow night to Friday night to observe your target. You will focus on vocal patterns, gestures, the people he or she talks to, and the relationships you observe within their Common Room.

"All of this is in preparation for Saturday night's assignment: you will overshadow the target you will have observed all week, and you will maintain possession of the person for a full hour. It can be longer, but no shorter.

"And I remind you, Daniel, that just because I have refrained from using my powers to hurt you does NOT mean I've forgotten how. And you would do well to remember that - at this point in time – there is no one to stop me from whatever I might do." Danny shuddered.

"Do the assignment, and you will be fine. I think we've had enough excitement for one night. Give me your paper on _Hamlet_." Danny frowned, but handed Vlad the scroll. "Very good. You are dismissed. Have a good night, Daniel." With that, Vlad evaporated.

* * *

Danny was still angry when he came to breakfast in the morning. Draco waved him over. Danny sighed and took the seat next to him.

"So, is it true, what they're saying about you?"

Danny looked up. "What are 'they' saying about me?"

"They say that last night, you got into an argument with your uncle, that you threw chairs and books at each other, and that both your and your uncle's eyes glowed."

Covering his eyes, Danny thought, 'Crud. Well, I'll have to say _something_.' Lifting his hand and opening his eyes, he said, "Yes, Draco. Uncle Vlad and I got into an argument last night. About the glowing eyes and the other stuff… What do you think?"

Draco gave a wry smile. "I should have known better than to trust Melissa Spradt. That Seventh Year Hufflepuff prefect is known to be a liar. Well, she got half the story right." Danny gave a guilty half-smile. Actually, she got it _all_ right, but there was no need to let Draco know that.

"Could I ask what you fought about?" Draco asked, concerned. This could be interesting. What DO they do in that class?

Danny frowned. "I'm not happy with the latest assignment he's given me. Look – I'm still angry about it; I'm not going to be good company today."

Draco looked sympathetic. "Is there anything I can do?"

Danny thought for a moment. "Yeah. Please ask people not to ask me about last night."

"You got it." Draco saw Danny nod gratefully and then scan the room. The blond boy realized that he wasn't going to get anything else out of Danny this morning. The mysteries around him persisted and multiplied. The only good thing about this is that no one _else_ was going to solve the mystery, either.

* * *

When Danny came to Professor Snape, Professor Snape noticed that Danny was fuming. The professor asked gently, "Daniel, if you want to talk about last night, I'm available." He didn't know what Masters might have done to set off Daniel so greatly. He heard that both their eyes glowed, almost blowing their cover.

Danny sighed and shook his head. "Thanks, Professor. I appreciate that. But right now, I just want to finish this."

With this level of determination, Professor Snape was certain that Daniel would have complete success throwing off the Imperius Curse, perhaps today.

* * *

In Charms, the class continued their non-verbal conjuration, as most students had great difficulty mastering the skill silently. Professor Flitwick pulled Danny aside again. "Mr. Fenton, I remember that one of your many skills as a half-ghost is to conjure a ball of ectoplasm. Can you make it into workable shapes and forms? If you can, it will look like you have this spell in hand."

Danny thought for a moment. "I would have to practice it. But it wouldn't be right away. Also, things I make out of ectoplasm tend to be bright green. If something normally has varied color, it might be a serious give-away. Also, they defy gravity unless I concentrate."

The tiny professor looked thoughtful. "You make a good point. I will have to ask your uncle about that. We might have more for you to do tomorrow."

"Okay."

"Thank you for your time." Professor Flitwick shooed him back to his seat.

Danny looked around the room. Drat Vlad! This would be impossible. Clockwork said he _always_ had a choice, but right now, his choice was to pick someone to overshadow or to be tortured by Vlad. In another time, or another place, he might have just let Vlad torture him. Well… Danny wouldn't go down without a fight, but Vlad would win. He always did. Danny sighed. It wouldn't be fun, but saving the people was worth it.

But right now, that evil Froot-Loop was as close to a family as he was going to have. Ticking off Vlad was never a smart choice at the best of times, even when it was tempting. And now, he really didn't feel he could afford to do that. This was _so wrong!_

Vlad said that this was part of a bigger lesson in defense. He even said that Danny could – at least in theory, if not in actuality – protect someone by overshadowing him or her. He growled just thinking about it.

Now he had to choose a 'target.' How would he do that? Who should he choose? He looked around again. Draco was there. He didn't look like he was in danger, or needed help. Harry was doing just fine on his own.

Ron and Hermione were bickering again. Clueless! If he could just make Ron say the right thing… wait a minute.

Danny smiled. He just found his target.

* * *

After dinner, Danny met Vlad in their regular classroom. The chairs, desk, and bookshelf had been repaired, and the room was spotless. Danny winced at the books. He would apologize to Mr. Filch later, and see about helping him clean up something else.

Vlad saw the wince and frowned. He supposed they left the previous evening on the wrong foot. He started this – even though it was for Daniel's own good! – so he had to finish it. "Daniel?"

Danny started and looked up. "Yeah?"

Vlad had trouble reading the teen. This slightly unnerved him, but he wasn't going to show the child this weakness. "Have you selected your target?"

Daniel's demeanor changed to one of strength. "Yes. Ron Weasley."

Raising his eyebrows, Vlad said, "Very good." He might ask why he chose his particular target, or more to the point, why he was so determined when Daniel objected so strongly yesterday. But not right now. "Besides preparing you for a more accurate overshadowing experience, this will build your stamina in your invisibility and intangibility."

Danny looked surprised. He hadn't thought of that aspect. But Vlad was right. Vlad creased his brow, and Danny could not guess what Vlad was thinking. He sighed. "Do… you want me to meet you here after an hour?"

The boy was conscientious. He had to give him that. Or he's afraid of him. Vlad sighed. "That is a good question. I was thinking about giving you an option. Observing your target, Mr. Weasley, for an hour is not an option. But… If you chose to observe him for two hours, we could forego English. And if you observed him for three hours, we could forego both English and math."

Danny blinked. He was honestly confused. "I… I don't understand. I thought you said that my worldly education was important."

"It _is_ important, which is why I'm giving you the option to come back and take these classes. But as important as it is, this particular skill is even _more_ important. As such, in order to do a more thorough job, I am willing to let you go without math and English, not just for today, but through Friday."

Danny wanted to dance in jubilation, but he didn't. Vlad was being too… nice. This was coming at a cost. As Professor Snape said, all things in life did. He crossed his arms. "What's the catch?"

Vlad smiled. "You _are_ learning. I knew you would. If you choose your worldly lessons, there is no specific catch. For every hour of observation, I expect you to take notes. You can take them at the conclusion of your observation, or as you observe him and his habits. When you finish writing up your evening notes, you may come to my room and give them to me there." Danny stared. "What? You didn't think I would let you loose for any of our three hours without some way of checking up on you, did you?"

Danny rolled his eyes. "Of course not."

Vlad's smile broadened. "So, what are you choosing?"

Danny thought about this. The way Vlad worded this, it sounded like Vlad wanted Danny to choose spying on Ron. He didn't want to give Vlad the satisfaction. Then again, if he was going to help Ron, he had to know what he did during downtime. Danny knew that Ron was best friends with Harry and Hermione, but what were they really like? He wanted to know.

"I'll observe for the full three hours."

Vlad beamed with pride. "Excellent choice. I look forward to seeing you later. Off with you!"

Turing invisible and intangible, Danny flew off to Gryffindor Tower. He had Myrtle to thank for learning its location. The Fat Lady decided to take up painting. Danny almost giggled at the meta-situation. Shaking his head, he phased into the Common Room.

Everything was decorated in bright reds and yellows. The overall effect gave the room a much warmer feel, regardless of the actual temperature. His own Common Room was lit with lamps of green flames and was decorated in gray stone. The effect of the Slytherin Common Room was cool and calming. The effect of the Gryffindor Common Room was warm and cheerful.

Unlike in the Slytherin Common Room, where the high backed chairs bespoke dignity, the squashy chairs here bespoke comfort. He could get comfortable here. Sam would have liked the darker effect in his own Common Room, though.

Shaking himself out of his thoughts, he looked around. Apparently Weasleys' Wizard Wheezes were a hit, and people enjoyed using them. Red hair. The first shock of red hair he saw belonged to a girl who was talking and laughing with a dark-skinned boy. Danny was glad these things mattered as much here as they did in Casper High, which was not at all. The girl, Ginny, was going to try out for the Gryffindor Quidditch team. Dean seemed excited about this. When Ginny thought Dean didn't notice, Ginny's eyes flicked to the chairs by the fire. Danny drifted over to the fire, and there were Ron, Harry, and Hermione.

He watched them as they discussed their Transfiguration homework. The conversation would have been more interesting if he knew what they were talking about. Hermione seemed to be almost done with her work. Sir Nicholas was right – she really _was_ very smart. Harry and Ron worked hard, but Ron complained more often, requesting to see Hermione's work. She never let him copy. Danny was proud of Hermione, but something about Ron reminded him of Tucker.

Tucker _was_ smart, insanely informed when it came to technology, and seriously under appreciated. Danny felt guilty about that. Still, Tucker was the best friend a guy could ask for. You could always count on him to say what's on his mind, even if he needed to be stuffed into a locker afterwards. But he always gave an honest assessment, Tucker-style. Danny got the same vibe from Ron.

When they finished – or at least, had as much homework as they could take for the moment – Hermione left so she could attend to prefect duties. Ron was a prefect, too, but he would patrol tomorrow. It would be interesting to see how seriously he takes those duties. From the way he discussed it with Harry, it sounded like it was infinitely easier without trying to contain his brothers, the twins. A younger sibling trying to control an older sibling was just asking for trouble. He was lucky if he could get Jazz to just cooperate. But he loved her, and she always meant well. Apparently, the twins were more of the teasing variety of siblings.

Ron brought out his own Wizard Chess set. This seemed to be a common past time of the Wizarding World. Without electronics, video games were just right out. Danny overheard people talking about Gobstones, but he couldn't guess what that was about. Monopoly and other board games involving funny money were Muggle concepts. Milton-Bradley and Hasbro are Muggle companies, so he just didn't envision wizards playing Scrabble or Risk. But chess was hundreds of years old.

He watched Ron and Harry play. Harry was an okay player, but Ron was very good. When Ron won, he had a far better attitude than Danny's mother or Jazz when _they_ won games. When Hermione returned, Ron played her. Harry and Ron smirked with unholy delight, but they settled down as they played. Hermione was very clever, but Ron was _really_ good. Danny wondered how he would do in a game against Ron.

He listened to the three of them as they had an animated conversation about Vlad and his concern for werewolves. They were impressed. Hermione compared Vlad's proposed letter-writing campaign to something called the Society for the Promotion of Elvish Welfare. Ron was exasperated with her. Danny understood Hermione's point, but Ron seemed to understand the elves' perspective.

Danny managed to catch a glimpse of Hermione's watch. It was 10:30! He managed to maintain his invisibility and intangibility for three and a half hours! He had to get back to his dorm. He teleported outside of his own Common Room. When he saw no one in the hall, he turned visible and gave the password and entered.

Draco looked up. Pansy sat next to him, and Crabbe and Goyle sat across from him. "Danny! How did your lesson go?"

"Better than I expected. However, I have to write up a report and hand it in tonight. I'll see you later!" Danny went to his bed, where he produced a glowing ball of ectoplasm. It lit the enclosed area of his curtained off bed as he wrote the report. Vlad said it was okay for him to spend more time rather than less time on this. He just hoped that Vlad didn't get upset that everything was so late.

In about an hour, Danny finished his report. It was about three feet long. Once he left the Common Room, he turned invisible until he got to the Ravenclaw Tower. Upon arriving at Vlad's door, he released his invisibility, remaining in human form. He didn't have time for Ravenclaw students or professors other than Professor Flitwick to be curious about Danny Phantom.

Nervously, he knocked. Vlad opened the door. "Come in! We have a few minutes, though it's late."

Danny entered and felt awkward. Vlad bade him to take a seat in a chair by something like a coffee table, and took one himself. Vlad asked, "How did it go?"

There were a few emotions for Danny to sort through. He was no longer nervous, as Vlad took his lateness in stride. There was residual anger at being forced to prepare to overshadow his classmate, which he decided was morally iffy at best, even if it was in a good cause. And part of him was intrigued at what he learned and proud of his observational skills.

The older half-ghost watched Danny wrestle with his emotions with interest. This was only stage one of his plan, and Daniel would benefit tremendously. But for now, this had to be cleared one hurdle at a time.

Danny started talking about what he observed. Vlad was impressed. This was going far better than he anticipated. At about midnight, Vlad sent Danny back to his dorm. They would not meet after dinner tomorrow or any night this week; instead, they would meet here to discuss Danny's observations. Danny handed Vlad his report.

"You have done well, little badger. Just keep on like this and you will be able to do great things. In your own heroic little way, of course." Danny looked askance, and Vlad laughed. "Good night, Daniel."

This went on for the week. When Danny was able to throw off the Imperius Curse, Professor Snape praised him. Danny decided that keeping all the information from his evening observations straight was enough prying into students' affairs for the week. He would ask Draco about his father's Death Eater activities next week.

* * *

Draco was annoyed. He could understand Danny's mood, as Professor Masters had some interesting ideas about assignments. It wasn't enough that he took the net 30 points from the Slytherins on Friday. Nor was it enough that they had to endure a personalized humiliation from this professor. But Professor Masters managed to showcase Harry Potter. The fact that Professor Masters gave points that Draco engineered to be taken away… that hurt. Now it seemed that Professor Masters couldn't _stop_ giving points to Potter. True, Potter _did_ manage to take Masters' message to heart. He took this ridiculous werewolf thing seriously.

In Charms, things seemed to get no better. Danny was hopeless with conjuring, verbally or non-verbally. He wasn't as impressed with Draco's work as he was with the complete tea set Draco called into existence verbally. For some reason, Danny's eyes drifted to Potter's corner.

Draco gritted his teeth. 'Granger can do this. Even Potter can do this better than I can. And for some reason, Danny is fascinated by them.' Danny wouldn't talk about it, and these miserable Gryffindors monopolized Danny's attention. Draco didn't get it, but it only built his growing jealousy.

And, of course, his failed plan of last week gave him inspiration to try again. On Friday in Potions, Draco put his carefully planned scheme into action. As the class worked on that day's potion, he turned to Zabini, his partner. "Tell Nott and Millicent something for me." Blaise glanced at Professor Snape, who was focused on the Ravenclaws on the other side of the classroom, and then nodded. "I've found out that _someone_ didn't get an 'O' on their Potions OWL."

Zabini snickered and turned to whisper this to Nott, who was working next to him. Nott also laughed quietly and turned to Millicent on his other side.

As the Slytherins all stood laughing, Professor Snape turned from the Ravenclaws to see their obvious amusement. The rest of the class also turned to look at the four giggling Slytherins. While it pained him to put Slytherin students in the spotlight, Professor Snape acknowledged that these students were causing a general disturbance. Guessing who was responsible for this outbreak, Professor Snape asked, "Was there something you wanted to share with the class, Mr. Malfoy?"

Draco smirked. "Yes, sir. I heard there was a student in this class who didn't earn his way in with an 'O' on his OWL. Is that true?" Potter glared at Draco, fists clenched.

Harry almost launched himself at Draco, but Danny grabbed him by the shoulders, restraining him. "Don't," Danny told him. Reluctantly, Harry nodded.

Snape raised an eyebrow at this, and coolly said, "Five points off, Mr. Potter, for trying to start a fight. And Mr. Fenton, you receive five points for Slytherin for preventing the fight." Ignoring Harry's angry glare, Professor Snape continued his circuit around the room.

Danny shot Draco an angry look, which he returned with an innocent expression. After all, Draco hadn't said _who_ had gotten in without the requisite grade. Nor had Draco said anything about Danny. Danny turned back to his steaming partner.

Giving Harry a few moments for the blinding rage to subside, Danny said, sincerely embarrassed, "I'm _so_ sorry about that. I didn't mean…"

Harry shook his head. "It's not your fault."

* * *

At dinner, Danny glared at Draco. "I thought you said my secret was safe with you!" he hissed.

Draco shrugged. "Your secret is still safe. No one knows that Potter tutored you. To be honest, I didn't even say that Potter was the one who didn't get the 'O' on his OWL."

Draco was right. Still, it was a mincing of words. Somehow, Danny thought that Vlad would be proud of Draco for this clever deception and manipulation. Danny growled and refused to look at Draco for the rest of dinner.

When he got to Gryffindor Tower, his mood was reflected by his favorite trio. Ron exclaimed, "The nerve of Malfoy! I _still_ can't believe he was so close… You noticed how he refused to mention Danny?" Danny smiled. He was starting to grow on Ron. "I bet _he's_ in on this, too!" Or not.

Harry fumed but said, "No, Ron. You should know that Danny's not like that. If he didn't stop me, I might have gotten in _real_ trouble."

"But he got Slytherin those points at our expense…"

"No, Ron, _Snape_ gave Slytherin those points. You have to see that it was more of a 'take points from my House, give points to Slytherin' thing. If you hadn't noticed, Danny doesn't seem all that interested in House points, either way. With his intense schedule, his extra classes (and the weird rumors about him), and his deep mourning, I doubt he's got time or energy to deal with House politics." More quietly, he continued, "At the end of last year, I know I didn't."

Ron still glowered. "I still think we should get back at them."

"Ron!" Hermione exclaimed. "Silly pranks and revenge schemes are not appropriate behavior for a prefect!"

"Didn't stop Draco. And Harry's not a prefect."

"No, but I _am_ the Quidditch team captain, and I don't have time for these things. Speaking of which, Gryffindor try-outs are tomorrow." Consulting a piece of parchment, he said, "There are so many people who signed up. I never realized that Quidditch has become so popular."

"It's not Quidditch. It's _you_, Harry," Hermione commented sagely. "Besides the whole 'Chosen One' thing, you've never gone unnoticed by the female population. And you've recently grown taller, which only helps."

Ron peaked his eyebrows. "I'm tall." Danny rolled his eyes.

Harry looked at the list. "I'm not sure that all of these people are actually _in_ Gryffindor."

Hermione shrugged. "You'll have to deal with that as it comes."

Looking up at his mate, Harry said, "You and Ginny better try out. Katie's the only one from the old team who is left. And Kirke and Sloper, the replacement Beaters who took over when the twins were kicked off the team by Umbridge, were pathetic. But we shall see what we shall see."

It went on this way for the three hours, Hermione and Harry encouraging Ron, making reference to a song 'Weasley Is Our King,' which made Ron blush.

By the time Danny left, the mood of the trio was decidedly happier than it was immediately after dinner.

When Danny finished his written report to bring to Vlad, he came to Vlad's apartment. He was amazed at his luck, such that no one caught him in Ravenclaw Tower all week. He wondered if a ghost was responsible or if he was insanely lucky (for some value of the word 'lucky').

Vlad listened to Danny, still amazed at how much detail the boy noticed. It occurred to him that if Daniel put half as much effort into his class work in Casper High, Daniel's grades might have been higher. However, when Daniel was in Casper High, he didn't have Vlad as a guardian. And, of course, his heroics kept him up all hours… He inwardly rolled his eyes, but paid attention to the boy's words.

When Danny finished his verbal report and handed him the written one, Vlad asked, "Do you have any plans for tomorrow, during the day?"

Danny looked at Vlad. Why did he care? Deciding that he just wasn't going to figure the man out, Danny answered, "No. Not yet. Why?"

Vlad regarded Danny for a moment. "You might like to watch the Gryffindor Quidditch try-outs. It will give you something to do, and you might enjoy it."

Unable to contain his curiosity any longer, Danny gave him a funny look. "Why do you care?"

Vlad sighed. Somehow, he had the feeling that simply telling Daniel that he had the boy's welfare in mind would just not be believed. "First of all, it will give you a better feel for the general culture of the school. I've been told that students take this Quidditch thing seriously. Even if you won't have time to practice and play, there's no reason you can't enjoy it.

"Secondly, I know you've gotten close to Mr. Potter and his friends. You don't usually go exploring with people you don't care to spend time with. Harry is the team captain, and you might like watching him in action.

"Third of all, you haven't had much leisure time, and without some downtime, you will wear yourself out. If you're worn out, you'll be no use to yourself or anyone else.

"Finally, watching this practice session might give you a sudden inspiration when you overshadow Mr. Weasley tomorrow."

Danny listened to Vlad's reasoning. For a second there, he almost thought that his guardian sounded tender. This confused him. But when Vlad said, "You'll be no use…", Danny determined that this sounded like the Froot-Loop he knew.

Danny sighed. At this point, it didn't sound like he had much of a choice. But Vlad _did_ make sense. He thought he might like to see the Quidditch try-outs. Looking at Vlad, he said, "Will do."

The older half-ghost shook his head. "Tomorrow, I'm off to London again. I'll be back at dinner. See me in our classroom before you head out for your assignment."

Danny decided that Vlad was easier to figure out when he was Danny's arch-enemy.

After breakfast, Danny followed the Gryffindors to the Quidditch pitch, taking a seat in the stands. There was a _huge_ number of students who showed up. There were First Years who hadn't gained control of their brooms yet. There was a group of girls led by Romilda Vane – Danny recognized the type. He was certain that Paulina wasn't here, but Romilda seemed to be Harry's Paulina. The group wasn't any use on the field, but they got what they wanted: Harry's undivided attention for at least a few minutes.

"Oi! Slytherin!" Danny looked around and realized that he was the only one here who fit that description. Turning to the source of the gruff voice, Danny saw a rather large Gryffindor student he hadn't met yet.

"Can I help you?" Danny asked.

"What do you think you're doing here at the Gryffindor try-outs!?"

Danny looked up and saw the Hufflepuff and Ravenclaw students Harry caught trying to sneak onto the Gryffindor team. Harry shooed them out of the field, and they took seats in the stands. "I'm just watching."

"Spying on the opposition?"

Danny looked at this jock. "Actually, I'm friends with the team captain." The large fellow hadn't backed down. "You know, I understand that Ravenclaw and Hufflepuff are also teams that oppose Gryffindor in Quidditch."

"They are, but _you_ are in Slytherin, and have…"

"Hey! Leave him alone. Aren't you trying out, McLaggen?" Hermione came towards them. Danny looked relieved. After all his time here thus far, this is the first experience he had with someone like Dash. While this fellow, McLaggen Hermione called him, was a wizard, he didn't look like he would have any trouble using his fists, if he so chose.

McLaggen looked at Hermione. "Yeah, but this Slytherin here…"

"Is Harry and my friend. You'd do better to warm up and leave harmless spectators alone," Hermione spat. "Beaters are next."

"And who says I'm trying for Beater? I'd be a better Keeper than 'King Weasley'."

Hermione glowered. "Back off. He belongs here." Danny glowed with warmth. He might not have Sam and Tucker, but he was glad to have Hermione as a friend.

McLaggen stalked off to warm up, as Hermione was right. Harry was the Seeker, and while he might be fast enough for a Chaser, and his sheer power was more useful for a Beater, he wanted to be the Keeper.

Hermione looked at the almost-assaulted Danny. "I'm so sorry. This…"

Danny shook his head. "Professor Snape said there'd be days like this." He rolled his eyes. "I know lots of Slytherins who might deserve that suspicion but…" He sighed. "It happens." He was used to this. Not as a Slytherin, but as a ghost. Just because lots of them are dangerous, some people assume that _all_ people in that classification are evil.

Of the Chaser applicants, more of the girls trying out seemed more competent than the boys who tried out. He noticed that Ginny was very good. Two other girls were also very good. Harry nodded at one of them, as if he was familiar with her capabilities as a Chaser. Perhaps she was Katie.

"Hermione, who is McLaggen? I haven't seen him around."

She answered, "He's a Seventh Year. I haven't seen much of him. He wasn't part of the DA last year. I haven't heard that he participates in other extra-curricular activities, but he has studied with his friends in the Common Room. He is a Quidditch enthusiast, though. Whenever we've had celebrations for wins of close games or the Quidditch Cup, he's always been right there with us." She smiled to herself. "Although the Weasley twins knew how to throw a party to distract and attract anyone."

Danny smiled at her, and turned back to the pitch. They were up to Keepers. Ron was up and saved the goal at least five times. Others were not that good. McLaggen managed to save four goals. When it came to the fifth one, the larger student zipped off in the wrong direction. He looked frustrated and confused. Danny looked at Hermione to ask what just happened, but he caught her stowing her wand. Danny rubbed the back of his neck. Something wasn't right, but he had no clue what it was.

It looked like Harry pulled his team together. The students who made the team danced with joy. Others who didn't make the cut reacted much like those who didn't make the Casper High Ravens teams. Some were better sports and more gracious losers than others were. Ron and Ginny, and he guessed Katie, made it. Danny didn't know the other students who made the team.

McLaggen was not happy, as he didn't make the team. Danny gulped. That type of disappointment was more than enough motivation for Dash to take out his frustration on him. He followed McLaggen with worried eyes until he noticed that McLaggen wasn't looking for him. Danny breathed a sigh of relief. Whatever McLaggen had in mind, it didn't involve Danny. This was new, but Danny could appreciate his new school even more, now.

Danny waved at Harry as Harry, Hermione, and Ron went to visit Hagrid. Danny headed back to the castle. He thought this try-out was fun. He had to ask Draco when the Slytherin try-outs were. Again, he wouldn't be able to try out, but it would be fun to watch. And no one would challenge his presence this time. For some reason, he didn't think the applicants would be as varied or as complicated to sort out as the Gryffindors were, but the excitement involved was something to look forward to.

Then he remembered: he wasn't talking to Draco yet. Danny was still angry with him for that nasty prank yesterday. Draco humiliated him and Harry in one shot, but mostly Harry, as Harry seemed to have problems with Draco, Professor Snape, and most of the Slytherins in his year.

Danny went to the library to work on some of his homework. On his way, he thought of what happened at the try-outs. Besides the team and weird interactions between the universe and Harry, and random, hostile Gryffindors and him, he thought of Hermione. He saw that she was brilliant, strong, loyal… She reminded Danny of Sam. And she liked Ron. Ron was one lucky guy. He was even luckier because when Danny played the loving Ron, part of it wouldn't be acting.

Now that Danny thought of it, Ron was a pretty good guy, too. He held grudges far too long, but all of his general outrage was against people who hurt Harry. Except when Ron was thick about getting upset with the wrong guy, Ron was a decent, well-meaning fellow.

Besides the fact that Vlad forced him to do this, Danny was feeling much better about this. It was almost like overshadowing Tucker to get Sam a date for the homecoming dance. But this time, Ron and Hermione were _meant_ to be dating. Danny would merely be giving Clueless Two a more forceful nudge in the right direction.

After dinner, Danny met Vlad in their classroom. "Good to see you. How were the try-outs?" Vlad asked.

Danny gave the answer he thought Vlad was looking for. "I found that bit of inspiration you told me to look for."

Vlad's face fell for a moment. He was actually hoping that Danny would tell him of the fun he had, and what he thought of watching his friends, and things of that nature. But then he recovered. This would work, too.

"Good work! Do you have any questions or comments before you go?"

Danny thought for a minute. "Only that this is a better idea than I thought it might be." Vlad blinked. "Do you want me to meet you here afterwards?"

Vlad looked thoughtful. "No. I'd like you to see me in my room afterwards. After Monday, I've decided we need a more private place to practice and discuss things."

Danny brightened. "I asked Harry about that. I'll show you the room tomorrow."

Vlad was touched at how appropriate Daniel's response was. He thought ahead, and cared enough about their private time together to anticipate this need. Even if Daniel was still angry with him. He peaked his eyebrows. "That was very thoughtful of you. Sincerely."

Danny saw tears forming in Vlad's eyes. He wasn't sure what he'd done, but Danny did something right. He nodded stoically. "I'll be off now."

"I'll be waiting for you."

* * *

Entering the Gryffindor Common Room, Danny made his way to the trio and waited for the most opportune time.

Harry said, "I am rather sorry to have hurt Hagrid. But we _do_ have all those classes. Studying for the NEWTs is no walk in the park, and I have Quidditch to manage on top of everything else. Oliver Wood or Angelina I'm not, but I still have to put together a practice schedule."

"I'm sorry to hear about Aragog. Hagrid cares for him so much…"

Ron exclaimed, "Hermione! That _thing_ is an Acromantula. You know, _a giant spider!_ It and its offspring tried to _eat_ Harry and me in Second Year! While I'm sad for Hagrid, honestly – the death of that thing will be no great loss." Neither Harry nor Hermione had any response to this.

Harry changed topics. "The try-outs today were insane. Romilda Vane's gaggle of friends… they wouldn't know Quidditch if the Quaffle landed in their arms. Cormac McLaggen, though, was a piece of work."

"That he is. He went after Danny for just sitting in the stands. I think he's the only student from a different House who came to the try-outs who didn't try to get on the team." Hermione huffed.

"You mean Danny came? He watched?" Ron asked.

Hermione rolled her eyes. "Ron, he waved to us before we went to see Hagrid. Yes, he watched."

Ron stewed for a bit. "Rotten Slytherins! I still can't believe what a rotten trick Malfoy pulled. He almost… He got those points…"

Harry said, "You're not still on about _that_, are you? Yeah, he got those points. But you might want to notice that as close as he was to telling _my_ secret, he was just as close to revealing Danny's secret. Danny wouldn't thank him for that, I'm sure."

Ron scowled, but decided that a change of focus was in order. He took out his chess set. "Will you play me, Harry?"

"Sure."

Ron continued as he set up the pieces, "Malfoy makes me so mad. Planning and strategizing can help cool me off. Plus, it might give me an inspiration to get them back."

Hermione frowned. "Don't you mean _him_?"

Ron said, "Danny was part of it."

"Ron!" Hermione shouted. Danny decided that this was his cue. He entered Ron, who gasped and stiffened. "Ron? Are you okay?"

Danny blinked, getting used to his new surroundings, his new point of view, his new skin. "I'm fine. I just realized how right you are." Hermione looked at him strangely as Danny took Ron's turn. He continued, "However, getting back at… Malfoy sounds about right." Hermione relaxed.

Harry made his move. "You know, Ron, I'm glad you made all five saves. I'm not sure I could handle a whole year worth of McLaggen."

Danny smirked. "I'm glad for that as well. The shot Ginny threw almost sunk me." He moved again.

Harry smiled ruefully. "That's what I told him."

The game continued as Danny thought of what to bring up next. He moved again. "Check, Harry. How are you at the new _Aguamenti _charm? I'm just barely getting it."

Harry blinked. Ron willingly talked about studies on a Saturday night? Harry gave him a sidelong glance. "I think I'm getting it. What made you think of it?"

Danny thought for a moment. "Mate in one. It's new, and Hermione's got it. She's been helping me, but… it could be dead useful when fighting an Ashwinder. Especially if you freeze it. That's one of the beasts I told Danny about." He smiled. This could only work for Ron's benefit.

Hermione gaped a bit. "You remembered… Wow, Ron, you… but why mention it now?"

This was going _exactly _where Danny wanted it to go. "Hermione, you're always trying to get us to study. And I just realized how right you are. Checkmate, Harry. Up for another round?"

Harry nodded as they switched sides, from black to white. Hermione just stared. "Ron, thank you, but…"

"But what, Hermione? Besides thinking about NEWTs, Harry's brilliant at Defense, and… I realized how important this stuff is." He took a breath, as this could be tricky. "When you told me to leave Danny out of it, part of me started thinking. He's having trouble with these things. The smallest spells are hard for him, but when you guide me, I manage to get it right."

Danny shook his head bitterly. "If he could do some of these spells, he might have been able to stop the Death Eaters. Reports are coming in all the time of people hurt or killed. If I was half as good at Defense as Harry, or as determined as you are to get things right… It just started me thinking of how much I appreciate you."

Harry and Hermione stared. Hermione whispered, "Ron…"

Danny stopped for a moment, closing his eyes in concentration. "These are dangerous times. It's time for me to stop being an idiot and… start showing a wider emotional range than a teaspoon. And it's been a while since everyone – but me, apparently – figured out how much you mean to me."

Go for some realism, Danny told himself. "This doesn't mean I'm going to stop being hot-headed and stubborn. We'll still find things to argue about, I'm sure." He sighed. 'And I may even go back to hating Danny when this is through…' "But I need you to know, while we're both still alive and I have the chance, that I truly love you."

"Ron!" Hermione jumped up from her chair and flung herself into Ron's arms. Danny glimpsed her watch. One hour and fifteen minutes. Ron told Hermione what he needed to say. Mission accomplished. He exited Ron and floated invisibly and intangibly to view the results of his handiwork.

"I love you, too. I've just been waiting for you to say so!"

Ron blinked and realized Hermione clung to him for dear life. He thought, 'I'm not sure how this happened, and I'm pretty sure I want to leave Danny out of my pranks now… But this is bloody brilliant! Later, I'll see if I can figure out how this came to be… Right now, I'm hugging Hermione, she's hugging me, and I'll just enjoy the moment.'

Vlad, who watched the whole scene invisibly and intangibly, thought, 'Interesting. Daniel used all of this power to be a hero, for the good of his target, by reading Mr. Weasley's mind as well as taking control. As clever as Daniel's quips can be, that comment about "the emotional range of a teaspoon" did _not_ come from my boy's head.' With that, he teleported back to his room to wait for Danny.


	19. Chapter 19

Again, a sincere thanks to one and all who have read, reviewed, and/or put this fic on your favorite and alert lists! Based on the time it takes me to write and publish a chapter, I think this will be it for this month. I could be wrong, but who knows?

As such, I want to wish everyone Happy Holidays, which ever you celebrate! And if you don't celebrate any, be of good cheer.

Disclaimer: I do not own _Danny Phantom_ or _Harry Potter_, nor did I write John Locke's "Letter Concerning Toleration," the American Declaration of Independence, and Martin Luther King's "I Have a Dream" speech.

Chapter 19

Danny left the Gryffindor Common Room quite satisfied with his work. He prepared his report for Vlad and delivered it. Vlad was in a rare good mood. As Danny gave the details of what happened, Vlad nodded, a knowing smile broadening. Danny decided he could figure Vlad out later. He had a report to deliver.

When Danny finished, the older half-ghost put his hands on Danny's shoulders, and said, "Daniel, you have made me very proud. As a reward for your diligence, we will put part two of this project on hold. I think you will like the talent we will work on tomorrow. And I'm looking forward to seeing this room that Harry's told you about. Come, let's have a game of chess."

Danny shook his head. It was interesting to see Vlad so happy. It was weird, but kind of nice.

In the morning, Danny was still buzzed from his evening. The fact that Ron decided to leave Danny out of his revenge scheme and focus on Draco also made him happy. Danny didn't know what Ron was planning, but he figured that whatever it was would be unpleasant enough. As such, he figured he could talk peaceably to Draco again.

At breakfast, Draco noticed Danny's high spirits. "Good morning, sunshine! What has you in such a good mood today?"

Danny smiled. "The assignment I did for my uncle turned out far better than I would have imagined."

Draco raised his eyebrows. "I'm glad for you." He thought for a moment. "Are you aware of how your emotions are affected by your uncle?"

Danny shook his head. "What?"

The blond boy breathed a sigh. If he said the wrong thing, Danny would turn off again. He had to be careful. "Tuesday morning, you mentioned that you were unhappy with the assignment your uncle gave you, and you were in a dark mood all day. I had difficulty pulling two words together out of you all week. And now, apparently, it went well.

"Don't get me wrong – I'm glad for your happiness. I just noticed how steep the emotions are, and how they hinge on your interactions with your uncle."

Danny hadn't noticed. "Hmm. I never thought of that." Draco held his breath. This is what he was waiting for. "I guess… Uncle Vlad and I have a unique relationship. It's complicated by what it was before my parents died. He's wanted this relationship for a long time.

"Part of me realizes that if he wasn't so… difficult before, we might have had a much more rewarding relationship for so much longer." Danny drifted off in his thoughts.

Bingo! Draco hit the jackpot. He wanted to understand something more about his mysterious classmate, and he struck gold. He learned that Professor Masters and Danny did not always get along, and they were foist onto each other with the loss of Danny's other family members. And, it seemed, they were getting used to each other.

Draco only knew Danny for two weeks, but he now understood some of Danny's more volatile mood swings. Well, besides his weird relationship with his uncle, his otherwise severe mourning and getting used to life in a new school in a new country might have something to do with it as well.

Proud of himself for having figured out one of the many mysteries surrounding Danny Fenton, Draco decided to shift topics. "So what did you do yesterday? Besides that special assignment?"

Danny came back to the present. "At my uncle's suggestion, I watched the Gryffindor Quidditch try-outs. Which reminds me… When are the Slytherin Quidditch try-outs?"

Interesting. The wonders of Danny never ceased. "Next Saturday. Have you given thought to trying out?"

Danny smiled. "I've thought about it. Really, I won't have time for practice and stuff. But the try-outs were fun to watch, and I realize that it will be different for a different House. Also, I'm looking forward to the actual games."

Draco grinned. "What kind of reception did you have, as a Slytherin attending the Gryffindor try-outs?"

"For the most part, all was well. You know I'm friends with Harry, Hermione, and Ron. So when a rather large Seventh Year, Cormac McLaggen, came over to give me a hard time, Hermione let him know I had a right to be there." Danny didn't share the thought that if he wasn't friends with Harry and Hermione, he _might_ have been hassled as a matter of course. Even though Slytherin students usually set themselves up for this, he realized that simply being a Slytherin made him suspicious. Professor Snape could not have been more right.

"McLaggen tried out, did he? Did he make it?"

"No."

"Hmm… He would have been the only Gryffindor team member who would have been the right size for a Quidditch player. Except for the Seeker, of course."

Danny thought that the whole size thing was an odd comment. "Are you on the Slytherin team?"

Draco grinned broadly. "I've been Seeker since Second Year."

Danny shook his head. "Wait a minute. You said that McLaggen is the 'right size' for a Quidditch player."

"For every position except Seeker," Draco clarified. "Actually, your build is even better for a Seeker than mine."

"You said that before." Thinking of himself a bit self-consciously, Danny asked, "What is the supposed benefit of being short and skinny as a Seeker?"

Draco looked incredulously at his friend, and came to a realization. "You've never seen a full game of Quidditch, have you? I know Quidditch is in America, but Quodpot is far more common there. As such, you might have missed the finer points of understanding how a Quidditch game goes, or what would generally be more desirable traits in the players.

"Regardless of the size of the other players, the Seeker has to be able to dodge all the other players, balls, and hassle, and to be able to look for, track, and then catch the Golden Snitch. Because they have so much to avoid, dodge, and otherwise be able to slip in between, Seekers should be able to fit into smaller spaces. Therefore, a person of your build is ideal for a Seeker, if the person has the skill of flying in complicated patterns, great eyesight to see the blur that is the Snitch, and the aim to catch the Snitch at high speeds."

Danny smirked. "Is that all?"

Draco smiled. "It's enough."

* * *

After dinner, Danny met Vlad right outside the Great Hall. Too many people noticing them prevented them from doing anything but walk to the seventh floor. Vlad was amused by the tapestry of Barnabas the Barmy. Danny explained, "This is the Room of Requirement. Imagine what you want, need, or 'require,' and the room will provide it."

Vlad raised an eyebrow. "Will it?"

Danny said, "Look – I'll do it." He had in mind what would make the room ideal for him and Vlad to work on Defense Against the Dark Arts, and he walked back and forth three times. The door appeared. Vlad looked wary. "Check it out. If it's the same as when Harry first dreamed it up for me, this place is _unbelievable_."

Vlad opened the door, and it was the obstacle course it was when Harry first thought of the room for Danny. "Fascinating. There are things here I recognize from both your parents' and my lab. I… This room. How did you make this room work?"

Danny smiled, as he knew Vlad would love this. "You just think about what you need and want (as long as what you want falls under the laws of what can be conjured magically), and the room takes care of the details. Harry and I explored the possibilities of what we could make the room do last week."

Allowing himself to ogle a few more minutes, Vlad came back to himself. "We need chairs, as we have a bit to discuss before we get started." Danny waved his hand, and the chairs were there, as well as a sturdy card table. "You really understand this room, don't you?"

Danny shrugged. "After a morning, I figured out a few things."

Vlad creased his brow and nodded. "Right, then. On to our lesson. How does your ghost sense work?"

The boy shook his head. "What?"

Vlad tried again. "When your ghost sense is alerted, you feel a sensation of some sort. I feel a wave of heat wash over me. It isn't horrible, but it is definitely there."

Danny's eyes grew wide in recognition. "Oh, _that's_ what you meant! When my ghost sense goes off, I feel cold. A blue mist escapes my lips, like warm breath on a cold day. But it's cold. Sometimes I get a shiver that comes with it." Almost to himself, he continued, "I wonder how long my classmates in History of Magic will take to realize something is going on. As long as I don't gasp and call attention to it…"

"Hmm. That will prove to be an interesting puzzle for a different day. But for now… Your ghost sense is cold. That means that your ghostly core is a cold core. Interesting."

Danny asked, "Why is that interesting?"

Vlad smiled enigmatically. "It means that I'll need some help teaching you to use the skills you might have. I can explain the theory, and even demonstrate how I use the heat generated in my core. But it will be different for you. Now I have a plan for a trip next Saturday…"

"The Slytherin Quidditch try-outs are next Saturday!"

"Are they? Then you will be busy when I take a quick trip." Vlad thought for a moment. "I wonder… can this room provide a Portal?"

It was Danny's turn to think. "I don't know. Sir Nicholas said they use a magically enhanced natural portal, but…"

"Daniel – concentrate. See if you can get this room to make a Portal."

Danny sighed. He thought about it. He closed his eyes and thought, 'We could really use a Ghost Portal right now.' He opened his eyes. Nothing changed. "I guess something like a permanent ghost portal is too much to ask of magic."

Vlad thought aloud, "Then I'll have to ask Sir Nicholas about that portal later." Turning back to Danny, he said, "For now, see if you can call the cold into focus."

Danny answered simply, "I don't understand."

The older half-ghost thought this was an interesting challenge. "You can call a ball of ectoplasm into being at your will. Now see if you can call up a ball of ice at will."

Danny thought about this. This was a bit beyond his experience, but it was no weirder than producing ectoblasts from ghost rays. He closed his eyes to concentrate and in his hand formed a lovely ice crystal. It looked like a diamond.

Vlad blinked. "You have good taste. This is a start. I can offer suggestions, but I won't be able to give you a proper demonstration, as I don't have a cold core."

Vlad was right. Danny _did_ enjoy learning this power. Vlad had interesting suggestions, but Danny could tell he was frustrated. It was odd. Danny felt that, by rights, Vlad would have been jealous because this ice power, like his Ghostly Wail, was a power Vlad didn't share. From what Danny could tell, Vlad didn't have any powers that he couldn't duplicate, given time and practice. At least, that was the impression Vlad gave him.

Vlad wasn't jealous. There was a level of pride he radiated that Danny couldn't pin down. It was like… When his parents discovered his secret (as did the whole rest of the world) during the Reality Gauntlet incident, they were proud of him. Besides the fact that they accepted him – which Danny would NEVER forget – they were proud of him and his accomplishments as a ghost hunter. They didn't discuss it long before Danny made everyone besides Sam, Tucker, Jazz, and himself forget, but Danny knew what his parents thought for that brief, shining moment.

That was the kind of pride Vlad had for him over this set of cryogenetic and cryokinetic powers, and his Ghostly Wail. It was almost fatherly. This was weird. Before their evening was over, Vlad told Danny to reread Act III in _Hamlet_. Tomorrow was Monday, and they had work to do.

The week progressed according to schedule. Danny asked Draco about his father. It was interesting to see how much Mr. Malfoy told his son about his 'extra-curricular activities,' and it was even more interesting to see how willing Draco was to discuss them. Apparently, as long as no one mentioned the fact that Mr. Malfoy was in prison, Draco could be urged to discuss his father and his activities in great length, without pressing hard at all. Draco was proud of his father. (Focusing on Draco's father also distracted Draco from focusing on Danny's father.)

When Danny spoke to Professor Snape about learning to defend himself against Death Eater tactics using Draco's father as an example, Professor Snape was surprised at how enterprising Danny could be. Together, they filled Danny's morning break with discussions of Death Eater tactics and possible defenses against them. Professor Snape would talk to Vlad about figuring out how many of the spells Death Eaters were fond of worked on half-ghosts.

* * *

On Wednesday, Ron decided to exact his punishment against Draco. In Defense Against the Dark Arts, Draco muttered something to Blaise before Professor Masters began the day's class.

"If you are so keen to let on about the secrets of others, maybe now you'll share yours with the class." Ron pointed his wand at Draco. "_Sonorus_."

Not having noticed, Draco continued his muttering. "… I don't know why he cares so much about non-humans. I mean, for all we know, Professor Masters might even have ideas about equality with _Muggles_. Why this is so important to him, I'll never know." He looked up and noticed that every eye in the class was on him.

Ron whispered, "That's enough. _Quietus_."

Vlad stared at Draco, as did everyone else. He narrowed his eyes at the boy and said, "Yes, Mr. Malfoy, I do indeed have ideas about equality among all humans, Muggle and wizard, and even some ideas about partial humans and their equality with full humans. I do believe, however, that now is not the time to go into it. I can explain my views more fully in detention. Come to my office during your afternoon break, and we will discuss when would be the best time for this." Draco shrank into his seat, hoping to avoid the furious glower of Professor Masters.

"If you are quite through, perhaps we can talk about why vampires seem to follow most morés set by wizards, when they are Dark creatures by nature and have every inclination to go against Wizarding Law. The Ministry favors them over werewolves, yet unlike werewolves, the vampires' bloodlust never leaves. A werewolf is mostly human for most of a month. Vampires are never mostly human, although they are fully humanoid…"

That afternoon, Draco found himself in Professor Masters' office. There were lots of books in the plentiful shelves. Many of the books were on psychology. Others were about different magical creatures. Others were about Wizarding law, and some were on American law and British law (both sets were presumably about Muggle law). There were other books, but Draco didn't have time to observe them. He was rather nervous about what punishment this mysterious professor would come up with.

In a tone that was light but extremely dangerous, Vlad said, "Mr. Malfoy, what shall we _do_ with you? Hmm… We can't disturb class schedules, including Daniel's special schedule… The weekend. That is it. Saturday it is!"

"But Saturday is the Slytherin Quidditch try-outs!"

Putting a finger to his lips, Vlad said, "Yes, it is, isn't it?" He looked up in consideration. To himself, he muttered, "He would enjoy it more if… Right, then." Looking at the student in front of him, he said, "After the try-outs, you are to come to this office. I have an interesting assignment for you. Perhaps when you are through, you may have learned something about tolerating people different than yourself."

Draco couldn't believe his good fortune. Professor Umbridge didn't allow Potter to attend Gryffindor try-outs last year, but Professor Masters _was_ permitting him to attend the Slytherin try-outs. Then it occurred to him that this wasn't for his own benefit, but for Danny's. With a small smile, he thought, 'I guess there _are_ benefits to being friends with the professor's nephew.'

Looking back at the professor, Draco said, "Yes, sir."

"Be aware, Mr. Malfoy, that Saturday is just the beginning. The lesson is over when _I've_ decided the lesson is learned."

Draco shuddered. "Yes, sir."

"You are dismissed."

* * *

Professor Flitwick and Vlad determined that the ghosts' ectoplasmic emanations were too monochromatic for public display, particularly for Danny's conjuration, but if Professor Flitwick wanted Danny to practice forming ectoplasm into usable shapes, he was welcome to use one of Danny's breaks for the purpose.

Professor Flitwick decided that he had to think about where he would have Danny begin, but they would start some time next week. He would tell Danny about this next class.

* * *

Saturday morning came, and the Slytherin Common Room pulsed with excitement at the upcoming try-outs. Danny was curious about who Vlad was going to visit, but he was sure Vlad would tell him later. Draco was a little nervous about Professor Masters' detention, but he would not let that get to him. After a healthy breakfast, the Slytherins left for the Quidditch pitch.

Danny took a seat in the stands and noticed the many differences between this week and last week. For one thing, there was no one present who wasn't from Slytherin. Therefore, the crowd was much smaller. The second thing he noticed was that no girls were in the field. There were plenty of girls in the stands, but not one attempted to try out.

From what Danny could tell, Draco was right: with the exception of Draco, no one bothered to enter the field who wasn't built like Crabbe or Goyle. The guys trying out played well enough, but a knowing smile crossed their faces. Gone was the light-hearted celebration of last week. If Danny didn't know better, he could imagine the players trying out for a bully hit squad. The image made Danny shiver because that feeling never left him.

Draco flew over to him. "I think you might like to know our team." He pointed out the team members as he mentioned them. "You know I'm the Seeker, of course. Crabbe and Goyle are our Beaters. Miles Bletchly has been made Keeper. Adrian Pucey has been one of our Chasers for years. Vaisey is another Chaser, and Harper is a substitute. Our captain, Urquhart, is a Seventh Year. He is also a Chaser.

"Are you sure you don't want to try out?"

Danny looked at him. "Are you nuts?"

Draco smiled. "Not at all. If you have the skill, you could be a spare Seeker."

Danny couldn't hide the dreamy look in his eye. By flying on a broom with skills he's built over the course of his being a half-ghost hero, he could easily (in theory, anyway) be a superior player to Dash. This thought excited him.

"Come on. At least try for it."

Back to his senses, Danny protested, "I'm honored by the thought, but I _really_ won't have the time. Professor Flitwick mentioned an extra tutoring session or a series of them to help me in Charms, and he just 'okay'ed it with my uncle. I…"

Draco held up a hand. "I get it. I understand. But I'm curious about what you can do."

Danny sighed. "I guess it couldn't hurt to try." He followed Draco to the field.

Striding purposefully to the biggest fellow on the field, Draco said, "Urquhart, I want you to meet Danny Fenton."

The team captain sized him up before responding. It took a lot of willpower on Danny's part to not back away. "You're the foreign exchange student, right?"

Danny nodded. "That's me."

Draco drawled, "If it's alright with you, I'd like to give Danny a shot at trying out."

Danny glared. "Draco…"

Urquhart raised an eyebrow. "For Seeker, of course. Well… a spare Seeker."

Draco grinned. "Of course. He won't actually have time to play or practice, but it might be fun to see what he can do." Winking at Danny, he said, "I heard a rumor that you're as good as Potter. Prove them wrong. Show them you're _better_ than Potter."

Danny sighed. He didn't have anything to prove. This exhibition didn't matter. Then he looked up into the stands, and his eyes were drawn to a red cloak. Vlad was watching. All of a sudden, it mattered a great deal. "Okay." He started back towards the broom shed, and found his way blocked by Crabbe and Goyle.

"Where do you think _you're_ going?" Goyle asked him.

Danny shifted uncomfortably on his feet. "To get a broom. I don't have one of my own."

Goyle gave him a smile. "Slytherins don't use Shooting Stars. Malfoy's father paid top Galleon for a set of Nimbus 2001s for the House Team. If you're trying out, you'll ride in style."

Danny rubbed the back of his neck. He found he had A-list benefits, so it seemed. He supposed this was the upside to being in the exclusive club of the House of Slytherin. It made him a little uncomfortable, but he couldn't see the harm in it. "Okay."

Goyle pressed his broom into Danny's hands. "Good luck."

"Thanks."

Draco said, "Follow my lead." Draco led an aerial dance almost as complicated as the moves Harry used the first time they played. This broom, however, was _far_ more compliant than the last one he used. (Flight on his own was still more fun, but there was no question that this broom was superior to the one he used this summer.) "Whoa. You _are_ good. Are you sure you didn't play in the States?"

Danny grinned. "I'm positive."

Draco grinned back at his friend. "Would you like a sample of what a Seeker has to do?"

Danny shrugged. "Why not?"

Urquhart smiled unpleasantly. "We've got the team we need. There's no reason we can't try out a spare Seeker. Let's see what you've got, Fenton. A full-scale practice would work nicely."

Someone opened the rest of the kit of balls. The Quaffle was already out, one of the Bludgers was released (as only one Beater was on his broom), and they showed him the Snitch before releasing it. "Now, go!" Urquhart shouted.

Danny found that tracking the Snitch was easier than following the will-o'-the-wisp ghost decoy the Guys in White used when Gregor (or Elliot) was in Casper High. He looked at Draco. Both boys dodged the other players and the ever-present Bludger. "When am I supposed to go for the Snitch?" Danny asked.

"As soon as you find it," shouted Draco, who still circled, looking out for it.

"Oh." Danny avoided the players around him and caught the Snitch. "Now what?"

The team landed. "You… caught the Snitch in seconds. That was about half a minute longer than the world record!" Draco exclaimed.

"Wow," Danny said. "I didn't mean…"

Crabbe smacked him in the back of the head, and Danny stumbled forward. "You did what no one else here could do, and you're about to say you didn't mean to do it?"

"I, uh…"

Urquhart said, "You are our spare Seeker. Even if you never come to a practice, if you can do that, I have no doubt you can do it again."

Danny rubbed his head where Crabbe hit him. "Thanks."

Draco looked at Danny. "Where did you learn to fly like that?"

The dark-haired boy smirked. "I've had practice."

Draco raised an eyebrow. "But this is the first you've played Quidditch?"

Danny said, "Over the summer, I played with your favorite Gryffindor trio. But until this summer, I've never played Quidditch before in my life."

Draco studied Danny. He didn't seem to be lying, but that grace, that ease in flight, and that exquisite eyesight could not be anything but the product of years of practice. Just as he solved one mystery surrounding Danny Fenton, he discovered another.

Danny looked into the stands where Vlad applauded him. Danny grinned and took a bow. Draco followed Danny's eyes and groaned. Danny asked, "What was…?"

Draco looked down. "My detention with your uncle starts as soon as I leave the pitch." Glancing back up at Professor Masters, who nodded in his direction, he sighed. "Which is right now."

* * *

After Sunday's Power Training class with Danny, Vlad could not contain his joy. If the room worked as Daniel said it did, there were quite a number of possibilities to explore. The Room of Requirement could conjure anything possible by the laws of magic. For Powers Training, the room turned to a gymnasium/simulation room that rivaled his own at home. Not leaving the room, when they studied English on Monday, the room became part library, part college classroom. Only a few modifications popped up when he taught Business math. So far, with the exception of a permanent Ghost Portal, the only limits the room seemed to have were those of his imagination, and Vlad had a fertile, expansive imagination.

With all things considered, he still needed to visit the Ghost Zone. What ghost knew anything about cryokinetics? Besides Klemper. Vlad shivered in disgust. While he didn't yet know, Vlad had a good idea of who might know. And it was good to know this ghost was friendly with Daniel.

But first, he had to find out about the Portal. Asking a portrait for the general whereabouts of Sir Nicholas, Vlad discovered that Sir Nicholas preferred to spend spare time talking to Sir Cadogan, a portrait who had interesting ideas of chivalry. Vlad found them chatting merrily about something or other until he cleared his throat. It always amused him to see ghosts without a ghost sense respond to his sudden arrival.

Turning his head in Vlad's direction, Sir Nicholas said, "Professor Masters! How may I be of service this evening?" The ghosts' formality and deference to him never got old. The other House ghosts were equally obliging, but Sir Nicholas was usually more willing to overcome his fear of Vlad and speak with him more directly.

"If we may, I'd prefer to talk somewhere more private."

"At this hour, any classroom is available."

"Very well." Sir Nicholas led him to the classroom he and Daniel spent so much time using. Not seating himself at the table, Vlad said, "Sir Nicholas, Daniel mentioned that there is a 'magically enhanced natural portal' ghosts here use when traveling abroad."

"Yes."

"Where is it? I need to visit the Ghost Zone this weekend."

A small shiver went through the Gryffindor ghost. Bizarre things happened when Vlad went to the Ghost Zone. "It is actually in the wall near the Hufflepuff wing. But when I say it is in the wall, it isn't merely _on_ the wall, but it is only accessible if you are in the process of gliding through the wall."

Vlad raised his eyebrows. "That is brilliant. That means that humans and other non-ghosts can't fall through by accident. Only a ghost, or someone at the express invitation and direct influence of a ghost, can use it."

Sir Nicholas bowed his head. "Only you and Danny have the ability to take any with you. Or, I imagine, ghosts from your home."

"Interesting. Please take me to the Portal." Sir Nicholas watched the professor turn to Plasmius.

"Right this way."

Vlad recognized the hall from his evenings on patrol. Phasing through a wall that was not connected to the Hufflepuff Common Room, they reached the portal. "Sir Nicholas, where in the Ghost Zone does this lead?"

Sir Nicholas thought for a moment. "I'm not sure. Most of the closest doors lead all around the British Isles. There are a few doors which might lead back to where you are most familiar."

"Come with me and show me."

Sir Nicholas closed his eyes a moment. "As you wish." They entered the portal. It was the first time since July Vlad saw the familiar green swirl. However, the pattern of the doors was different than any he recognized. "These lead all over England, Scotland, Wales, and both Irelands. But _this_ door," he indicated a more ornately decorated door, "leads to places and ghosts you undoubtedly know."

Vlad noticed Sir Nicholas's discomfort. "I promise we won't go much longer. But please come with me. I want to be able to recognize the doors when I come back here on Saturday." He shook his head. "If it makes you feel better, it is for Daniel's benefit."

The older ghost looked tremendously more at ease with this declaration. "Right, then. Let's go."

After going through the beautifully decorated door, Vlad saw Walker's prison in the distance. He also saw the football that covered the entrance to his Wisconsin portal. "I can see my home from here!" Vlad joked. Sir Nicholas nodded in acknowledgement. The very ornate door was just as seriously decorated from this side as it was on the other side. "Let's go back to the castle, shall we?" Together, both ghosts came back to Hogwarts.

Tuesday, Professor Snape found Vlad in the faculty lounge. "Professor Masters, might I have a word with you?"

Vlad was curious. He remembered the last time he asked Snape that very question in this very room. "Of course."

"Yesterday, Daniel told me that he discovered that one of the parents of one of his Housemates is a Death Eater." The look in Vlad's eyes turned to steel. "Daniel was enterprising enough to ask said student if he knew of said parent's activities, and it turns out that the student knows quite a bit of his parent's illegal activities. Daniel specifically requested that I show him how to defend against the Death Eaters' spells of choice."

Vlad had an idea of where this was going, and he had no intention of helping Professor Snape get there. "And?"

Snape saw that Vlad was going to be difficult, but this was for Daniel. "I wanted to have your consent to experiment with you again."

Vlad crossed his arms. "So you can use the spells against Daniel again?"

Professor Snape shook his head in surprise and confusion. "What do you mean?"

Looking at his nails, Vlad said, "You used the Imperius Curse against my nephew. How can I trust you to not abuse your magic against him again?"

Snape flushed. "I did nothing without his express consent, and I taught him to fight against mind control. Wizards are not the only people capable of attempting to control people's minds. Daniel was clearly traumatized by an unscrupulous circus ringmaster named Frederich Isak Showenhower, or 'Freakshow,' who enslaved the minds of ghosts, he being one of them. I thought it was valuable to teach Daniel how to fight mind control." He smiled triumphantly. "He's successful, and he can throw it off completely now."

Vlad said, "I'm glad he gave you his consent, but I notice you did not ask for _mine_. I am his guardian, and I do believe that _my_ consent is required if a professor of this school chooses to use magic for any purpose on me or my nephew, as both of us are Muggles. You have violated this trust, whether it was well-intentioned or not."

Professor Snape recoiled as if Vlad struck him in the face; Vlad was correct. After teaching young witches and wizards for so long, the actual protocol for teaching a Muggle about magic slipped his mind. The most common application of said protocol had to do with explaining to parents or siblings of Muggle-born students and what such a student was expected to learn. Both the Statute of Secrecy and the laws against magical abuse of Muggles were quite clear on these matters. He learned about this reluctantly, as he resented the idea of teaching Muggles about magic, until he had a Muggle as an actual student.

Vlad was angry, and took no pleasure in Snape's discomfort at this accusation. Funny, joke-around Vlad wasn't here today. "Because I know you have Daniel's benefit in mind, I give you my consent to experiment on _me_. You will do nothing but explain the results of said experiments to Daniel unless you explain to _me_ in full detail what you plan to do with or to the boy. I will grant or withhold consent _per description_ of any given spell, as I see fit.

"You will ask my permission for use of any spell on or against Daniel. If I find out that you used another spell on him against my wishes or without my consent, I will report you to the authorities available to me and request that you are punished to the fullest extent of the Wizarding Law. Do I make myself clear?"

It was only years of working closely with the Dark Lord that gave Professor Snape the wherewithal to not tremble in self-loathing, as such a reaction would be seen as weakness. He vowed to Professor Dumbledore long ago and again to every Slytherin student every September first to protect each and every student for whom he was Head of House. (He protected the other students too, but their emotional well-beings were not his affair.) And Vlad Masters pointed out precisely how he had failed in his most sacred of duties. Professor Snape closed his eyes. "You could not possibly be more so."

"Very well. Give me a list of the experiments you intend to perform, and we will work out a schedule. I expect a preliminary list by Sunday at dinner." With that, Vlad left the faculty room.

Only years of scheming and hiding his true emotions helped Vlad keep his fury hidden from the students as the rest of the day progressed. It took a serious force of willpower not to clutch the boy he thought of as a son protectively to him during their evening classes.

Danny noticed a change in Vlad's general demeanor; he couldn't tell what was going on, but he sensed there was a good deal of emotion being repressed. When they discussed the play within the play in _Hamlet_ and the way Claudius revealed his guilt, Vlad grew quiet. Danny asked, "Vlad, are you okay?"

The man looked tenderly at his charge. "Professor Snape will probably describe some spells the Death Eaters prefer to use. He will _not_ use any more spells on or against you, even for your benefit, without clearing them with me first. And he will do nothing at all to you for the rest of the week."

Danny looked puzzled. "Okay…"

Vlad furrowed his brow. "Daniel, has any teacher besides Professor Snape used any spells of any kind on you?"

Danny thought for a minute. "No. Last week, Professor Flitwick said he would ask you about the idea of my conjuring ectoplasm into different shapes." He cocked his head. "I didn't tell him about the ice yet."

Vlad nodded. "Right. Professor Flitwick and I discussed your 'conjuring' last week. He told me of your observation that the uniformity of color would indeed be 'a serious give-away.' You have a good deal more sense than I gave you credit for. Perhaps next week you will start working with him during a free period to concentrate on what you can form out of ectoplasm, and possibly ice.

"I know that what you are doing with me in Powers Training," he cleared his throat, "is only the tip of the iceberg of what you are capable of. But not having this power myself, I can only do so much to mentor you on my own. This Saturday, I intend to take a quick trip to the Ghost Zone to find someone who can help us."

Danny rolled his eyes at the 'tip of the iceberg' comment, but he listened carefully. "You said you were taking a trip a couple of days ago. You're going to the Ghost Zone? Who are you going to see?"

Vlad smiled. "Someone who likes you and would probably seek to help you."

Danny looked thoughtful. "That narrows it down. Really."

In a decidedly better mood, Vlad was ready to continue the English lesson. He let Danny guess whom he would visit, leaving it as a puzzle for him to solve until Vlad visited the ghost in question on the weekend.

The overly loud, inappropriate comment made by Mr. Malfoy in his class on Wednesday made Vlad think. The words spoken were obviously not meant for his ears. Just then, it occurred to him: professors are not the only people here capable of using magic inappropriately. Mr. Argus Filch, the caretaker and janitor of the school, resents the magical messes he has to clean. Wait a minute.

There is a rule against using magic in the hallways. That is what Snape took 15 points from Mr. Potter for, before he gave Mr. Potter the 18 points back. While 15 points might have been excessive, Professor Snape might have had a valid case. Still, from Daniel's observation of Mr. Potter and his friends, it appears that Professor Snape singles them out for torment, particularly Mr. Potter. While Snape might have a point, perhaps rescuing Mr. Potter from Snape's harsh influence was still worth it. Vlad decided that this bore reflection later, and possible investigation.

Regardless, falling prey to a magical prank or not (Vlad's vigilance against student misbehavior required an upgrade on his next rotation to patrol the halls after hours), Mr. Malfoy's attitude was in severe need of adjustment. At home, Vlad had all kinds of literature that might be appropriate… The Room of Requirement would provide what he needed. After dismissing Daniel Wednesday night, Vlad told the library in the room the topic he wanted to focus on. Some new books became available on the shelves. Vlad perused through the new books. Reading through many, he chose three works and spare copies of each and took them back to his room. He was now ready for Mr. Malfoy.

Vlad came to breakfast early on Saturday. He wanted to see Daniel briefly before he headed to the Ghost Zone. The entire population of the Slytherin table was animated with the upcoming try-outs. Leaving the room early, he came back invisibly and tapped Daniel on the shoulder. The boy looked around to see who tapped him. Invisibly, Vlad smiled and whispered, "I'll tell him you say 'Hello.' I'll see you later." With that, he was off.

Noting the doors around him as he passed through the Ghost Zone, he breathed more easily once he got to more familiar territory. He smiled to himself. Now that he knew how to get here from Hogwarts, he might pay a few visits. However, today he needed to stay focused if he wanted to get back on time.

Vlad came to a stately mansion with columns reminiscent of eras gone by. He knew he was in the right place. He knocked on the door.

A surprised ghost widened his green eyes when he opened the door. "Plasmius!"

Vlad smiled. "It's good to see you, Ghostwriter."

The frightened ghost opened the door wider, inviting Vlad in. It wouldn't do to annoy this powerful half-ghost. "To what do I owe the honor of this visit?" He wished his fear was not as plainly visible as he felt it. The Ghostwriter stayed clear of trouble for the most part. While his Keyboard gave him the power to change reality, he hoped that whatever he did to attract the attention of Plasmius was innocuous.

Vlad felt it was good to know that his absence didn't affect the reputation he earned for himself. The Ghostwriter had severe difficulty hiding his fear, which pleased the evil half-ghost. "This is purely a business call. I don't expect it to take too much of your time."

The author adjusted his glasses and invited Vlad to take a seat in his library. "What can I do for you?" He prayed that whatever Plasmius cooked up wouldn't bend or break his morals too badly.

"Believe it or not, this call isn't for me. I'm looking for some information that will help Daniel."

"Daniel? You mean Danny Fenton?"

Vlad's smile broadened. "The one and the same."

The Ghostwriter frowned. "You haven't hurt him, have you?"

Vlad sighed. "News gets around here slowly, does it?"

"I don't get out much. I might have missed a thing or two, or a few."

"On July 20, some rather evil humans descended upon Amity Park, decimating the population. Included among the fallen were Daniel's family, friends, teachers, and other people he knew. I knew nothing of the attack until young Daniel came to my mansion in Wisconsin, teary-eyed and with suitcases in tow."

The poet's frown deepened. "I'm sorry for his loss." He closed his eyes. "He made such progress, too. Danny promised to work harder to show Christmas cheer this year. Just about everybody who would have noticed the difference is gone now."

Vlad furrowed his brows. "Thank you for telling me." He closed his eyes. "This year will be particularly hard for him. I hadn't thought of that."

The Ghostwriter looked up at him. "What do you mean?"

With a sigh, Vlad explained. "I am Daniel's legal guardian. It's been hard enough to deal with his schooling. I never thought about Christmas." A wry smile graced his lips. "Although he did tell me of your rather vindictive lesson."

The Ghostwriter trembled. He could easily envision Plasmius's vengeful wrath for daring to damage his charge. Vlad chuckled.

"He said that he learned his lesson, and that he befriended you. I'm rather curious, and might buy a copy of your poem." The Ghostwriter blinked. "While it might be a painful reminder of Daniel's inappropriate behavior, it is also a pleasant reminder of happier sentiments. He discovered the Christmas Truce, the annual Christmas party in the Ghost Zone, and he learned that the holiday season is what you make it. Those things are worthwhile.

"Frankly, I'll do my best to make our first Christmas together happy."

The Ghostwriter raised his eyebrows. This was an unexpected development.

"But now, it's time I explained the main purpose of my visit today. I've been training the boy in the use of his powers. He's made amazing strides, and I'm sure he's done better than he would have, stumbling about as a lone ghost in his adolescence. However, he has a few powers I don't share.

"You have witnessed his Ghostly Wail. This, he can develop with time, practice, and guidance. Those I can give him. The power he has in which my guidance is limited is his cryokinetics. It occurs to me that with your extensive research, you might know of a ghost who knows something about manipulating ice." Rolling his eyes, he added, "Besides Klemper."

The Ghostwriter smirked. "I understand. Give me a moment." He flew to a section of his library, a few shelves from the ceiling. "Ice, ice… Ah, here it is!" He pulled a volume from the shelf. "This is a history of the people of the Far Frozen. They are yeti-like ghosts. It is doubtful if they've ever spent time in the Real World. Still, they've lionized Danny because of his involvement in the Ghost King incident." He blushed as he realized he spoke to the ghost who _released_ the Ghost King in the first place.

Vlad rolled his eyes again. "Yes, well… where is this 'Far Frozen'?"

The Ghostwriter flew to his section on atlases and found a map of this section of the Ghost Zone. Bringing the map to where Vlad sat, the Ghostwriter pointed to the place it was on the map. "It's right here."

"Oh. It's a bit out of the way, but it looks like it shouldn't be too hard to find, if I make sure of those landmarks. When I get back, it will just be a matter of timing. I'll have to visit them tomorrow."

The Ghostwriter smiled. "Their leader is named Frostbite."

Vlad repeated, "Frostbite. Somehow, I'm not surprised. Thank you for your hospitality and assistance. Daniel says 'Hello,' and sends his regards. I might bring him for a visit. Oh, and which currency are you using? I want a copy of that poem."

* * *

When he got back to Hogwarts, Vlad flew invisibly to the Quidditch pitch, found a seat in the stands, and released his invisibility. He was in time to see Draco on his broom talking to Danny. Daniel seemed to object to whatever Draco was saying, but the blond boy convinced a reluctant Daniel to come to the field. Easily dwarfed by the team of players, which seemed manned entirely by fullbacks, the Slytherin prefect took Daniel to meet the largest teen in the field.

Good for Daniel! He looked nervous, but stood his ground. One of Draco's bodyguard-like bookends handed Daniel his broom. That was nice of him.

Daniel looked up and found him in the stands. The boy's nervousness melted and was replaced by determination. It appeared that these students appreciated his boy's skill on a broom. They started to play, and Vlad saw what this game was. He followed the players and their interaction with the three balls. After a moment of confusion, Danny gracefully avoided the other players (he's seen that move before!) and held what appeared to be a golden walnut (Daniel's description was accurate).

It was no wonder the students were impressed; Vlad himself was impressed. The other bookend smacked Daniel in the head. Since no one, including Daniel, objected too strongly, Vlad surmised that Daniel was being annoyingly modest. He's seen that before, too.

The game was over, and Daniel was the hero. Vlad applauded, as the show was a good one. When Daniel looked up, Vlad smiled at him. The boy grinned and bowed. Vlad was very proud; Daniel was indeed good at this. And now Mr. Malfoy owed him a detention.

Once Draco was seated in front of him in his office, Vlad began. "It is clear to me, Mr. Malfoy, that you have a problem with tolerance. You are a wizard chauvinist, and even though partial humans are common enough in the Wizarding World, you fail to acknowledge their humanity, partial though it might be.

"I also understand that you, as a teenager, are merely a product of your environment. You don't know better, as I'm sure you were raised to hold your views. Knowing what I do of History of Magic, I understand the sources of your primary prejudice. Muggles feared people with magic, torturing them and killing them for centuries, sometimes in the name of religion, but almost always out of fear and power. And what might have been a logical bias at one time has been taken to its farthest extreme, where the views – initially formed out of fear and resentment – have broken completely with reality.

"You are a wizard, with a long-standing Wizarding heritage. I'm glad for you. Welcome to the human race. It takes all kinds of people to make up the human race. Muggles are just as human as wizards. It's a scary world, but at the cusp of the 21st century, it is time you learned that.

"Over the course of our sessions," Draco gasped, "yes, multiple sessions of this bout of detention, we are going to study works written by Muggles addressing the issues of tolerance the authors faced in their time. We are going to explore the application of their lessons to issues present in the Wizarding World. The first will be a letter by John Locke. The work is "A Letter Concerning Toleration," and it discusses tolerance of people belonging to different religions. The main focus is Christians dealing with other Christians of differing denominations, but I'm sure we can find a useful lesson in there somewhere.

"The second work will be the Declaration of Independence of America from England, written by Thomas Jefferson."

"Danny mentioned that!" Draco exclaimed. "We talked about that on our first day of classes."

Vlad raised an eyebrow. "Did he? No doubt, you said something that offended his sensibilities of equality among humanity."

Draco blushed. "The bit I remember was: 'We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal'."

"I'm impressed. Five points for Slytherin." Draco grinned. "Oh, not on your behalf, but on Daniel's." Draco's face fell. "I must remember to reward him later for his quick thinking.

"When Thomas Jefferson wrote the words, he was making the point that people should be tolerated as people, regardless of their nation of origin. Well… To be fair, America wasn't properly a nation at the time. But the British governance, hence the British soldiers stationed in the American colonies, treated the colonists so abominably, the Continental Congress decided that the only way to regain logical political and general human rights was for the citizens of the colonies to become a separate nation." A smirk blossomed on Vlad's face. "I'm aware that Muggles here learn a different perspective on that matter in history, but I am also a product of the society I come from, and that gives me an American perspective.

"The third work we will cover is a work by Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. It is the text of the speech he gave on August 28, 1963, in his March on Washington. In common parlance, it is known as his famed 'I Have a Dream Speech.' This work discusses tolerance of people who look different, and have different skin color from each other, among other things.

"In my observations of the students here, this is one level of prejudice that doesn't seem to exist, to the credit of the people in every House in this school. However, the lesson to be learned here is that people are people, regardless of their origin, or what they happen to look like, or even what they may be. The lesson I expect _you_ to learn from this speech, Mr. Malfoy, is that people with a human sentience deserve to be treated as human, regardless of any other consideration. If they are innocent, they deserve to be treated as such. If they have acted against humanity, they should be tried for their crimes, but they deserve to be treated as innocent until proven guilty, as justice is expected for any full human.

"It is nearing dinner time, and I have to prepare for Daniel's class this evening. Tonight you will take this copy of John Locke's 'Letter Concerning Toleration' and read it. You will meet me here tomorrow at the same time we began today, and we will discuss it. And we will meet during your afternoon break every weekday until I've decided that you have learned your lesson. You are dismissed."

21


	20. Chapter 20

As always, a sincere thanks to all who have read and reviewed, added this to their assorted lists, and this time granted season's greetings! A warm cup of hot chocolate and a mug of alcohol-free eggnog to all.

Several people have asked me about this in the reviews, so I figured it was worthy of a public answer. When Vlad started making Danny use his ice powers, people mentioned that they thought the first use of the power would be far more dramatic.

In "Urban Jungle," the first time in the series that Danny consciously uses his ice powers, Frostbite told him to discharge his ice energy all at once. This is what produced the expectation of the need to have a dramatic beginning.

However, probably having gone through an experience similar to that, Vlad decided to bypass the problem by having Danny use his ice powers before enough of the cold energy overloaded his system. As such, the beginning did not have to be explosive (much to the dismay of many readers who enjoy mayhem and destruction in Danny's wake. You know who you are).

Disclaimer: I do not own _Danny Phantom_, _Harry Potter_, _Macbeth_, _Hamlet_, or _Hair_. I do own the idea of a Dumpty Humpty song having lines from _Macbeth,_ but I'm perfectly willing to share this idea.

Chapter 20

When Draco came to dinner, his face was ashen. Even if Danny thought he deserved the detention, something looked out of joint. "What happened, Draco?"

"Your uncle…" He opened and closed his mouth a few times.

Danny put a steadying hand on his arm. "Do you want to talk about it?"

"He… equality…"

Now that he understood the problem, Danny smirked. "I'm sorry to tell you, you've had this coming. What is he making you do?"

Draco shot him a look of betrayal. "He's pretty much trying to change my whole outlook on life."

Danny looked at him a moment. "Is your baseless hatred and superiority complex against all people Muggle, Muggle-born, and hybrid so important to you that you can't bear to look at a different perspective?"

Draco flushed and frowned. "You don't sound like a Slytherin. My views have been long held by the Founder of our House…"

"And enforced by…" Danny winced as he realized that saying the name 'Voldemort' might give away too much right now. What did Professor Snape call him? Right. "The Dark Lord. Right. Countless innocent people died because… what? They're not wizard enough?"

That cut Draco short. It was one thing to lord superiority over people, but to kill them? That was… what the Dark Lord and the Death Eaters did, didn't they? "When you put it like that…"

"It sounds like Nazi Germany." Draco blinked. Danny was taken aback. "Dude, what have they taught you here? You are living in the country that survived the Blitzkrieg, and…" Danny closed his eyes and shook his head. "How is it possible that you live in Europe but you don't know about the Nazis, who only devastated all of Europe between 1933 and 1945? I might not have been the best student of history but how, in the name of all things magical, did you miss learning about World War II?"

Draco blanched. "That sounds like the time of Grindelwald. He was the Dark Lord's predecessor."

"Okay. And?"

Draco noticed his friend's eyes harden to steel. Whatever sympathy he thought he would find was just not there. "And maybe I should ask your uncle about that after I finish reading what he's assigned me."

Curiosity overtook Danny's disbelief in the gaping hole in Draco's knowledge of history. "What did he assign you?"

"Tonight, I have to read something called 'A Letter Concerning Toleration'."

"I haven't heard of that, but with a title like that, I'm not surprised."

"And later, we're going to study the American Declaration of Independence, and an 'I Have a Dream' speech."

"Cool! It's been a while since I've seen or heard the whole thing of those."

No sympathy for the work he had to look forward to was forthcoming. Draco sighed. "I've lost my appetite. I might as well get started reading. I'll see you after your class with your uncle."

* * *

After dinner, Danny and Vlad met in the Room of Requirement. Danny wanted to talk about today, but he waited until his lesson was over. Vlad looked excited too, but studies came first. When Vlad said, "Now, studies are over for today," Danny beamed.

"So, who did you visit?"

Vlad smiled at Danny fondly. "The Ghostwriter sends his regards." Danny smiled. "And I bought two copies of his Christmas poem: one for you and one for me."

Danny stopped still. There were a lot of memories involved in that poem. Vlad was surprised at Danny's reaction. Perhaps a blush of embarrassment was what he expected. This… oh. "Daniel…"

Tears formed in Danny's eyes, and the boy looked away. "They're gone. They're all… I'm sorry."

Vlad reacted before he thought about it. He walked over and hugged Danny. The boy stiffened, but didn't resist. After a moment, Vlad pulled back. "I miss them, too."

Danny cocked his head. "You do? But I thought you hated…"

"Shh… Let's not discuss that now. Today, at the try-outs, you and Draco spent a bit of time talking before you went to the field. What did you talk about?"

A whole host of emotions went through Danny as he tried to process what just happened. He wasn't sure he could deal with most of them right now. Instead, he focused on answering the question. "Draco asked me if I wanted to try out. I reminded him that I have no time to practice. But he wanted to see what I could do."

"You are very good, you know."

Danny smiled. "I'm glad you think so. They said I caught the Snitch – the small, gold ball – in record time, actually about half a minute longer than the world record." Vlad raised his eyebrows. "Knowing that I can't go to practice, the team captain told me that regardless of all that, I am the team's reserve Seeker."

"I was sure they would be impressed by your skill if they had a chance to see it. I was right."

Danny looked at Vlad. He recognized that look from when his parents used it on him. It was more than just pride; it was love. This was weird.

Vlad saw that Danny didn't look comfortable. He closed his eyes for a few seconds. When he opened them, he changed topics and spoke in a lighter tone. Danny looked relieved. Vlad still had a reward for him in mind, but he figured that he would discuss it later.

* * *

At breakfast, Vlad pulled Danny aside and told him he was going back to the Ghost Zone, but he would be back in time for lunch. Danny nodded. After breakfast, he headed to the library. Most of the students from Defense Against the Dark Arts were there, as were a bunch of other students from different years in different Houses. Slytherin students whispered about him, but he had at least three papers to work on and no patience to deal with that.

Danny's ghost sense went off. When he looked up, he saw that Peeves threw chalk at random students, chuckling at his own mischief. When Peeves hit the person next to Danny, Danny glared and said, "Peeves, do you mind?"

Peeves stopped laughing and stared. "Mr. Fenton! I didn't notice you were there, Mr. Fenton. I'll just leave you alone now, Mr. Fenton. Good-bye, Mr. Fenton!" With that, he soared through the ceiling.

The eye of every student was on Danny. Ron asked, "What was that?"

Danny shrugged. "I couldn't tell you." The stares persisted. With an exasperated sigh, Danny packed up his books and headed outside.

In Danny's absence, the library broke out into whispers. The four Ravenclaws from Danny's History of Magic class and Ernie Macmillan started comparing notes. Harry, Ron, and Hermione did the same. The Slytherins present decided that, while they had no idea why this just happened, this only raised Danny in their esteem.

The Ravenclaws and Ernie discussed the bizarre reaction of the Crup to Danny, and of Professor Binns' changed disposition in History of Magic. Peeves not only respected Danny, but he seemed to _fear_ Danny. They never saw Peeves show deference to anyone quite that way, except to the Bloody Baron. But to a student?

Peeves saluted the Weasley twins when they told him to "give Umbridge hell for them." But that was more… encouragement to follow his natural inclination for mischief. This sudden cessation from mischief at a student's behest was unheard of.

Harry, Ron, and Hermione thought for a bit. They remembered that, over the summer, Danny had an affinity for the House ghosts. The first time they met him, he spoke of Myrtle. And now, Peeves listened to him, almost fearing him. What was Danny's connection to these ghosts? They couldn't figure it out. And, of course, Danny sounded like Phantom, but they decided this didn't mean anything more than they both came from America.

The Slytherins remembered that the first time they saw Danny, he had no problem talking to the Bloody Baron. Maybe the Baron deputized Danny in some way. The Slytherins in the Sixth Year Defense Against the Dark Arts class thought of Danny's weird reaction to Professor Masters' comment about ghosts. They didn't know what to make of this, but the idea that a student could control Peeves as effectively as the Bloody Baron made them proud of their Housemate. Maybe they could prevail upon Draco (who seemed to treat Danny as his personal project, and no one wanted to get on the prefect's bad side) to ask about Danny's effect on Peeves.

No one knew what to make of Peeves' reaction to Danny, but every student in the library was now curious about the Slytherin foreign exchange student.

While Madam Pince seemed to ignore the chatter, the Slytherins present took advantage of the Danny-centered conversation and let Harry know of their new Seeker. Everyone knew Potter was good, even if the Slytherins would never admit it in his (or any Gryffindor's, for that matter) presence, but they had no problem letting him know that Danny was far better than Potter, and Fenton didn't even practice.

At lunch, Harry looked over at Danny and shook his head. Ron asked, "Harry, what's wrong?"

Harry frowned. "Nothing special. I think I need to talk to Danny after lunch. That's all."

* * *

Sunday morning, Vlad went back to the Ghost Zone as promised. The Far Frozen was indeed out of the way, but it was no trouble to get there. The entrance was an ice formation above a cavern. Once Vlad entered the cavern, he felt the temperature drop drastically. With a perpendicular turn from the overhead entrance, the passageway in the cavern was a bit over a mile before the floor opened to the ground level.

Vlad descended to that ground level and looked around. The frozen wasteland was desolate. Why would anyone choose to live here? If he decided to form designs to take over and rule a domain (just because he could), this would be one of the _last_ places he'd consider, at least second to the banks of the River of Revulsion.

As he wandered, a hovering vehicle stopped in front of him, and two yeti-like ghosts, at least ten feet tall, glowered at him. "You!"

Vlad was taken aback. He hadn't done anything to warrant the venom of this creature's tone yet. "Can I…"

"What business do you have here, Tormentor of the Great One?"

Vlad shook his head. "What…?"

"_You_ released the Ghost King. You are known to cause anguish to the Great One, who defeated the Ghost King!"

Vlad muttered, "Evidently, these beings aren't fans of my work." To them, he said, "Yes, I did all that. But now, circumstances have changed." He thought for a moment. "And now I seek aid for the Great One, as you call him. I need to see Frostbite."

The two snow beasts in their hovercraft considered this. "Why do you, the Tormentor, seek aid for…"

"Yes, yes. I know he's the hero of all things ghostly. And yes, I was his arch-nemesis for over a year and a half. But apparently, news doesn't come to this cavern in anything like a timely fashion."

The two guards looked at each other. Eyeing Plasmius with suspicion, one said, "We will take you to our leader. Don't expect a warm reception."

Vlad rolled his eyes. "Of course not." With that, they waved Vlad into their vehicle, which traversed miles of ice and snow before they reached their destination.

"Wait here while I announce you," one told Vlad as the other stood guard.

Vlad smiled wryly, and thought, 'The fact that my reputation precedes me is a double-edged sword.'

"Frostbite will see you now. Know that you will have to work to find favor with him, as it is not currently granted." With that, the patrol yeti brought Vlad into the palace. The palace guards watched him with further suspicion. Vlad supposed he deserved it, with the things he's done over the course of his years in the Ghost Zone. The fact that he was sorely outnumbered by these great beings didn't daunt him; he fought the Behemoth and eventually won.

What made him nervous was that these creatures thought of him as an enemy, and might reject his call for aid out of hand. He reminded himself: this was for Daniel.

Frostbite looked regal and imposing as he sat on his throne. Vlad was brought before him. "Plasmius, Tormentor of the Great One, why did you seek an audience with me?"

Vlad closed his eyes. He would have one shot at this. If he wanted to get anywhere, he would have to 'speak their language.' Joy.

"Great ruler of the Far Frozen, I bring you news of your favored Great One." The leader nodded at him to continue. "A little over two months ago, through no machinations of mine, a marauding band of humans came and destroyed the town wherein Daniel lived. These evil people left Daniel orphaned and friendless. He sought solace with me.

"It is true that in the past I tormented the boy. But now, I am his legal guardian and have served honorably in this capacity. If need be, I can produce witnesses to vouch for this." There was a murmur among the people of the court.

"Besides his guardian, I am and have been his guide and mentor. We share countless powers, but one that we do _not_ share is his cryokinesis. As such, I have come to seek aid and advice, for my guidance in the use of this power is limited per force."

Frostbite absorbed this while his people spoke amongst themselves regarding Danny and Vlad's new relationship. "Vlad Plasmius, your words have found favor with me and this court. Of course, we will give you advice about how to teach young Danny this skill." Vlad breathed easier. They were going to honor his request!

He was brought to a practice area and was given a demonstration. The manipulation of ice was truly versatile. There are many things he thought he could explain. Still, his best bet was to explain what he could, and bring Daniel here for a visit when there was time. This is something Vlad certainly would do.

* * *

At lunch, Danny was glad to see Vlad back at the Head table. They would discuss what happened later. After lunch, Draco sighed and left for Vlad's office. Harry met Danny outside the Great Hall.

Danny smiled. "Hi, Harry. Listen – I've been having trouble with my Potions essay. Would you go over a few things with me?"

This was better than Harry expected. "Sure. Do you have your books ready?" Danny nodded. They found a classroom and prepared to study.

Danny noticed Harry's agitation. "Harry, what's wrong?"

Harry sighed. "Nothing, I suppose. I just thought you would have told me if you changed your mind."

Danny was confused. "About what?"

"About trying out for Quidditch. I'm glad you made the team, but you were so adamant that you couldn't spare the time. It's no big deal, but it might have been nice to let me know."

Understanding dawned on Danny. "Oh, is _that_ it?" Danny snickered. "That never changed. I _don't_ have time to practice. I explained that in no uncertain terms. Still, Draco asked me to 'show him what I could do.' So I, um, showed off a bit. Despite my objections and insistence that I have no time, Urquhart declared me to be the Slytherin spare Seeker." Harry's grimace relaxed. "If my intentions changed, Harry, you would have been the first to know. After all, you taught me all I know about Quidditch. It would only be right to share the news with you."

Harry looked incredulously. "You mean you're only on the team because they wouldn't take 'no' for an answer?"

Danny smiled. "Pretty much."

Harry shook his head. "Slytherins are known for their ambition, and I'm sure that once they saw your skill in flying they wouldn't let you go."

"That's what Uncle Vlad said."

Harry smiled. "I'm glad he agrees with my assessment. Now what were you having trouble with?"

* * *

When Vlad met Danny after dinner, he was particularly satisfied. He began, "Today, I went to the Far Frozen, a section of the Ghost Zone where there are ghosts who share your powers over ice." With an odd smile, he said, "The people there are rather fond and protective of you. Besides extracting a promise from me to bring you there at some point, they gave me some useful suggestions concerning how to direct you to use this power."

Vlad was very exacting with his words, so his choice of words confused Danny. "They 'extracted' a promise from you?"

With a withering glance, Vlad said, "Don't ask. You will understand when we visit. Eventually." The fact that there was a whole section of the Ghost Zone of ghosts who actively liked him surprised Danny. "But now, you are going to work on focusing your ice like your ectoplasm. By the end of this week, I expect you to be able to focus ice blasts from your hands and your eyes."

"Like my ectoblasts," Danny said.

"Exactly. Let's begin."

At the end of their lesson, Vlad smiled enigmatically. "It has come to my attention that towards the start of this term, you cited the Declaration of Independence for your friend, Mr. Malfoy."

Danny said, "Well, yeah. He was being a jerk, and couldn't understand why I didn't share his anti-Muggle views. So I explained it."

"You need to know that there are times that we actually think alike that are less likely to upset you. This is one such occurrence."

Danny had no idea where Vlad was headed with this. Vlad's smile broadened. "When Mr. Malfoy mentioned your quick thinking, I decided you deserved to be rewarded for it." Danny widened his eyes. "Within the week, I think, we will finish our unit on _Hamlet_. I think a fitting reward would be to let you choose what you wish to learn next."

That was a pleasant, unexpected twist. Danny thought for a moment. "Could we do _Macbeth_?"

It was Vlad's turn to be surprised. "Of course. I commend you on your choice. What made you think of it?"

Danny blushed. "Well, in their album 'We All Fall Down,' Dumpty Humpty made reference to it. In one song, part of the chorus is 'Double, double/ Toil and trouble/ Fire burn and cauldron bubble.' I'm sure it's wildly out of context, as Dumpty Humpty made that bit talk about love and suspicion, but I thought it would be cool to read the line in its original source."

Vlad blinked. "I didn't realize that pop culture touched on something so… culturally useful for education, anymore."

Danny cocked his head. "Anymore?"

The man smiled. "When I was growing up, there was a musical play, or maybe it was more of a rock opera? Anyway, it was called 'Hair.' You can take or leave the play, but one of the featured numbers was 'What Piece of Work Is Man.' That is a line from one of Hamlet's soliloquies in Act II, scene II. And, as you observed with your song from Dumpty Humpty, the lines quoted from _Hamlet_ are also wildly out of context."

"Really?"

"Hmm… I wonder." With a wave of Vlad's hand, an old-fashioned phonograph player appeared on their table, as did a record with the single 'What Piece of Work Is Man.' There was a crank to set the turntable in motion. "That's it? I asked the room to provide the best sound system magic had to offer. Well, it will have to do. It is curious what you can make this room do with a little imagination." He played the record.

Danny thought about this. He was bonding with Vlad over music. This was beyond weird. As much as it disturbed him, it kind of gave him a warm feeling he couldn't place.

9


	21. Chapter 21

Again, I thank you all who have read and reviewed. I see more people have added this fic and me to your lists of all sorts and I thank you all for this.

For folks who have expressed concern about the characterization of Professor Snape and Draco, I suggest that you keep in mind that the general point of view we see of them from J.K. Rowling's works is Harry's. Both characters have been nothing but horrible to Harry for most of the entire run of the series. However, if you think of them as people, they have to be something besides miserable human beings sometimes. People are multi-dimensional, and even nasty people have soft sides to their personalities, sometimes despite themselves. Draco seems to be popular among the Slytherins. He can't be, if he is only always a jerk. Professor Snape is beloved by almost all of the Slytherins. He can't be if he didn't show some kindness to them. It might be well hidden from everyone else, but he has something good going on with the Slytherin students.

Lots of things in this upcoming chapter have been planned for months. Part of this chapter, while mostly dreamed up by me months ago, was also inspired by shadowarwen's "Somewhere I Belong" series. For those who are addicted to angst, Harry Potter, and/or a combination thereof, I highly recommend this series. (It's a trilogy.)

Disclaimer: I do not own _Danny Phantom_ or _Harry Potter_.

Chapter 21

The rest of the month was relatively uneventful. In Defense Against the Dark Arts, Vlad finished their unit on vampires and moved on to hags. On Monday morning, Professor Snape told Danny about the spells Death Eaters often use, but the professor was a bit subdued. Danny asked what was wrong, and Professor Snape explained that he and Vlad were experimenting again. For now, he would explain the results to Danny. Confused about Professor Snape's change in disposition, Danny just nodded and accepted the new information.

During Danny's afternoon breaks, Professor Flitwick had Danny create all kinds of things out of ectoplasm and ice. They experimented with textures and thickness of ice, and of the combination of ectoplasm and ice. Danny decided that this week was the first time he fully appreciated Professor Flitwick's whimsical sense of humor and had fun in Charms during his afternoon breaks.

Vlad also had Danny work with ice. They worked on accuracy with aim with both Danny's hands and eyes. They focused on both larger and smaller blasts of different concentrations of power, and how to combine the ice and ectoplasm in various attacks. Vlad bound Danny with ectoplasmic restraints, and Danny froze them and destroyed them. The more Vlad had Danny work with this power, the more seriously impressed he was with the boy.

The weekend after the Slytherin Quidditch try-outs, Draco asked Danny for help with understanding Martin Luther King's speech. Taken by surprise by Draco's lack of arrogance over the Muggles involved, Danny was more than happy to give Draco a quick lesson in American history. They spoke about events mentioned in the earlier pages of the speech, general race relations in the 1960s, and other events and thoughts mentioned.

Draco had trouble understanding why skin color mattered to these Muggles, but he realized that Danny (and Professor Masters) had difficulty understanding his own prejudices against Muggles, Muggle-borns, and hybrids. Draco still had a paper or two he owed Professor Masters on this topic. He might not have changed his mind about the value of Muggles and Muggle-borns, but Draco decided that – at the very least – he would keep his thoughts on the matter to himself around Professor Masters. Or anywhere outside his Common Room. Or in front of Danny.

* * *

On October 1, Danny met Vlad in the Room of Requirement after dinner, as usual. Vlad said, "Your progress with your cryokinetics is nothing short of amazing. Alas, my creativity in figuring out what you can do with this, both offensively and defensively, is at an end for now. Although, I understand that Professor Flitwick never seems to run out of ideas."

Danny smiled. "At first, we worked on weapons, like swords and things, and figured out how strong and how sharp the ice had to be in order to be useful. Still, one of my favorite exercises he had me do was to create a mug solid, hard, and cold enough that it could actually withstand a steaming cup of hot chocolate." He licked his lips in the memory of the chocolate he had that afternoon.

Vlad smiled and shook his head, amused. "Only you, Daniel. Only you." Refocusing, he looked at Danny seriously. "Now we are up to Part Two of my overshadowing project."

Danny shifted uncomfortably. "Please, Vlad, no. I already overshadowed someone. I did it for a full hour and a quarter. Please don't make me do it again."

No longer looking at Danny, Vlad was almost lost in his thoughts. "The first part of the project was simply overshadowing someone, which you have demonstrated you can do at long last. But now…" He looked in Danny's eyes. "Remember when you told me that there was magic that terrified you because there was no defense against it but a magical defense?" Danny nodded and shivered as he thought of that conversation he had with Professor Dumbledore nearly a month ago.

"Now imagine what you could do if you had access to that magic."

Looking at Vlad oddly, Danny said, "But Desiree's not here. Professor Dumbledore said that 'no amount of wishing' could change me from a Muggle to a wizard, and I told him that Desiree could arrange it, if she wanted to, or actually heard a wish like that." He made an unpleasant face. "Somehow, I think she would refrain from giving me even _more_ power than I already have, if she had any say about it."

Vlad was astonished. Daniel had indeed thought of acquiring magic, and even came up with a legitimate avenue of getting it, even though he was sure it would never become available. This was not a direction Vlad would ever have thought of, as long as there was a way to attain what he desired on his own. He decided that he should consult the boy if he ever truly wished to 'think outside the box.'

"Very good, Daniel. I'm impressed at how thoroughly you thought this through. But that wasn't what I meant."

Danny was confused. "Then what…?"

Cutting in, Vlad answered, "You will overshadow a wizard and use his magic, using his mouth to say incantations, his wand to cast spells."

Danny's eyes widened in horror. "Vlad, no. It's one thing to take over a person's body to help them with something you sympathize or empathize with. But this is just plain wrong. It violates a magical person's very being. It's worse than the Imperius Curse because they can't fight it. There are so many ways this is just wrong. No."

A wicked smile crossed Vlad's lips. "Ah, yes. The Imperius Curse. It was used by a wizard on a boy he _knew_ had no magic."

"Vlad! He taught me to fight mind control. Whether it's from an evil wizard, or someone like Freakshow, my mind is stronger. I can fight it, now."

"But with this, you would have every ghost power accessible to you in your human form, as well as whatever power your target has with magic. Think of the possibilities!"

Danny trembled. Vlad was serious about this. "Vlad, no! I can't…"

"Of course you can. Not only _can_ you do it, you _will_ do it!"

"Vlad, please! No…"

"Remember what I told you last time you tried to defy me," Vlad growled as his eyes glowed red.

Danny thought back. Vlad as good as promised that next time, he would use his powers to hurt Danny, and there was no one to stop him. Vlad would torture him if he objected, but this went against every moral fiber of his being. Clockwork said he always had a choice. He knew which one he would take.

Vlad lunged to grab Danny, but Danny evaporated in a puff of green mist. "Daniel…" Shaken to his core, Vlad realized he had pushed Danny too far. Further, the boy could be _anywhere_. He waved a chair into existence and dropped into it. Closing his eyes, he put his head in his hands. "Sugar cookies. What have I done?"

* * *

Danny rematerialized invisibly in Professor Snape's office, as he finished a conference with another Slytherin student.

"…So Millicent, remember what we discussed, and you should be fine. It is the safest option, but ultimately, the choice is yours." Millicent Bulstrode nodded and looked comforted. Danny had no idea what issues she would have, but he knew that whatever they were, the situation was probably as difficult for her as this was for him.

Before she opened the door to leave, Professor Snape cleared his throat. Millicent looked back at him, her expression turning cold and disinterested. Professor Snape smiled. "That's my girl." She smiled back briefly, ready to take on the world.

When the door closed behind her, Danny released his invisibility. "Daniel!" Professor Snape was surprised to say the least. "Don't you belong in class with your uncle?"

Trembling with the thought of what Vlad wanted him to do, Danny said, "Professor, you have to help me!"

Sliding out from behind his desk to put a comforting arm around the terrified teen, Professor Snape said, "Of course. What's wrong, Daniel?"

Danny cried, "I can't do what Vlad wants me to do! It's wrong beyond all reason, and he'll hurt me if I don't. He said he would!" Tears slid down his cheeks.

"_Uncle_ Vlad, Daniel," Snape gently corrected.

"That evil Froot-Loop is _not_ my uncle!"

Professor Snape was taken aback. "Then what is he?"

"He was my arch-enemy for over a year and a half! When I first met him, he captured me in a box that neutralized my ghost powers. He told me then that he wanted to adopt me, but first I would have to renounce my father!"

This was a lot of information to absorb, but this would be easier if he had a few more details. "Daniel, why would he want you to do that?" he asked gently.

Danny shook his head bitterly. "Vlad was friends with both of my parents in college. He was going to tell my mom about his interest in her on the day of his accident that turned him half-ghost." This is a part of Professor Masters' history Snape had never heard.

"With the ghost powers came a disfiguring case of Ecto-Acne, because Dad accidentally poured diet cola when he should have used ecto-filtrator purifier." These words held little meaning to the Potions Master, but he could fully appreciate the effects of a mishap due to a wrong ingredient.

"Dad said that the Ecto-Acne killed Vlad's social life in college. But at the 20th year reunion, Vlad made his intentions clear to me: He had no problem hurting, or even killing, my father, as long as he could have my mother, his long-time love interest, and me – the only other half-ghost in existence – as his son. My sister was kind of a bonus, either way, but for the longest time he had all kinds of weird schemes to get me and Mom, but mostly me. See, there are all kinds of creative ways to catch and capture ghosts that simply don't work on humans. Couple that with the fact that most people hated ghosts (me in particular – my ghostly enemies didn't mind causing all kinds of property damage and stuff for which I'd get blamed, and framing me for crimes I didn't commit, so I was Public Ghost Enemy Number One for a while), it was a LOT easier for him to attack me.

"Once, Vlad put a million dollar bounty on my head, and the best known ghost hunters (including a federal agency that's never forgotten about me) tried to capture me so that he could take over my Dad's Ghost Portal.

"Vlad's done _lots_ of awful things to me, but most of them were bizarre efforts to get me to join him. I didn't want to, because first, he wanted me to renounce my father, and second, he made it sound like he wanted to turn me into an evil apprentice." Now Snape understood the resistance the boy put up when he had trouble seeing positive benefits in what Masters taught him.

"But when my parents died, and my whole world collapsed, he was the only one left who I knew who cared about me. I didn't really see any options left, so I went to the man – hated though he was – because he said he wanted to adopt me. I didn't think I had anywhere else to go." He blushed. "I _do_ have an Aunt Alicia who lives in Spittoon, Arkansas, but I'm not sure she actually likes kids. Besides, I kind of feel closer to Vlad. It feels so wrong, but that's how it is."

Professor Snape drew Danny into a comforting hug. He thought about the boy's words and realized how startlingly similar his relationship with Harry Potter was to Vlad Masters' relationship to Daniel Fenton. The primary difference is that Vlad actively _wanted _Daniel. The professor might have to think and rethink a few of his thoughts on the Potter boy.

When Danny pulled away, Snape looked at him critically. He looked miserable, still distraught about what Masters wanted him to do next. Taking the boy's hands in his own, Snape asked, "What does… Vlad want you to do?"

First Danny flushed in anger, and then he paled in horror. "He…wants me to… overshadow someone…"

Snape shook his head. "What does that mean?"

Danny raised his eyebrows in surprise. "When a ghost overshadows someone, it means a ghost takes possession of a person. The ghost enters the person and controls that person's every word and action. There is no defense against this possession, without one of my parents' inventions, the Specter Deflector." He shivered. "It shocks a ghost who tries to touch the wearer of the Specter Deflector, causing severe pain. The human wearing it feels nothing but the weight of the belt. It even affects Vlad and me when we're in our human forms. And it hurts us to wear it, as long as we have access to our powers.

"The only human I've seen who almost had success fighting this possession was my father. Vlad overshadowed him to discredit him, but my Dad was able to stop for long enough to warn my mother that he was being overshadowed by a malicious ghost. I haven't seen anyone able to fight that before or since."

Professor Snape was in awe of his student. The things he was capable of boggled his mind. "Daniel, have you ever overshadowed anyone?"

Danny shifted uncomfortably in his chair. "Yes. There were a few times I did it in Amity Park. The first time was almost an accident, but weird things always happen when I discover a new power." Professor Snape raised an eyebrow. "For example, it took me a while to control my intangibility. I had such problems, at the time, that I've been permanently banned from handling glass and other delicate equipment at Casper High."

Professor Snape smiled in amusement, and Danny sighed. It _was_ kind of funny, thinking back on it from a distance. Still, Danny wasn't done talking. "After the first time, I explored the overshadowing talent. I discovered early on that it was _not_ a good idea to use my powers to get back at people. One time, I overshadowed a bully I was having problems with and humiliated him. A ghost who haunted one of the lockers at my school was bullied so much during his life that he decided to spend his afterlife protecting as many bully victims as he could. That ghost decided that _I_ was the bully, and Dash was the victim, even though it was the other way around. Still, I shouldn't have used my powers quite like that.

"Sydney Poindexter – the other ghost – overshadowed ME. It is an entirely different sensation when a human is overshadowed than when a ghost is overshadowed. From my experience and observation, humans rarely feel it or are slightly surprised when it happens but more rarely even know or remember they were ever overshadowed. When a ghost overshadows a ghost, it causes severe pain and discomfort. When Sydney overshadowed me, my entire consciousness was forced out of my body, and I was trapped in his section of the Ghost Zone in his form until he tried to do it again. Then, even though it hurt, I got my body back and broke the mirror he used as a portal to get into my high school.

"I resolved not to overshadow anybody again, and it mostly worked for a while. Dash, the bully who used to beat me up at the slightest (or no) provocation was a sore temptation, and the one time I did it again, Vlad was there – long story – and told me that I was becoming more like him. I denied it, but I realized that on one level, he was right. When that general crisis was over, I apologized. Dash made sure that the acceptance of my apology was painful, but I figured I deserved whatever I got."

Professor Snape was unsure of what to think. His student just admitted not only having but _using_ a power comparable to the Imperius Curse, and this ghost form of it could not be countered by any means he could think of in the Wizarding World. He contemplated being afraid, but he still had to hear Danny out. "Daniel, have you used this power here in Hogwarts?"

Danny looked down and nodded. "Yes. Once, for an hour and fifteen minutes. It was after the Gryffindor Quidditch try-outs."

The professor thought about the events of three weeks ago. "It was this that brought about the fight that Melissa Spradt observed."

Danny said, "Yeah, it was. From that Tuesday night to Friday night, I observed my 'target,' his habits, his friends, his duties, and everything else about him for at least three hours a night, practicing invisibility and intangibility all the while."

Snape cocked his head. "Who was your target?"

Danny blushed. "Ron Weasley."

Professor Snape chuckled. "What did you make him do?"

Danny eyed his professor cautiously. "For the most part, I had him talk to Harry and Hermione, had him beat Harry in a game and a half of chess, and pushed him to make a move on Hermione. He's wanted to forever now, and I read his mind and saw how clueless he was being. So I gave him a gentle but forceful nudge in a direction he's wanted to go for years now."

The professor raised both eyebrows. "How difficult is it for you to overshadow someone?"

Danny shrugged. "It's as easy as touching him."

"Let me get this straight. This is a power you have had for longer than you have been here, and the only time you used it here is that one time, under your uncle's direction?"

Danny winced as the professor called Vlad his uncle, but said, "Yes."

"That shows incredible force of will, Daniel. Not everyone who has such powerful talents would refrain from using them, especially if a person thought it was in their interests to do so."

"Tell me about it," Danny muttered. Snape stared. "Walker, a corrupt ghost sheriff of the Ghost Zone, decided to punish me for escaping from him – another long story – by having a massive ghost invasion. Some of the more interesting complications of the incident happened because Walker and his goons overshadowed all kinds of people. At one point, Walker overshadowed the mayor, grabbed my arms (when I was in ghost form) and in the doorway to City Hall, shouted 'Help, help me!' while I was draped over him. There are people in Amity Park who never forgave me for that. Not being able to escape the grasp of Walker, I was accused of kidnapping the mayor." Danny shook his head at the injustice.

This was a fascinating peek into his half-ghost student's history. All of this story-telling had significantly calmed Daniel out of his panic. Professor Snape asked, "Daniel, what did Vlad want you to do that so upset you?"

Danny shuddered. "He wants me to overshadow someone again. But this time, he wants me to see if I can use the overshadowed wizard's magic, using his mouth and wand to cast spells." He shuddered more violently. "By doing that, I would violate the wizard's essence. It would, in effect, be using a wizard's own magic against him, and there would be nothing he could do to stop me."

Professor Snape said, "I see. I think it is time for me to have a talk with your uncle. Stay here. We will have a workable solution when I return, and you won't have to fear him hurting you again."

* * *

In the Room of Requirement, Vlad was lost and forlorn. When a knock came at the door, he called out hopefully, "Daniel?"

"Not exactly." Looking up, Vlad saw Professor Snape. Snape thought about taking a swing at Vlad for the emotional damage he caused Danny, but decided against it. It wouldn't be professional, however satisfying it might be.

Pleading desperately, Vlad asked, "Have you seen Daniel?"

Coldly, Snape responded, "Yes, I have. He is safe."

"Where…?"

"Away from you, for the moment." Considering the last conversation he had with Daniel, Vlad couldn't argue. Professor Snape said, "You have some nerve. You, Daniel's most trusted guardian and lifeline to his past, were set to cause bodily harm to him because you were ready to force him to act against his morals. Which, by the way, seem to be far better than yours and mine put together." Vlad furrowed his brows, but cocked his head to the side. "Daniel told me everything. If he couldn't trust you to protect his interests, he had to trust someone. And that is me.

"There is no one in this school who knows where you are coming from more than me. Daily, I also have to face the child of the woman who spurned my love and attention for my most hated rival. And I've had far more reason to hate the boy's father than you have. You have anger issues with Daniel's father because of an accident, in addition to your jealousy for his mother's attentions. Harry Potter's father and his gang of marauders singled me out for torment during our years of school here, and while I was indeed jealous of Potter's mother's attentions, I also know what I did that caused me to lose her love irretrievably.

"If you wish to be an evil bastard, do so on your own time. You are currently the guardian of a teenager. You will act in his interest for his safety, and otherwise work on his behalf. If I find out that you in any way abused him or threatened him with harm again, I will act to have you _removed_ as his guardian, legally and permanently, within both Wizard and Muggle law.

"He _does_ have other options besides you: his Aunt Alicia in Arkansas, the bereft parents of his friends, other legal authorities ready to act on behalf of an orphaned minor. But for reasons beyond my comprehension, he decided to bypass every other option, and instead, he sought refuge with his _arch-nemesis_, of all people. He says that he somehow feels closer to you, in some way." Snape rolled his eyes. Vlad remained silent, as the good professor spoke nothing but truth.

"After the discussion Daniel and I had, I've had to rethink my relationship with the Potter boy. With the exception of his eyes, which are from his mother, Harry is the spitting image of his accursed father James. I admit that I have often confused the son for the father, and I'll have to work to fix that. Even so, if the boy considered me his enemy, I wouldn't be surprised. (I could never claim to be his arch-nemesis, as that position is taken by the Dark Lord.) I have hated him, and he has hated me. But the fact is he has people who love him.

"His aunt and uncle, with whom he lives, are questionable, but he has people who love and support him. Most noticeable among them are the Weasley clan (with the exception of Percy, but that's another story), but he has other friends and other supporters, including Remus Lupin.

"If, heaven forfend, he lost everyone he loves, everyone in his support team the same way Daniel has, neither of us would be happy with it at first, but if it came down to it, _I_ would take Harry in, if only because he is Lily's son.

"Like you, my history is spotty at best. I have done many things I'm not proud of, including my treatment of the Potter boy, particularly last year. But I have bent over backwards, sometimes literally, to get the children who pass through my care and tutelage to find their way to the path of law and order, and light. The students in my House have a more difficult time finding that path than others do, but I do my best.

"As I've said before, if you want to be an evil bastard, do it on your own time. But I will _not_ permit you to purposefully corrupt one of my students."

Vlad listened carefully to Severus' rant and accepted the remonstration as much as he expected the wizard before him to accept his words of two short weeks ago: completely. He discovered that Severus Snape had much in common with him, and realized how very right he was on every point he touched on. He lowered his gaze in reflection.

A broken Vlad looked up at the irate professor. "You are correct in everything you've said. I pushed Daniel too hard, too far, and entirely the wrong way." Snape watched the man collect his thoughts. Each man knew that Vlad would not see Danny again until Snape was completely certain the boy would be safe in his presence.

"I did mean this to be a larger exercise in defense. I'm not at all sure of the limits of magic, but I do know that if magical means were unexpectedly available to a person known to be a Muggle, a dangerous wizard would be seriously thrown off balance."

Professor Snape raised his eyebrows. "That is an intriguing proposition. Considering that the Darkest wizard of our era has young Daniel in his sights as Prime Target Number Two, the ability to throw this enemy off balance is a useful tool to have. At this point, I agree with your assessment. I have the ability to help a lesson plan of this sort move forward.

"However, the one you must convince is not me, but Daniel. If you can prevail upon his sense of right and wrong using the same logic and gentle tone to explain this to him, he might even agree with us. If you can't, let it go. I say that we have more highly developed senses of strategy, but oddly enough for a teenager, he has a more highly developed sense of morals.

"If he doesn't want to do this, don't force his hand. He works so hard to please you and make you proud. Surely you must have noticed how he pushes himself past exhaustion to finish whatever inane assignment you set for him. Every student has the capacity to be lazy, but he doesn't when it comes to you. I'm sure he means to impress you if he can.

"Take note of this. Foster this. Or you will lose him."

Vlad spluttered. "Lose him? Surely you can't…"

Snape held up a hand. "Not of my doing. You would lose him by his choice. You upset him so greatly, he rejected you as an uncle for the larger part of our discussion. I worked to change that. You may not deserve him, but he deserves to have you if he in fact chooses to have you."

11


	22. Chapter 22

Happy New Year to one and all! I once again thank all of my readers and reviewers, and the new people who put this fic on your favorite and alert lists, and ME on your favorite author and alert lists. This is a bright way to begin 2009!

Several chapters ago (Chapter 16), CatalystOfTheSoul gave a long and detailed treatise (she called it a rant) in a review, describing her thoughts and observations on overshadowing in Danny Phantom's world. I took that into consideration for part of the chapter. It is always good to give credit where credit is due. Thank you kindly for the inspiration for that part of the chapter.

(I DO read every review, and well-thought out reviews often give me ideas. Not every good idea gets used, but they always make me think. Also, I respond to _all _signed reviews. Unsigned reviews, I answer at my own discretion. I truly appreciate them just the same, but sometimes fighting with the search engine ((and sometimes failing)) to find the author's name makes trying to respond more trouble than it's worth. But signed or unsigned, a good question that catches my attention will be addressed. I just thought you should know.)

Disclaimer: I do not own either _Danny Phantom_ or _Harry Potter_.

Chapter 22

Danny sat in Professor Snape's office, waiting for him to return. He couldn't believe what Vlad almost did to him, or made him do! Well… that's not really true. Vlad's been anxious to turn him into an evil minion since the day he discovered Danny was a half-ghost. Why did he think he could trust Vlad? On the day they went to Diagon Alley, Vlad thanked Danny for choosing to be with him. As Danny saw it, it wasn't as much a choice as a lack of options.

A knock on the door alerted Danny to Professor Snape's arrival. Danny turned to see the professor with Vlad. Danny stood from his chair, turned ghost, and took a defensive stance.

Vlad began, "Daniel…"

Danny quickly assessed spatial relations, considering his distance from Vlad and any escape route necessary. Satisfied for the nonce, Danny crossed his arms and spat, "What do you want, Plasmius?"

Vlad recoiled as if struck. Danny hadn't called him that since long before July. He only used that name to assert that Vlad was a full-blown enemy. This would take serious work.

Professor Snape, unfamiliar with that name, asked, "Why did you call him that?"

Danny answered, "That's the name of his ghost identity. Plasmius. Vlad Plasmius. I've only used that name when I know exactly where we stand." Vlad looked down.

A thought occurred to Danny. "Oh, no. Unless Sir Nicholas told Professor Dumbledore that name, you are the only human alive who knows." He gulped. "Be careful. He knows you are my friend and ally. In order to force me to do what he wants, he might infect you with a deadly disease or trap us both in a human-ghost shield." Danny stood protectively in front of his professor and eyed the office more cautiously, looking for anything of Vlad's tell-tale silver and red technology.

The professor looked between the two half-ghosts. What had this man done to this boy, or his friends? Vlad looked pained and shut his eyes. He knew exactly what Daniel referred to, and the boy had a point.

Vlad opened his eyes and tried again. "Daniel, I… never actually apologized for all the hurt that I've caused you. The emotional damage has been considerable. If I began to list all of my sins against you (both known and unknown to you), we would be here until Saturday of next week. But I will mention the three most painful, as I would imagine them to be, and pray that you can find it within you to forgive me." Danny's eyes widened. This penitent tone was one he never remembered hearing from Vlad before.

"After the resurfacing of my Ecto-Acne, I never should have infected your friends with it. Even as you hated me, I should have remembered your personality: you save whomever needs saving. It's what you do; it's what you've always done. You would have helped me if all I did was ask." He paused and shook his head. "You _did_ find the cure, for which I thank you. I don't remember if I did at the time, but I certainly do now. At this point, I am truly sorry for hurting your friends to try to force your hand."

Vlad sighed. "The second incident is when I indeed put you and your sister Jasmine under the human-ghost shield over my football field turned gladiatorial arena. I just… your sister…" He sighed again. "I was so surprised and shocked that either you or your sister actually renounced your father and chose to live with me instead (or seemed to, anyway), I thought it was too good to be true. When your sister showed up on my doorstep, I was confused and overjoyed. And then she recognized you in your ghost form.

"I have no good excuse for what I did. At the time, I told you both that I needed to test her loyalty to me. Now this sounds foolish, even to my ears." He cringed before he said his next words. "The absolute cruelty of pitting a brother and sister against each other in a gladiatorial arena… I've come up with some bizarre schemes, but I don't know what I was thinking at the time." An awkward smile crept across his face. "Football is known to be a blood sport, but there was nothing sporting about what I did or expected you both to do. It was spiteful, painful beyond reason, and I apologize for my behavior to you and your sister that day."

Closing his eyes and taking a breath, Vlad was ready to continue. "The third is perhaps the most grievous, because of the conditions surrounding it. While the circumstances were by no means my fault, this time, you have graced me with the fruition of my fondest wish: you chose me to be your guardian, even though both the good professor and I came up with quite a few other options you could have chosen instead. The only thing that could make this even better would be if one day you allowed me to properly adopt you and have you truly as my son – not as a renunciation of your parents, but only because your parents are no longer alive. But I digress.

"Since July, despite our… differences and my crimes against you in the past, we have been working on developing a relationship. I truly meant it to only be mutually beneficial and satisfactory to both of us, but" he closed his eyes as he winced, opened them and continued, "old habits die hard. I wanted what I wanted, and when you didn't give me what I wanted when I wanted it, I tried to make you give it to me by force."

Drawing a ragged breath, Vlad met Danny's eyes. "Until this point, on your part, you have been nothing but respectful and compliant, something I have taken for granted, though I had no right to. You have built a trust in me, for which I am truly grateful, until I shattered it by violating that trust in the most painful way possible. I not only attacked you once and threatened to again, but I did this while trying to make you violate your code of morals, which you've known for over a year and a half is far higher than mine.

"And what makes all of this worse (as if this wasn't bad enough) is that I did all this after you reminded me – in Diagon Alley, in our private moment in the Leaky Cauldron – that your mother would not approve of my… for lack of a better word, ethics, if I had you follow them. I agreed, and as good as promised that I would not make you break your moral code. Tonight, I violated this trust and implied promise, and can only beg your forgiveness.

"You asked me what I wanted. What I would like is a second chance. I admit I've done nothing to deserve it, but nonetheless, what I want more than anything is the opportunity to properly once again serve as your guardian. While my dearest wish is for you to agree to be my son, I could easily store it as a dream in my heart regardless of its fulfillment. But until that happy day arrives, I would be truly honored if you could find it within yourself to call me 'Uncle Vlad' once more."

Silence fell in the office as Vlad's words hung in the air. This was quite an admission, and both professor and student had a lot to absorb. It took a lot out of Vlad to say all that he did. He stood in silence, waiting for a reaction.

Professor Snape was horrified to hear the depravities this man stooped to commit. The report Daniel gave of this man in no way prepared him to hear this. Sending bounty hunters after Daniel's ghost half was bad enough, but the boy mentioned that there was an ugly past between the two. Daniel did not explain WHAT Masters had done. The idea that a man would purposely infect children with a deadly disease was beyond Snape's imagination. The fact that the boy before him warned him against a repeat performance, and then protectively stood in front of him before he thought to move to protect the boy… And this man somehow forced Daniel and his sister to fight as gladiators. The siblings were trapped in a _human_-ghost shield? That means that neither the living nor the dead could get past this shield.

Sweet Merlin! What was this man capable of? And yet – with some honest reflection, he concluded it was not worse than some of what he committed as a Death Eater. Regardless, the abuse Daniel suffered at this man's hands defied description. And these were only _three_ of the many crimes perpetrated against this boy by this man.

Danny stood in shock. Vlad just apologized to him. This was very new to his experience. Vlad pretty much covered the bases. Further, Vlad was good at that psychology thing. The events he apologized for were indeed the most painful. He wondered what Jazz would have said about this.

Right now, he wasn't exactly sure what to do. Danny thought about what his mother would have said. Everything Vlad said right now was absolutely true. And even though he threatened to act like the hated enemy he knew Vlad to be, Vlad was also right about the relationship building.

He had options besides Vlad? This was news to him. The fact that both Vlad and Professor Snape figured it out meant that it had to be true. A bolt of anger shot through him. Vlad knew he had other options but gladly let him think he was stuck!

Danny still didn't know what those options were, but at least – in theory – he was being given a choice.

Then Danny thought about why they were here. Both Danny and Vlad were here in Britain, in Hogwarts, in the Wizarding World because Voldemort and his cohorts destroyed his town and everyone he loved in it. Vlad, an international businessman, chose to hide with him in a school far away from his businesses just to be with and protect him. Vlad has always wanted to teach him to use his powers more effectively, and until this whole overshadowing thing, Vlad was always patient and encouraging. And Vlad said he missed Danny's family, too.

Danny studied Vlad searchingly and suddenly remembered a time and a place Vlad looked so broken: in his alternate future time line. What was it he said? "Maybe that's all anybody needs: a second chance." Now he knew what to do.

"Vlad," Danny began. It was more than Vlad could hope for than to expect the 'uncle', but at least the boy didn't call him 'Plasmius' again. "You have given me a lot to think about. I don't think I'm ready to think of you as an uncle again. You hurt me pretty badly, and I'm not sure I trust you enough for that. But I do know what sacrifices you've made to be here with me, and that makes it worth giving you a second chance." Vlad released the breath he hadn't realized he'd been holding. "Still, the whole school thinks of us as uncle and nephew, so around them I'll call you 'Uncle Vlad.' It will take a while for my feelings to catch up to that."

"I would imagine so," Vlad murmured. "Thank you, Daniel. I won't let you down again."

Professor Snape could not believe what transpired in front of him. "Are you sure about this, Daniel?"

Danny nodded. "Yes, I'm sure." Clockwork's words echoed through his mind. 'You've given everyone else in your life a second chance. Why not you?' This was as much for Danny as it was for Vlad. He was doing the right thing. Danny turned human, showing the men present that he was standing down.

Professor Snape allowed himself a brief stare of disbelief before he turned back to business. "Then there is the project to discuss."

Danny stiffened. Oh, no. Vlad was going to… but he promised not to. He shivered and took a step away from Vlad.

The older half-ghost sighed. He had won half the battle, but he had a LOT of work to do to get back to where they'd been. "Right. I understand your objections to the next part of this overshadowing project." Danny's eyes grew wide. Vlad was discussing this in front of Professor Snape. What did this mean? "I explained to Professor Snape that – besides the revenge schemes I mentioned before – I did mean for the idea of overshadowing a wizard to use his magic as a larger lesson in defense. You have been studying all kinds of things about magic for a while now. The idea occurred to me that if magical means were made available to a person who is known to be a Muggle, a dangerous wizard would be seriously thrown off-guard."

Danny shook his head. Discussed calmly, it sounded a lot more rational than it did before. Danny also knew that Vlad had a silver tongue, and he wasn't ready to trust Vlad yet. "I don't know. What do you think, Professor?"

Professor Snape chose his words carefully. "I agree with both of your assessments of this issue. In general, this overshadowing business to force a wizard to use his magic _is_, as Daniel said, a violation of the wizard's very essence – if it can, in fact, be done. However, all is fair when it comes to war. The Dark Lord and his Death Eaters have never been about fair play. If it came down to it, I think it would be valuable to have this tool in your arsenal, if such a thing could be used against them. In any event, I am rather curious to know whether you would have the ability to perform magic while using a wizard's body.

"But I would leave it up to you. If you would choose not to do this, I would support you completely. If you _do_ choose to do this, I believe I can arrange for a week-long lesson plan, filling your Powers Training time slot, providing a student wizard for the purpose."

Danny's eyes went wide. "But…"

Professor Snape said, "Think about it. That is all we are asking you to do. I would suggest you sleep on it. Meet me here tomorrow night and you will tell us your decision." Danny looked at Professor Snape, then at Vlad, then at the floor and nodded.

Vlad said gently, "I think we've had quite enough excitement for one night. We can meet again tomorrow. Alright?" Vlad looked at Danny, almost hopefully.

Danny nodded. "Okay." Danny left the office and went back to his dorm.

Professor Snape stared at Vlad. "You have got to be the luckiest man in the world. If you've described a mere fraction of what you've done…"

"I know. I… I know. And I won't waste this blessed chance I've been given. I won't let him down again."

* * *

When Danny got back to his Common Room, Draco looked up. "Danny, you're back early!" He stopped short when he saw the haunted, ashen face of his raven-haired friend. "What happened?"

"I don't want to talk about it. I'm just going to do my homework and go to bed. Or, maybe I'll skip the homework." He continued to mutter to himself as he disappeared into the bedroom.

Draco looked at Pansy, Crabbe, and Goyle. "That can't be good."

At breakfast, Danny kept that weird expression. He paid attention to the conversations around him, but said nothing. He studiously avoided looking at the Head table, where Vlad tried futilely to catch his eye. Danny left breakfast early.

Pansy asked, "What happened?"

Draco looked worried. "I don't know. He wouldn't talk all night. Maybe… Maybe I better to talk to Professor Snape about him. I know he's moody, and has a weird relationship with his uncle, but… this goes beyond that. I'm a little afraid for him."

Pansy looked at him. "Draco, I know he's your pet project, but why do you care so much?"

The blond boy was at a loss. "I don't know," he answered honestly. "There's just something about him that inspires loyalty. He doesn't look for it. He certainly doesn't ask for it. I just get the idea that his friends back home were lucky to have him, if he was actually open with them."

Goyle piped up, "The fact that he's the most mysterious student in the school doesn't hurt, either."

Crabbe thought for a second. "Professors don't give him a hard time, even though he's a Slytherin."

Draco looked at them, more than a little surprised. He never knew them to be that observant. "You noticed that, too? I don't know. But let's not be late to Defense Against the Dark Arts. Professor Masters won't appreciate that. Especially if Danny's in a bad mood."

* * *

In Defense Against the Dark Arts, Vlad continued his unit on hags. Danny handed in his homework but did not raise his hand for the entire class. Professor Masters was as engaging as ever, but he looked worried when he looked at Danny. Danny was far more absorbed in the notes he took than anything else around him. Draco decided that Professor Snape was going to hear about this.

As soon as Transfigurations let out, he ran to Professor Snape's office in time to watch Danny leave. He was surprised, but Danny made no eye contact. Draco entered the open office door. "Professor?"

A resigned look crossed the professor's face. "Draco? How can I help you?"

"It's about Danny…"

Snape sighed. "I'm glad you are so concerned for your friend. He's recently had a particularly traumatic experience. He may be out of it for a while. Don't try to get him to talk about it – that will only upset him further. Just…be there for him." He shook his head. "If he's as strong and brave as I've heard, he _will_ get over this, but it will take a while. He's only human." He realized what he just said and chuckled quietly.

"Sir?"

"Never mind. Was there anything else?"

* * *

When Danny got to Professor Snape's office, he said his first words all morning. "Good morning, Professor."

"Good morning, Daniel. Please have a seat."

Danny sat. "On Monday, Draco told me about a curse called _Levicorpus_. What is that?"

Professor Snape grinned. "Actually, that is a curse I invented, myself. It rather caught on in the halls of school in my Fifth Year. The curse grabs the victim by the ankle and suspends him in the air upside down. Nothing can move the victim again until the counter-curse is recited: _Liberacorpus_."

Danny stared. "You invented it?"

A wry smile crossed the professor's face. "When I was younger, I spent a lot of time learning and dabbling in the Dark Arts. I created a few Dark spells that eventually became favorites of the Death Eaters. That was one of the more harmless ones. I was not always the fine, upstanding wizard you see before you." He creased his eyebrows. "Once upon a time, I used to perform acts evil enough to give Professor Masters a run for his money. But that is firmly in the past."

Danny grew quiet. This was quite an admission. He looked into the professor's eyes, who asked, "Daniel, would you like to talk about last night?"

Looking down, Danny nodded. "I guess. I just wouldn't know where to begin."

"May I ask you a few questions?"

Danny shrugged. "Okay."

"Of all the options available to you, why did you select Professor Masters to be your guardian?"

Danny frowned. "Until Vlad mentioned it last night, I didn't know there _were_ other options for me. He said that both of you knew about them, but I couldn't guess what they would be."

Professor Snape looked a little surprised at Danny's lack of knowledge, but he quickly recovered. "For one thing, there are the parents of your closer friends, your Aunt Alicia in Arkansas, other authorities who look to take care of orphans. Why didn't you consider these choices?"

Danny furrowed his brows. "For one thing, Sam's parents never liked me very much. They were never happy about her hanging out with me. They were very unhappy about it because of the weirdness of my parents' interest in ghosts." He blushed. "My parents were very excited about their work, even when no one else believed them. Once people realized that ghosts were not only real, but malevolent ones posed a real threat, they had no choice but to acknowledge my parents' work. I can tell you that my parents were great inventors, even if they never knew why all their inventions zeroed in on me." The professor chuckled.

"Once, Sam's parents decided that I was a bad influence on her, and they took out a restraining order against me. I'm not sure that they would be interested in taking me in. I went to Sam's funeral. They were kind of surprised that I came with Vlad." He scrunched his face. "They were curious about how someone as 'normal' as Vlad ended up with someone like me. They had no clue, and I wasn't about to tell them."

He sighed. "Tucker's parents liked me well enough, but it never occurred to me to ask them. Valerie, my only friend who made it out of this alive, is a good friend. Still, she has it in for my ghost half." Catching Snape's puzzled look, he said, "About a year ago, her father lost his job because a ghost dog destroyed Axion Labs, a place her father installed a security system. The dog ran rampant and I tried to catch the dog to stop it. From that day until this, she not only holds me responsible for her father losing his job, she's pretty sure that I'm the cause of most of the ills, if not of the world, certainly of Amity Park." He shuddered. "I'm just glad she didn't blame the Death Eater attack on me, too." He shook his head bitterly. "As much as I like her, it would be weird to find a place with them."

He thought for a minute. "Also, since Mr. Grey lost his job, they've been struggling to make ends meet. I couldn't ask them to take on the burden of adopting me. Even if Mr. Grey got a major promotion since Vlad took over the company and merged it with one of his own.

"Aunt Alicia doesn't seem to like kids. Actually, she doesn't seem to like people in general. She had a major celebration marking her tenth anniversary of her divorce. Dad always called her 'a bitter old bat.' I'm not sure if she would appreciate the imposition.

"On the first day Vlad discovered I was a half-ghost, he was excited to know me, and wanted to teach and mentor me. But he wanted me to renounce my father. That was never going to happen.

"Still, there were other times he told me that he cheerfully wanted me as a son. He pointed out all kinds of ways how we were alike, which was never something I wanted to be, 'cause he _is_ an evil Froot-Loop. Just the same, whenever I did something he considered strategically good or logical, he told me how proud he was.

"No matter how much I resented everything about him, he was always interested in adopting me. Even the first time I defeated his plan and forced him into a truce."

Snape perked up. "Oh? Please tell me about that."

Danny smirked. "Well, he overshadowed my father, as I told you before. I forced him out of my father, and he (as Plasmius) grabbed my mother. After a bit of an aerial fight, he was going to drop her (not part of his plan, but he had other things to deal with), so I overshadowed my father to catch her. Once I put her someplace safe, I told Vlad (as Plasmius) that if he didn't leave my family alone, I would walk out of my father and expose both of our secrets. My parents would accept me, but my mother would hate him for what he tried to do to my father. Vlad said that I had learned something from him, by using my opponent's weakness against him."

Professor Snape smiled and thought, 'There is no doubt that he is sweet, but he is ALL Slytherin!' "I would be proud of you, too."

Danny shook his head. "Huh?"

"That was quick thinking in a tight spot. Exploiting an opponent's weakness is very effective."

"Yeah, I guess so." Danny thought again. "Mr. Lancer, one teacher from Casper High who took an interest in me, especially when my grades weren't so good, told me that being a teacher isn't the easiest job out there." Professor Snape blinked. This seemed to be a non sequitur, so he refocused on Danny. "He said it was thankless, as students are usually a captive audience who would rather be somewhere else, doing something else.

"Vlad is a billionaire. He is a captain of industry, heading and owning all kinds of businesses and corporations. He's brilliant, and probably invented most of the technology his companies mass-produce. He's even found ways to improve stuff he's stolen from my parents' lab. Now, at home, I'm not at all sure what he does, exactly. But he is a high-profile, powerful man who has practically infinite resources at his fingertips.

"When Professor Dumbledore came to Wisconsin to explain what happened with the Death Eaters, and Voldemort, and the Wizarding World, Vlad decided to go underground and hide here in Hogwarts with me. He didn't actually give up the things he owns and controls, but he put his active control of them on hold just so he could be here with me, to help protect me. He temporarily stepped away from his other business to be a teacher here. He's made a lot of sacrifices just so he could be here with me.

"Who am I? I'm just a kid who manages to attract all kinds of trouble. Maybe it's because I'm the only other half-ghost in existence, but for whatever reason, Vlad seems to find me interesting enough to put everything on hold just for me. I may not like him very much right now, but he does seem to care. Kind of.

"I don't get him. He confuses me. But with all he's done for me, I guess it's only fair for me to give him a second chance.

"Besides – other authorities who deal with orphans can turn out good or bad. You never know what to expect. Nameless, faceless people who know nothing about me working to decide my fate, or a guy who only let me know he's wanted to adopt me since the day he met me: who would you choose?"

Professor Snape was in shock and awe at how complicated the relationship between Daniel Fenton and Vlad Masters truly was. Last night, the professor was sure that Masters had no business being anywhere _near_ children, Daniel in particular. And yet, Daniel eloquently explained why he thought Masters was the best, if not the only man for the job of guardianship for him. Vlad was his most hated enemy, yet the only man who truly understood and desperately wanted him. He could understand why Daniel was so conflicted with his feelings for the man.

"Daniel, I would only do so if you grant me permission, so I am asking your permission. May I tell Professor Dumbledore of your very complicated relationship with Vlad?"

Danny wasn't sure where Professor Snape was heading with this. "Why?"

The look of concern on Professor Snape's face was almost reason enough. "Last night, when I spoke to… your uncle before the three of us met in my office, I told Vlad that if he ever abused you or threatened to harm you again, I would act to have him removed as your guardian. You have expressed why no human in the Muggle World (with the possible exception of your friend Tucker's parents) would be as fitting. If such a need arose, it occurs to me that a family in the Wizarding World would be more suited to your needs." He looked up in thought. "Perhaps the Weasleys. They are Order Members…" Focusing back on Danny, he continued. "If such a thing should be necessary, Professor Dumbledore should know the details of your situation, as he could make the arrangements. But it is your secret. I will only tell him if you permit me."

Danny thought about this. He was giving Vlad a second chance, but Professor Snape was offering him another option, 'if such a thing became necessary.' The idea that the first family the professor thought of was the Weasleys amused him. He wondered what Ron would have to say about that. But more importantly, the fact that other options existed was comforting to know. "Yeah. I think that telling Professor Dumbledore would be a good idea. But I meant it about giving Vlad a second chance."

"I know you did. You and Vlad have a lot of emotions invested in each other. He does not intend to let you go quite so easily."

Danny rolled his eyes and crossed his arms. "No, he wouldn't, now would he?" Professor Snape realized that the sarcastic, defiant tone was not aimed at him. This was probably as close to normal as Danny was going to be for a while.

The professor smiled. "Alright. Have you thought more about the project we discussed last night?"

Danny frowned and uncrossed his arms. "Yeah. I don't know about it yet."

Snape nodded. "That's fine. But I'm curious. What does it feel like to be overshadowed?"

Danny cocked his head. "Professor? What are you asking me?" He watched as Professor Snape considered, seeming to weigh and balance something within his own mind. He came to a conclusion he seemed to be satisfied with and turned to Danny.

"Daniel, I wonder if you might… overshadow me for a little while."

Danny shook his head. "Okay. Is there anything you want me to do in particular?"

"I'm not thinking about anything special. Be creative. I just want to have the experience."

"If you say so, Professor." Danny put his hand on Professor Snape's chest and entered him. He looked around and got his bearings, and then he walked around the room. Be creative… he flew around the room a few times and explored the ceiling of the office before landing in front of Snape's desk and exited the professor.

"Fascinating," Snape breathed, feeling slightly winded. "I remember every minute of it. It was rather exhilarating!"

Danny nodded. "I'm glad you think so. But I figured you would remember it, since you not only expected it, you requested it, and knew what was going on. Tucker always knew, and always remembered it. He said he hated when I did it. (It wasn't too often, but if he didn't like it, even that was too much.) Dash never seemed to notice. He said he felt something weird happened, but couldn't figure out what it was.

"I remember when Walker and his goons overshadowed the people of my town. The humans looked in pain at the entry. Other ghosts… I don't know. Sometimes the humans involved looked in pain upon entry of a ghost. Sometimes they don't react at all. Most people overshadowed don't remember what happened, especially if it was short, and the ghost didn't make the human do something too horribly out of their general inclination. But then again, there don't seem to be any hard, fast rules about this.

"My dad fought Vlad every inch of the way, and firmly resented the fact that it happened, swearing revenge against 'the Wisconsin ghost'. I overshadowed my dad a couple of times, and he gave no resistance and had no memory of the incidents whatsoever."

"This is truly interesting to me. You say that the general reaction is a loss of memory of the 'overshadowed moment', correct?"

"Mostly. That's what it seems to be to me."

"Perfect."

Danny looked at him. "Perfect for what, Professor?"

Snape smiled at Danny. "If you choose to participate in this project, the student I have in mind is enthusiastic enough to help, but isn't bright enough to notice if an hour has gone missing in his day."

Danny peaked his eyebrows. "Who did you have in mind?"

"Gregory Goyle. If you choose to accept this mission, I will ask him to 'help me with a project in Defense Against the Dark Arts.' He will probably warm to the idea because it is widely known that I have sought the position of Defense Against the Dark Arts professor for many years, and he would feel that his helping me might improve my chances for getting the position next year."

"Oh." Danny thought for a moment. "Oh! _That's_ why you didn't like Vlad when you first met him."

Snape smiled. "That is only one of many reasons, but you are correct – that was one of my first reasons. Also, there's something about him that made me feel he was not to be trusted."

"He said the same thing about you."

Snape raised an eyebrow. "Did he?" He shook his head. The fact that he shared so many similarities with Vlad both disturbed and amused him.

Danny was still concerned. "Sir, even if he doesn't remember, is it right to take advantage of Goyle that way?"

Avoiding a direct answer, Snape said, "I would make it worth his while. He would know that he is responsible for an astronomic rise in House points for Slytherin." Noticing a hurt look on Danny's face, he said, "I would easily give you any number of points for choosing to participate, but I get the impression that you don't care about points, one way or the other. You have far more important matters on your mind."

Danny gave a half-smile. "That's true. But I'm not sure about it yet."

Snape smiled back. "You have until after dinner to think about it. If you choose not to do it, there is no penalty. If you choose to do it, you may find it interesting, to say the least." He gave a knowing smile. He had a few plans in mind.

"Okay."

"I'll see you in Potions this afternoon."

When Danny left, Draco came into the office. This choice would occupy Danny for the rest of the day.

14


	23. Chapter 23

Chapter 23

First and foremost, I want to thank everyone who read and reviewed, and put this fic on their favorite list, their alert list, and me on your favorite author list and alert list. There are so many new names that I'm glowing with happiness. Both all the old and new friends help to make this source of happiness a constant.

I offer you all cybercookies and hot cocoa. Thank you again!

This chapter, I incorporated suggestions, ideas, and inspirations from mystery_writer5775 and Spartan Commander. There are scenes that I only thought of briefly before your suggestions, and after them, the scenes not only came to fruition but became vital plot points once I included them. Thank you kindly.

I also want to thank SongoftheDarquePhoenix for introducing me to the Harry Potter fic community of Potions and Snitches. I have spent far too much time there lately, and I think it's rubbing off on me. An idea that spent too long adrift in my subconscious has come to light in a major way here. I'm not sure that I'll ever write something for that community (who knows? Weirder inspirations have hit me before), but the influence of that community will turn into a minor story arc that I've missed until now. Thank you for that.

Disclaimer: I do not own _Danny Phantom_ or _Harry Potter_.

* * *

At dinner, Danny stared at Goyle thoughtfully. Draco tried to get Danny's attention, but it was useless. Goyle looked over and noticed Danny's intense focus on him. "Fenton, can I help you?"

After a couple of false starts, Danny asked, "What… would you do to earn House points?"

This was the last thing Goyle expected to be asked. "Anything. Why?"

"Professor Snape… _Uncle_ Vlad…" Danny glared at the Head table. Vlad caught Danny's eye and smiled. Danny growled and looked down at his plate.

Draco put his hand on Danny's arm. "Does this have to do with another assignment?"

Danny sighed and looked up. "Yes, it does. Defense Against the Dark Arts…" Wow, this was difficult. "Professor Snape and Uncle Vlad are working together on a project in Defense Against the Dark Arts. But Goyle, I want to know…" He took a breath. "What would you do to get House points for Slytherin?"

Goyle cocked his head. "Why? Who's offering?"

Danny said, "Professor Snape. Maybe."

Crabbe perked up. "Can anyone get in on this?"

Danny closed his eyes. He didn't mean to open a can of worms. "No, it is a private project. Besides, it was only a theoretical. Maybe." Crabbe deflated, but Goyle looked far more interested. Draco looked confused. "Draco, it's for my uncle, and Professor Snape said that Goyle would be uniquely qualified for the job." Danny felt sick at the thought of this.

Goyle thought for a moment. "If it's for Professor Snape, I would do anything."

Danny's eyes widened. "Really? Anything?"

"Yup. He's been there for me at times no one else was." He looked hard at Draco, Crabbe, and Danny. "Don't ask about it. But I know he'd never steer me wrong."

Looking thoughtful, Danny said, "Interesting." He took another breath. "What if you couldn't remember afterwards?"

"If it was for Professor Snape, I'd do it."

Danny relaxed. He could do this. Maybe. 'How about something that has the effect of the Imperius Curse and Obliviating you afterwards?' Danny thought, but he was afraid that asking would be giving away too much. "If you're sure, then I think I feel better about a decision I have to make."

Draco looked at Danny, Goyle, Crabbe, and back at Danny. "Are you going to tell us about this project?"

Danny smiled, perhaps for the first time all day. Even Astronomy couldn't break through his gloom. "Nope. It is between Professor Snape and Goyle. I just wanted to know." He looked back at the Head table. He caught Vlad's eye and nodded.

Draco continued to look at Danny. This is the first time the dark-haired boy looked almost happy since dinner last night. "Are you feeling better, Danny?"

He nodded. "I think so. Things are far from peachy, but at least one major weight has been taken off my shoulders."

Draco raised an eyebrow. "Peachy?" Danny shrugged. Draco smiled. He almost had Danny back. Or, at least as much as he ever _had_ Danny. The kid was still a mystery wrapped in an enigma.

* * *

Danny and Vlad met in Professor Snape's office. The older Slytherin offered them both seats. The professor asked, "Daniel, did you think about what we talked about?"

Nodding, Danny said, "Yes. On both counts." Vlad raised his eyebrows. Danny took a deep breath. "I spoke to Goyle. It looks like you're right. He'll willingly do what ever you ask, Professor. Because of this, I'll…" Danny hesitated. He wasn't sure if he wanted to commit to this. He gulped. "Can I… can I try this for one day?"

Vlad frowned in thought. Professor Snape asked, "Why only one day?"

Danny answered, "This is kind of an experiment, right?"

Professor Snape nodded. "Exactly. Remember – if nothing comes of it, then it will end almost immediately."

Danny explained, "This is going to be a series of experiments. One is to see if I can use magic when I overshadow someone. One will be to see how _I_ feel about this afterwards. If I don't feel right, I don't want to commit to a whole week of this. One will be to see how Goyle reacts. Will he remember? Regardless, if he feels 'creeped out' by this like Dash felt, I don't want to do it. If he stays excited and interested, then I'll see how I feel about it. If we are both cool with this, then we can continue."

Professor Snape decided that Danny's attitude was more than fair. Vlad considered this. Danny certainly thought this through. He checked every angle to verify his overshadowed target was not hurt through this project. Even though he objected to this with every fiber of his being just twenty-four hours ago, Daniel sought a way to accomplish this task, with attention to details concerning who might be offended. Either Snape was a better salesman for this idea than Vlad was, or Snape was right about Daniel wanting to impress him. Or a combination thereof.

"I think starting with one day and expanding on it afterwards is a fantastic approach, Daniel." Danny stared. Vlad not only expressed that Danny's thoughts and feelings counted, but the option of Vlad's plan being scrapped was being honored _by Vlad_.

Professor Snape broke the silence. "Tomorrow, I will ask Mr. Goyle about 'helping me' with the project, and we will begin our experiment on Monday. It will last no longer than Friday, if it works, and if you choose to continue it that long."

Danny said, "Okay."

Vlad cleared his throat. "From tonight through Sunday night, we will review the skills you've built and we've worked on thus far." He looked at Danny. "Are you ready to review a bit, and perhaps discuss some literature?"

Danny looked down, feeling a little lost. Who was this guy, and what did he do with Vlad? He raised his eyes to see Professor Snape, who gestured with his head in Vlad's direction, gently indicating that Vlad was waiting for an answer. Danny took a moment to assimilate this new version of reality.

Peering up at Vlad, Danny said, "Review sounds pretty good, I guess. I read Act II in _Macbeth_, and I answered the questions on page 67 in the Business textbook." Only Vlad's gentle tone from before prepared Danny for what he saw: Vlad expressed relief. Danny was glad to see it, but decided he fell into the Twilight Zone. He was a half-ghost, in a school for magic, looking at his arch-enemy who was relieved to have found an iota of favor from his young rival. If he wasn't in such a daze, Danny would have laughed at the sheer absurdity of the situation.

Vlad extended a hand. "Shall we away to the Seventh Floor?" Danny nodded and took it. Since Vlad was responsible for this teleportation, the half-ghosts disappeared in a pink mist.

Professor Snape shook his head. Despite everything that evil banshee did to the boy, Daniel still worked hard to get his approval. Snape decided that if he ever heard that Masters hurt the boy again, he would personally make Masters a FULL ghost.

The professor threw some Floo powder into the fireplace. "Headmaster."

Professor Dumbledore looked into the fire. "Severus."

"Do you have a moment? We need to talk."

"Of course. Come in."

Professor Snape entered Professor Dumbledore's office and was offered a seat. "What brings you here this evening, Severus?"

"Daniel and Professor Masters, sir."

"Danny Fenton was more than a bit distracted today. Every professor noted as much."

Professor Snape thought for a moment. "What do you know of their relationship?"

Raising his eyebrows, the older wizard sat back and considered. "Professor Masters lived a distance away from where Danny lived, so Danny took some effort to reach him. Danny made mention of the fact they had an adversarial relationship, although I'm sure this is not something either of them want known publicly. I notice that Danny's moods seem to shift based on whatever follows from their evening meetings. More than this, I couldn't tell you. Why do you ask?"

"Adversarial is quite an understatement of their positions towards each other before circumstances thrust the boy into his hands. Sir Nicholas explained that Daniel would patrol his hometown, protecting the 'humans' from molestation by vicious specters. Apparently, before the current arrangement, Masters and Daniel were arch-nemeses." Dumbledore gasped. "Daniel's moods have been volatile because – besides the obvious mourning – he has major issues with trust of Masters.

"That…_man_ has mentally and physically tortured the poor boy, and he was wary of Masters. Last night, Daniel came to me, hysterical, terrified of abuse threatened against him by Masters for refusing to use his powers illicitly for what Daniel considered to be a nefarious plot. Such has been their history, and you need to know of this."

Professor Dumbledore crinkled his brows. "There has been no mention of such a problem before."

Professor Snape shook his head. "Daniel is far more forgiving than Masters has any right to expect. Despite his well-deserved animosity towards the man, Daniel explained why – of all people – he chose Masters to be his guardian: from the time they knew each other to be half-ghosts, Masters let Daniel know of his interest in adopting him. As such, when Daniel decided to 'give him a second chance,' I did not disallow it immediately. But I told Masters (and repeated for Daniel) in no uncertain terms that if I learned of further abuse or threats of harm against Daniel that I would act to have Masters removed permanently as a guardian in both Muggle and Wizard law."

"Thank you for telling me of this. The situation is serious, indeed."

"Because the boy is a half-ghost, it occurs to me that if Masters violates his responsibilities as a guardian again, placing him with a wizard family would suit Daniel's needs better than a Muggle family, with the possible exception of his deceased friend Tucker's family. But honestly – a family in the Order would be far better prepared to understand that a ghost hybrid is not evil simply for existing."

Dumbledore closed his eyes and stroked his beard. "I understand. Your assessment makes a good deal of sense."

Snape narrowed his eyes in concentration. "Yet, despite everything, Daniel continues to work to please the man. This is so ridiculously complicated!"

"So it would seem, so it would seem." Dumbledore drummed his fingers on his desk. "I wonder… Professor Dippet, would you be so kind as to summon Sir Nicholas?"

The portrait roused. "Of course, Headmaster." With alacrity, he left his frame in search of the Gryffindor ghost.

Professor Snape was confused. "Sir?"

Professor Dumbledore explained. "Our American guests have a complicated relationship. It makes sense to inquire about it further from someone who has been familiar with the situation for far longer than we are. I have no doubt that Danny spoke the truth, but perhaps a person who knows the dynamics between Danny and Vlad can offer advice on how to proceed."

Sir Nicholas phased through the door. "Professor Dumbledore! How can I help you this evening?"

"There appear to be great difficulties between Danny and Vlad."

Sir Nicholas's face fell. "But this makes no sense! He's only wanted this…" He frowned and shook his head slowly, so that his head didn't unhinge. "I imagine there might be. What are they fighting about this time?"

Both professors stared at the ghost. He made it sound like… whatever was going on between Danny and Vlad was to be expected. Professor Snape said cautiously, "A potential misuse of the boy's powers. Vlad threatened to harm him…"

A pained look on Sir Nicholas's face stopped Snape from continuing. "It was bound to happen, sooner or later. Danny is so good, and Plasmius… is known to not be the most scrupulous of characters."

Anger built in Snape. "He threatened to abuse his position as a guardian and abuse Daniel for not falling prey to Vlad's 'unscrupulousness'! And you speak of this as if it was expected!"

Sir Nicholas closed his eyes. "Of course it is wrong and needs to be stopped. But… both of them are hurting and each is looking to claim some of his past, as so much of it has been lost." He rolled his eyes. "And Plasmius lost sight of the goal and pulled up the _wrong_ piece of the past."

Professor Dumbledore worked something out. "I take it that 'Plasmius' is another name for Professor Masters."

Sir Nicholas sighed. "Indeed. Plasmius is the name of Vlad's ghostly persona. When he acts on his Darker impulses, it is easier to think of him in that more dangerous form."

Taking this new information about his DADA professor in stride, Professor Dumbledore asked, "And how do we best ensure Danny's safety?"

Sir Nicholas countered, "What has been done so far?"

Professor Snape narrowed his eyes. "I told Masters if he harms or threatens Daniel again, he will be removed as Daniel's guardian permanently."

Relieved, Sir Nicholas said, "Then you've done it."

Professor Snape felt he missed something. "Done what?"

The former knight smiled. "You've ensured Danny's safety. Let me explain. Vlad Masters is a very powerful man, and as Plasmius, is one of the most powerful ghosts in existence. However, it is very difficult being practically unique. For twenty years, he was one of a kind. But there is more.

"Vlad's becoming half-ghost had the unfortunate coincidence of happening at the same moment when the love of his life declared her love for his best friend. Further, said friend was responsible for the accident that turned him half-ghost.

"At this point, loneliness and jealousy consumed him. He was unique, so no one could truly understand him. No ghosts of his acquaintance before he came to the Wizarding World could truly relate to him, and the living in the Muggle World would have a difficult time processing the idea of a ghost altogether, forget about a _half_-ghost. He's been angry for a long time.

"Twenty years later, the son of his love and his former best friend was in a similar accident, turning Danny into a half-ghost. Once Vlad discovered a second half-ghost, he became obsessed with wanting a connection with him. It was completely logical, even though his actions took him entirely in the wrong direction to get what he has wanted for so long: companionship.

"This time, through no fault of his own, Vlad got his fondest desire: the almost guaranteed companionship of the only other creature quite like him." He paused for a moment self-consciously, and continued. "It is said that old habits die hard, and no one knows this more than a ghost."

Professor Snape said, "He did indeed say that."

Sir Nicholas smiled again. "I'm not at all surprised. As I said, he is _very_ powerful, and a master of any game for which he knows the rules. But this is the Wizarding World; the rules are different. This evens the playing field of power. As such, you have an ability that has been heretofore unknown to him. You have the ability to put Danny somewhere his considerable influence can't reach. (Well, maybe not, but he doesn't know that.) With this understanding, Vlad has no choice but to play by our rules, if he wishes to keep what he has longed for so desperately."

Dumbledore nodded in understanding. "I see."

Impatiently, Professor Snape snapped, "This is all very well. But what of Daniel? While I appreciate you both caring for Professor Masters' emotional welfare, I had a hysterical Slytherin student in my office last night who – only through a LOT of gentle prodding – only grudgingly spoke to a man as the enemy he's been. I'm sure Masters needs some time to heal, but what about Daniel?"

Professor Dumbledore said, "If I understand Sir Nicholas correctly, then I would imagine Danny is also interested in this companionship with a fellow half-ghost. He seems to make friends far more easily than his guardian does, but barring the possibility of having his family and friends from home, he wants the acceptance from the only other one like him." He sighed. "Even if he can't trust Professor Masters right now."

Sir Nicholas said, "That is my thought on the matter. I believe it will serve both of them best to know that there is a family prepared to accept Danny, if such a thing is necessary. Vlad will worry about it, and Danny will be put more at ease. And their growing relationship will probably be best for them in the long run."

Professor Dumbledore sat in reflection. There is very little he's seen in his long life that could surprise him, and this was a new twist on an old story. The idea that the uncomfortable relationship between the two half-ghosts was so similar to that of his Potions Master and Harry Potter made him stop and consider. Severus left his life as a Death Eater when Voldemort killed Lily and almost killed Harry, and he probably saw a lot of himself in Vlad. Whatever 'unscrupulousness' Vlad involved himself with on a general basis probably came to an end with the death of Danny's mother and the acquisition of Danny as his charge.

If, heaven forbid, something similar happened to Harry's friends and remaining family, Dumbledore would be hesitant to arrange a guardianship between Severus and Harry, considering their enmity. Last year was enough of a reminder of how badly things could turn out. What would be if they were thrown into a situation of that nature?

Professor Snape fumed. None of what Sir Nicholas said excused Masters' behavior towards Daniel. Daniel is an innocent child who managed to mark himself as a hero. He was involved in an event he couldn't control to make him what he is. He is just like… Professor Snape drew a sharp breath. He may owe Harry Potter an apology. Or a few of them. Damn.

Getting back to Masters… If Sir Nicholas was right, Snape has already done what is necessary to keep Masters in line and Daniel safe. "Sir Nicholas, you recommend that the best solution is to let things continue as they are, for the present?"

The ghost nodded. "Yes. You have used the one threat against Vlad to scare him enough to keep to the straight and narrow."

Professor Dumbledore relaxed a little. He was glad that this safety issue was resolved. Professor Snape wasn't sure, but if Sir Nicholas, who knew them best, agreed that Daniel was safe, he would believe it. Now he had to think of some spells Daniel could learn to apply next week, if this works.

* * *

Draco thought about his friend Danny. When he came back from his lessons with his uncle, Danny was significantly calmer than yesterday and a bit more communicative. He refused to expand upon his thoughts from dinner, but Danny always kept his secrets. If Draco wanted Danny to keep talking, he knew better than to press too hard on any matter he didn't want to discuss.

At breakfast, Danny was closer to what Draco thought of as 'normal'. Danny still eyed Goyle, but settled back into whatever conversation Draco tried to have.

At lunch, Goyle pulled all thoughts of Danny away from Draco. "Yes!" Goyle cried, jerking his right elbow back in triumph.

Draco started, "What…?"

"Fenton, you are brilliant! Professor Snape asked me to help him with a project on Defense Against the Dark Arts. Maybe he'll get the job next year!" Danny smiled.

Draco said, "We can only hope. What is he having you do?"

Goyle smirked. "He didn't tell me yet. He says he has some last-minute plans to work out, but it can take anywhere from one to five days next week. And for every day the project continues, I'll earn 20 points for Slytherin!"

Draco looked impressed. "Goyle, that's…" He considered the math, making a few calculations. "You'll earn anywhere between 20 and 100 House points. That's more than you've earned over your whole Hogwarts career until now!"

Crabbe stared at Draco and Goyle. "When did Professor Snape speak to you?"

"During the morning break. I can't wait to start on Monday. It's after dinner."

Draco furrowed his brows. "That's when Danny has lessons with his uncle."

"Imagine that," murmured Danny. He peaked his eyebrows and smiled uneasily.

Crabbe crossed his arms. "And there's no way for anyone else to get in on this?"

Goyle answered, "Not that I can see." He looked concerned for his close friend. "But I'll ask if there's an opening." Danny sighed.

The thought hit him – could he do magic from two angles, if he overshadowed two wizards? He'd ask Professor Snape… NO! One was quite enough! But still…

Arg! Danny shook his head violently to the puzzlement of the other three boys. Draco asked, "Is anything wrong?"

Danny said, "This project my uncle has me doing is going to make me crazy!"

Draco tried his luck. "Can you tell us about it?"

"No!" Putting a hand to his head, Danny closed his eyes, calming himself. "Sorry. I think Professor Snape would say that I officially had 'a Slytherin moment'."

That was the last thing Draco expected to hear from a fellow Slytherin. He shook himself out of his shock and clapped Danny on the back. "Embrace the moment. It's a beautiful thing."

* * *

Thursday afternoon, Terry Boot took his afternoon break and knocked on the door.

"Come in."

"Thank you, Professor Masters."

Vlad invited him in and offered him a seat. "Good afternoon, Mr. Boot. What can I do for you?"

"Sir, I wanted to ask about Danny."

Vlad blinked. "I beg your pardon?"

Terry lowered his eyes. "I'm in many classes with him, and sometimes… I'm concerned about him." Vlad's expression softened. Terry frowned bitterly. "The Death Eaters were very busy this summer. Many students this year have faced loss of all kinds. I understand that mourning causes some interesting emotional upheavals in people. But some of Danny's mood swings are rather… harsh."

Vlad sighed. As much as part of him wanted to tell this student to mind his own business, another part of him realized that he was concerned for his friend. More to the point, Vlad realized that he was the _cause_ of some of Daniel's volatile mood shifts. He closed his eyes, putting a hand on his forehead, collecting his thoughts.

"As always, you've asked me an excellent question. From what I understand of the Death Eater attacks, the tragedies involving most students have taken a family member or two, or a few before the… Aurors stepped in to stop the attack. The tragedy in Daniel's life is more than one or two people. He's lost his entire immediate family, his closest friends, and almost everyone in his general acquaintance. That isn't to say that anyone else who has lost friends or family isn't suffering, but Daniel lost almost everyone whom he felt gave definition to his existence."

Vlad paused a moment in thought. "Some of his more interesting mood shifts have had to do with pressure he's faced in classes and other factors." He grimaced. "I hope we worked out a major issue last night."

Terry thought about everything Professor Masters said. It appears that Danny was in a bad way, but that he seemed to make the best of a bad situation, even if it got horrifically emotional sometimes. "I'm sorry to hear that, sir. Is there anything I can do to help?"

Vlad sighed. "I suppose… it would help if you don't ask him too many questions. They might upset him. But let him know you are there for him."

Terry nodded. That seemed to be the most useful strategy for dealing with other students who were in mourning. Professor Masters made a good deal of sense, but there were other things about Danny that puzzled him. Should he ask the professor about the Crup? He might. But as long as he ventured into the realm of personal questions about Danny, he might as well ask some questions that were higher priority on his curiosity list.

"Thank you, sir. I'll be sure to do that." Vlad smiled. It was good to know Daniel made so many friends, or at least pleasant acquaintances. "May I ask another question? Something happened in the library a little over a week and a half ago, and everyone present has no idea what went on."

Vlad was curious. "I assume this somehow involves Daniel."

Terry smiled. "Yes, sir. As we studied in the library, Peeves came and annoyed the students." Vlad furrowed his brows – that name was familiar, but he wasn't sure why. "He's our resident poltergeist. He exists to cause mischief. No one can control him except the Bloody Baron of Slytherin. Or, that's been the theory until now.

"However, when Peeves annoyed Danny, Danny made one small remark, and Peeves flew from him in terror."

Vlad smiled broadly. "Did he, now? I'm not surprised," he murmured.

Terry was confused. "Sir? Why is that?"

Looking at the student before him, Vlad needed to think of an explanation that would satisfy the young Ravenclaw's curiosity. Still wonderfully amused, he thought for a moment. Ah, he had it. "You know that in the Ministry, the Department for the Regulation and Control of Magical Creatures has a Spirit Division, correct?"

Terry nodded. "You made mention of it in our first week of class, sir."

"Your memory serves you well. Daniel and I have extra lessons in Defense Against the Dark Arts after dinner. Of the many things we've discussed and reviewed, Daniel is proficient in the skills required to stop, capture, and otherwise incapacitate wayward ghosts."

Terry shook his head. "But sir, that doesn't make sense. It might, as far as poltergeists are concerned, but ghosts can't _do_ anything. They are mere imprints of who they were when they lived. They are nothing more than sentient memories of who they once were. How is it possible for such things to cause trouble?"

Vlad was pleased that the majority of the Wizarding World seemed to be ignorant of the ghosts he and Daniel were and dealt with on a regular basis. He found no need to enlighten them at present. "I believe in relatively recent history, the Ministry was called upon to contain and restrain a ghost from harassing a student, Olive Hornby. The ghost was of Myrtle Duncan."

Terry looked confused. Vlad refrained from rolling his eyes. "The containment happened fifty years ago. She died a few years before that."

"Myrtle Duncan, sir?"

Vlad closed his eyes and pinched the bridge of his nose. "I believe students call her _Moaning_ Myrtle."

Terry widened his eyes. "Oh! She resides in the Second Floor girl's bathroom. Harry said that's where she died."

That much, Vlad hadn't known. "Yes, well… Back home, Daniel honed his skills for capturing and containing said wayward ghosts. He has earned himself a reputation and is known by all ghosts." Vlad smirked. "Peeves knows better than to annoy… the living in front of Daniel."

He considered Terry. "I've only wanted to train him in the use of the skills Daniel possesses since the day I discovered he was particularly capable. I tell you this because such knowledge might be necessary to comfort Daniel. I'm not sure how, but you're clever enough to figure out how to use this information."

"So Danny's training to be an Auror of the Spirit Division. I thought he wanted to go into Astronomy."

"Knowledge is the key to the door. There is no telling which door he'll choose to use." With this, Vlad closed the conversation about Danny. "Was there anything else?"

* * *

On Monday evening, both Danny and Goyle were agitated as they made their way through dinner. Goyle was excited, and Danny was worried. Professor Snape nodded to Goyle, signifying that now was the time. Goyle made his way down to the dungeons and Danny started on his way upstairs. When he knew no one saw him, he turned invisible and flew back to Goyle.

Goyle knocked on Professor Snape's door. "Gregory! Come in. Thank you for helping me with this project."

He smiled. "It's my pleasure, sir. What are we doing?"

Danny tapped the professor on the shoulder to let him know he was there. Professor Snape smiled. "We are going to practice some defensive spells. Take out your wand." Goyle held out his wand and prepared to duel. "And now we begin."

Danny took his cue and entered Goyle, who gasped and stiffened momentarily. Danny blinked his eyes, getting used to his new surroundings. "Daniel?" Danny nodded. "Interesting. So that's what it looks like. Do you have access to your powers as a ghost?"

"Yes, sir." Snape heard Goyle's voice, but Danny's intonation.

Professor Snape grinned. "You have teleported us before. Can you fly us to the Room of Requirement?"

"Of course." Danny put his arm around Professor Snape, turning them both invisible and intangible, and soared up to the Seventh Floor. Snape knocked on the door. Since it was there, it was obvious that Vlad waited for them. They entered.

Vlad watched Snape and Goyle enter the room. "Daniel?"

"That's me." Vlad smiled as Professor Snape looked curious and unsettled. Hearing one student in the body of another student would take some getting used to.

Professor Snape collected himself and said, "This is the moment of truth. Professor Masters, I would ask you to take out your wand, useless though it is to you." Vlad complied. "Daniel, take Goyle's wand and point it at your uncle, and say the word _Expelliarmus_. If you are capable, you will Disarm your uncle.

Danny did what he was told, and Vlad's wand slipped out of his hand and flew into Danny's. Vlad beamed. "Excellent work! So you _can_ perform magic using a wizard's body." Danny squirmed. He wasn't sure how he felt about that. But it was cool that he could honestly do magic! Or, rather, force Goyle to do magic…

Professor Snape said, "Before we continue, I have a question for you." Danny waited. "I know you have your own wand on you at all times. Can you reach it?"

Danny shook Goyle's head. "No. While I'm overshadowing someone, I have access to my powers, but not to my body or my clothes, or anything on my person. Instead, I have my consciousness in someone else's body, in their clothes and with their possessions until I leave."

"Interesting. You share a space with Goyle, yet your body is unavailable. This reminds me of an Animagus, a wizard who can transform into an animal and back at will. When the witch or wizard transfigures her or himself into the animal form, the witch or wizard has no access to anything on her or his human forms besides the human mind."

Vlad said, "Fascinating. And how does this 'animagus' thing work?"

Professor Snape raised an eyebrow. "I imagine it would take years of practice with Transfiguration. Professor McGonagall is one such Animagus. She has the form of a cat." Danny snickered and Vlad scowled. "Because of the dangers present in the transformation – as well as the subterfuge available by such a disguise - Animagi are required to register their animal forms with the Ministry." Anger flashed in his eyes as he thought about Sirius Black, but he closed his eyes as he collected his temper. Actually, it was necessary to inform the half-ghosts of the Dark Lord's right hand rat.

"There are witches and wizards who learn the art, but fail to register with the Ministry. I believe such a deliberate failure is punishable by jail time." Danny winced. "One Animagus you need to be wary of is a rat, who is otherwise known as Peter Pettigrew. Or," he grinned in amusement, "by his 'pet' name Wormtail." Both Danny and Vlad looked askance. The expression on Goyle's face was all the more amusing. "Daniel, you would do well to ask Mr. Weasley to describe his one time pet rat. Wormtail lived with their family for twelve years as a pet rat named Scabbers."

The idea that a person would choose to live life as an animal almost freaked out Danny, until he remembered Bertrand. He was a shapeless blob of ectoplasm who chose whatever form suited Spectra's needs best. Danny shivered.

A predatory grin blossomed on Professor Snape's face, and they began. Over the course of the hour lesson, Danny learned and perfected the spells of _Impedimenta, Locomotor Mortis, Petrificus Totalis,_ and _Silencio_. It was interesting to Danny to see how the spells affected Vlad. The Disarming Charm disarmed Vlad, regardless of whether he was tangible or intangible. This was good to know.

The Impediment Curse worked when Vlad was tangible, but was easily escaped by turning intangible. Danny was learning all kinds of things: he learned how to perform these spells, and how they affected ghosts. After his initial discomfort in making Goyle do all of this, Danny decided to allow himself the perverse pleasure of attacking Vlad over and over. He had no chance to verbalize his thoughts, but he now understood why Professor Snape was so willing to help Vlad with this project.

Vlad's expression throughout was interesting. It cycled through and back with pleasure at knowing that his initial scheme worked, and Danny _could_ use magic against a wizard (and, by extension, so could he, if _he_ overshadowed a wizard), pride in how quickly Daniel picked up the ability to perform said spells, resignation at how he was the target of all of this (Snape remembered the thing with the ectoplasmic bonds all too well), annoyance at Snape for enjoying this far too much, and guilt, as Daniel seemed to thrill with revenge. Vlad could have been angry, but he supposed he deserved Daniel's anger at him.

The Leg Lock Curse and Full Body Bind, like the Impediment Curse, worked on Vlad as long as he remained tangible, but ceased working when the counter-curse _Finite Incantatem_ was said, or when Vlad went intangible. The Silencing Charm worked in either state, and could only be released by the counter-curse. All five of these spells could be blocked by a ghost shield.

Danny thought that this was a fascinating lesson. The idea that he was using magic almost made him glow with power, until he remembered that the only reason he could do this was because of the body he was borrowing. He sobered up. When the lesson was over, Vlad told him to meet him back here for English.

Danny took Professor Snape back to his office. The professor said, "Stay after Goyle leaves, please." Danny nodded. Snape nodded back, and Danny exited Goyle.

Goyle blinked and looked around the office. Professor Snape smiled. "Thank you, Gregory. You did an exquisite job."

Goyle cocked his head. "I did?"

Professor Snape's smile broadened. "Indeed, you did. How do you feel?"

"I… feel like I practiced some spells, but…" He stopped for a moment. "I can't remember what happened." Danny almost sighed with relief, but he hadn't heard everything he needed to hear. "Are you sure this is helping?"

"Absolutely. Today's work was a success."

Goyle beamed. "That's great, sir. I can't wait to do it again tomorrow! That is, if you still need me."

The professor smiled fondly. "I need to check a few things first, but I will definitely let you know by your morning break. And that's 20 points for Slytherin for your participation today."

"Yes!" Goyle stopped and thought for a moment. "Um, Professor? Is there any way Crabbe can join us? He kind of feels left out."

Professor Snape furrowed his brows. "I'm not sure yet. But I'll let you know, perhaps tomorrow."

"Thank you, sir!"

"No, thank _you_, Gregory. I'll see you tomorrow morning."

"Yes, sir. Good night!" Goyle practically bounced out of the office in excitement. He couldn't wait to tell Crabbe and Draco…. He wasn't sure what, exactly. But he would tell them something.

"Daniel?"

Danny materialized and took a seat. "Yes, sir."

Professor Snape observed his unique student. "How do you feel about this evening?"

Danny thought for a moment. "First of all, I'm glad Goyle is excited. I'm kind of relieved he doesn't remember anything, except vaguely practicing spells for Defense Against the Dark Arts. He doesn't even seem to remember the surprise of my entry.

"It was cool to finally be able to do those spells that Harry worked so hard this summer to get me to do. I'm beginning to understand why he likes Defense so much. It's a bit of a rush. Does using spells always feel like that?"

Professor Snape smiled. "You know, it's been so long since I stopped to think about it, I'm not even sure. Witches and wizards display their first act of unintentional magic as children. You've performed your first act of magic with full intention and dignity." He paused. "Now that I think of it, I think it _does_ feel like that. You have felt for the first time what everyone else here takes for granted."

Danny thought again. "I won't pretend that it wasn't cool to get Vlad like that. But… it was weird. It was like… using magic against Vlad is like using my ghost powers against humans."

Professor Snape nodded. "Indeed. That is why there are laws against using magic on Muggles. Actually, with a few exceptions, Muggles are not even supposed to know of the existence of magic. Besides you and your uncle, none who survived in Amity Park know of the Death Eaters."

Danny cocked his head. "What do they think happened?"

"It has officially been declared 'a terrorist attack' by the Muggle media, which isn't far off from the truth."

"But… Why aren't Muggles supposed to know?"

Professor Snape looked at Danny. "Have you ever heard of the Salem Witch Trials?" Danny's eyes grew wide and he nodded. "There was a lot of that going on all over Europe for hundreds of years. I understand the Muggle World has calmed down about such things, but we can never be too sure."

Danny sighed. "I can understand that. People _hate_ what is different. My parents… I never told them I was a ghost. They were convinced that all ghosts are evil. Most ghosts just want to be left alone. The fact that I worked hard to save people was completely ignored by some folks, who were sure that I was planning something dark and nefarious. So, I guess I can understand that Muggles in general might not appreciate the existence of wizards." He thought of other Slytherins. "Or vice-versa."

After a few moments of reflective silence, Professor Snape asked, "With all of these thoughts and feelings you've shared, are you prepared to do this again tomorrow?"

Danny put a finger to his chin. "It really looks like Goyle is excited. I guess we can do this again. But could we, maybe, focus on spells that affect stuff and not people? Today was a little much." He smirked. "Even though it was kind of fun. Vlad's been creative in finding ways to hurt me, so I didn't mind too much. But some of this stuff – he can't defend against it. That's not right."

Professor Snape appraised his student. "I think we can arrange for that. However, with your permission, later this week we might focus on spells affecting people again. It isn't so much to annoy your uncle," He thought, 'Although that's a side benefit for me,' "as it is to learn spells that could be used defensively. While I appreciate your concern, neither your uncle nor I will think less of you for performing this magic. Actually, it is precisely what he wants you to do. You would be learning these spells for the same purpose you learned to create your ectoplasmic bonds. By learning to use these spells, if you had need, you would be able to overshadow a wizard and defend yourself or others."

"Can I think about it?"

Professor Snape smiled. "Of course." Danny fidgeted uncomfortably. "Is there something wrong?"

Danny sighed. "I was just thinking… Crabbe seriously wants to be a part of whatever Goyle is doing, especially when participation has such a high point value. I thought, maybe… I could see if I could use magic if a duplicate and I overshadowed two wizards…" He shook his head. "It's stupid."

Professor Snape said, "On the contrary – it was insightful and inspired. I will speak to Mr. Crabbe this evening. If he agrees, and I'm sure he will, I'll speak to your uncle after your other classes tonight. This will make a lot of work for you tomorrow, but the findings will be valuable for the three of us in the know, and will give pride and satisfaction for the other students involved. But I think one day will suffice for Mr. Crabbe's participation."

Danny was surprised at the professor's not only acceptance, but encouragement of what he thought was only a harebrained scheme. "One day would work. But what are you going to tell Crabbe? And almost more importantly, what are you going to tell Draco? If both Crabbe and Goyle are involved in something special, Draco _will_ feel left out, considering how much more talented he is than they are in general."

Professor Snape realized that this concern for others was part of what made Sir Nicholas dub Daniel a hero. "Leave that to me. Were you always this perceptive of the needs of your peers?"

Danny blushed. "Not exactly. But when it came to things involving ghosts overshadowing humans for personal gain, or otherwise taking advantage of or harming humans… while it wasn't necessarily my fault that it was happening, it was my responsibility to fix the situation. And whether or not I think this overshadowing thing is a good thing, the only reason Draco, Crabbe, or Goyle might be emotionally hurt is because of this project which centers on MY ghost powers."

With pride in his half-ghost student, Professor Snape said, "Impressive. You head to the rest of your lessons with your uncle, and I'll take care of Mr. Crabbe and Mr. Malfoy."

* * *

When Goyle came back to the Slytherin Common Room, Crabbe, Draco, and Pansy sat on the couches and chairs in their usual place. Draco called, "Goyle! So how was it?"

Beaming, Goyle said, "It was great. I came to Professor Snape's office, and he told me I did an exquisite job, and that I really helped him. He'll tell me by tomorrow whether he still needs me, or if today was it."

Draco smiled. "That _is_ great."

Crabbe looked at him. "Did you ask?"

With a smile that was almost a sneer, Goyle answered, "Of _course_ I asked! What do you take me for? Professor Snape said he had to check on a few things, and he would see."

The grimace left Crabbe's face. "That works for me. So, what did he have you do?"

"He told me that we were going to practice some defensive spells. I took out my wand and got into dueling stance…"

The room around them got quiet, and the four of them looked up. Professor Snape entered the Slytherin Common Room, and the conversation stopped as the students respectfully waited to see what would happen. The professor smiled. "As you were," he announced. Conversation picked up as he made his way to Draco, Crabbe, Goyle, and Pansy. "Gentlemen, if I may see you in my office? Miss Parkinson, I'll return your friends shortly." She smiled and nodded, and the four guys left.

Offering the three boys seats, Professor Snape took his own behind his desk. "First of all, I want to thank you once again, Gregory, for your assistance this evening. It was a resounding success, and I believe this project will carry on until Friday. Vincent, tomorrow I will need your services, but because of the nature of the project, I will only be able to use you for one day. It isn't a reflection on you, but a facet of the project." Crabbe glowed in happiness.

"Just so that it's clear, I am aware that Gregory and Vincent need extra credit in Defense Against the Dark Arts. You didn't pass your OWLs, and after this project, we are going to arrange for more regular tutoring so you can retake them later this year.

"Draco, because of the remedial nature of this project, this is not a project for you. I haven't devised a plan yet, but I intend to find a project for you and Mr. Fenton to accomplish together later on this year. Are there any questions?"

Draco asked, "What is the nature of this project?"

Professor Snape smiled. "This is a project that Professor Masters has spearheaded. He likes to keep his special projects confidential until he is ready to publish the results. Having performed experiments of my own and having the results reported in various publications, I understand exactly where he is coming from. As I said before, it isn't a reflection on you, but on Professor Masters and my experiment. But if Gregory or Vincent choose to discuss it, I'll leave it up to them."

Goyle nodded. "I'll keep it under wraps. It's just easier that way." Crabbe raised an eyebrow – he was going to be let in on it tomorrow. Draco furrowed his brows.

Professor Snape soothed, "Draco, remember how well you did. You don't _need_ this."

Draco sighed. "Okay." At least he and Danny had this in common. Professor Snape didn't ask for him for this project either. Draco wondered if Danny knew of his uncle's project. Well… he had to know something, because he told Goyle about it to start with. But Danny was with Professor Masters in whatever classroom they used, and Goyle was in Professor Snape's office. He saw Danny head upstairs when he went downstairs. So, Draco concluded, Danny might know about the project, but he wasn't a part of it. Not unless he could be in two places at once.

* * *

The following evening, Professor Snape entered the Room of Requirement with Crabbe and Goyle. Vlad asked, "Daniel?"

The boys chorused, "That's me." Vlad smirked at Snape's momentary disorientation. He watched as Snape taught Daniel, primarily in the guise of Goyle, _Accio_ and the Banishing Charm. It was interesting to see Daniel focus on using magic to summon items to him and propel items from him, and compare it with ghostly possession of items. Once Professor Snape was temporarily satisfied, he taught Daniel three spells involving doors: _Alohomora_ to unlock them, _Colloportus_ to seal them, and a door opening charm.

Professor Snape set Daniel to practice these spells as Goyle, so Vlad took it upon himself to speak to Daniel as Crabbe. "While one of you is learning the new spells, you should review what you learned yesterday."

Danny protested, "But I asked Professor Snape about focusing on spells dealing with stuff and not people today."

Vlad's voice turned harsh for the first time in a week. "I agreed to no such thing. You will practice the spells you learned yesterday!" Danny winced.

Professor Snape said, "How dare you? You have no right…"

"I have as much right to expect Daniel's full cooperation and effort in the participation of these magic spells as you did when I taught Daniel to manipulate his ectoplasm into bonds and gags." Both Danny and Professor Snape were silenced. Vlad's demand that Danny practice the spells on him was indeed no different than Snape's demand for Danny to not give a second thought when binding him as Masters directed during the beginning of September.

Professor Snape relented. "You are absolutely correct, Professor Masters. Daniel, this is part of the point of using Crabbe this evening. One of you," pointing to Goyle, who was busy practicing the new spells, "will focus on inanimate objects. The other will continue what we began yesterday. If you can. Can you?"

Danny shrugged uncomfortably. Vlad crossed his arms, and Danny threw the Leg Locker Curse at him. After grunting with the fall, Vlad said, "Excellent work. Now we know that any number of duplicates can use magic while overshadowing wizards. Well done, Daniel!" Danny never saw Vlad so proud to be incapacitated. This messed with his head. The glee and pleasure Danny had yesterday was gone, but he would work as hard to do what Professor Snape directed him as he did in his other Power Training sessions.

After the lesson was over and Danny delivered the wizards back to Snape's office, and the other students were duly rewarded with 20 House points each to their joy, Danny returned. Vlad beamed at him. "How are you feeling, Daniel?"

"Excited and tired. It's difficult to focus on duplicates for too long, and I not only maintained a duplicate for an hour, but I did it while overshadowing Crabbe and Goyle, using their magic. It was awesome, but wow. I'm glad it's done."

Vlad nodded. "Indeed. You did well. And I understand that using the duplicate to do magic was your idea. I commend you for it. Further, I'm glad you were interested enough in this project to add your own innovations. It means a good deal to me, and I thank you."

Danny was surprised at the feelings he had. While he targeted Vlad with the spells earlier, Danny wasn't particularly happy about it. But now that it was over, Vlad was very happy, and Danny was pleased. And it didn't even feel weird this time. "You're welcome, Uncle Vlad," Danny said quietly.

A tear ran down Vlad's cheek. "Right, then. Let's discuss your paper regarding 'Double, double/ Toil and trouble,' shall we?"

* * *

By Wednesday night, Professor Snape could tell that Danny was getting agitated again. He distinctly didn't like using powers against people who could not defend themselves, regardless of what the victim said about the matter. (He said that at home, when he joked around with his friends, that was different. But this was a true strategically offensive use of his powers that could not be defended against.) And unlike Vlad's lessons on ectoplasmic bindings, Professor Snape said Danny could stop at any time.

"Daniel, this evening, we will work on some more spells that affect people, but tomorrow, we will work on spells affecting inanimate objects. Friday, we'll work on some of each." Danny sighed. Vlad raised an eyebrow at him. Danny shrugged.

"On Monday, you learned five spells that would incapacitate an opponent. Today, you will learn two more that will incapacitate, and three that will distract an adversary. All five can be avoided with a ghost shield, but only one of the five you will learn today can be avoided by turning intangible. (Professor Masters and I made a few discoveries during the summer.)" Professor Snape felt that such an introduction would make Danny feel more at ease.

The two spells they worked on first were _Stupefy_ and the Conjunctivitis Curse. Danny learned the Stunning Spell, and was worried when Vlad fell unconscious. Professor Snape promised that this was expected, but Danny wouldn't rest until he learned the counter-spell, _Ennervate_. When Vlad came to consciousness, Danny sighed with relief. The eye-damaging spell was released with a _Finite Incantatem_.

The next three spells were supposed to distract an opponent, especially if the other spells generally used were more easily predicted. Professor Snape was ready to enjoy this. He taught Danny a Trip Jinx (and Danny remembered when Draco said he used it on Harry at a most inopportune moment). The _Tarantallegra_ set Vlad dancing uncontrollably. (Danny was amused.) Andthe last one of the day was _Rictusempra_, which made Vlad laugh uncontrollably until released.

A moment of reflection made a grim look cross Professor Snape's face. "As long as _Rictusempra_ isn't confused with _Sectumsempra_, all is well."

Vlad asked, "What does _Sectumsempra_ do?"

Professor Snape shuddered. "It produces a magical gash. If a limb is severed by it, no magic can restore it. The blood loss can be horrific. Truly, I don't even want to know if you can live through it."

Vlad crossed his arms. "The Unforgivable Curses were of no consequence, yet this makes you squeamish?"

Professor Snape's voice turned cold. "_Professor_, I knew you couldn't be killed by the Killing Curse, as Daniel already survived it. _Cruciatus_ is only pain, which you learned you _can_ avoid. (True, it is the most painful curse imaginable, but if you can avoid it once under it, unlike ordinary humans, the effect can be negligible.) The Imperius Curse only affects those who don't have a strong enough force of mind and will. You have far more control over someone you overshadow than anyone can with an Imperius Curse, as the curse can be fought and thrown off, as both of you now can.

"_Sectumsempra_, while it might be avoided, may do far more damage than I can fix." Professor Snape shuddered again before the moment passed.

Danny asked, "Why does this make you so uncomfortable?"

Professor Snape said in a low tone, "Because I invented it." Danny stared. "Let's practice what I've taught you tonight, Daniel."

* * *

After Danny delivered him and Goyle back to his office, Professor Snape gave Goyle the promised points, much to the bigger boy's continued excitement, and Snape asked how he felt. Goyle couldn't place it – he felt fine. Confused with the idea that it's been three days since he started helping his favorite professor and he still couldn't figure out what he was doing, he said, "I feel fine, Professor. I'm not sure what I've done, but I'm glad it's helping you. You said this project was for you and Professor Masters. How does he feel about all of this?"

Danny himself wanted to know, as he hovered invisibly in the corner. This was a major part of his point in participation. As long as Goyle was happy, he didn't mind continuing. Yesterday, Crabbe was thrilled. He said he wasn't sure why, but a few First Year spells stuck out in his mind, particularly the Full Body Bind. More than that, he didn't remember, but he volunteered his services to Professor Snape again, should he need it. Danny was glad he suggested including Crabbe. Back to the matter at hand…

Professor Snape said, "This project is working out far better than Professor Masters hoped. We've made a few important discoveries, and we have you to thank for it."

Goyle smiled. "That's good. Does Fenton know about this project?"

Both Professor Snape and Danny started in surprise. "Why do you ask?"

Goyle looked thoughtful. "Fenton told me a little about it last week. He didn't say much, only that you and Professor Masters had a project. But how much does he know?"

He looked at his student. His curiosity surprised him, but made the professor proud. "Mr. Fenton knows exactly how much his uncle lets him know. As I've said, this is a private project. Professor Masters tells Daniel as much as the professor feels he needs to know." He thought, 'Of course, that is every last detail of what we're doing.' He smiled.

"Okay." Goyle tried to work something out, but he wasn't sure of the answer he came up with. He shrugged. "Good night, Professor."

"Good night, Gregory. I'll see you tomorrow."

After the boy left, Danny materialized. "You know, sir, it's been a week since I decided to agree to this. Goyle's happiness with this only makes it easier to continue. But what does… Uncle Vlad have to say?" Danny knew Vlad was particularly happy with yesterday, but he wanted to know what Vlad said about him when he wasn't around.

Professor Snape noticed the pause before Danny called Vlad 'uncle.' It was one week since Daniel agreed to this project, and it was one week since Snape realized that but for the grace of… Well, he stopped being quite so obnoxious to Potter. However, he had to think that through a bit more. If things were different, what would he prefer Harry to call him?

He shook his head as if to clear it of dottle. Carefully, he said, "Your uncle is very proud of you. Just as I told you on Monday, you are doing precisely what he wishes. The idea of 'Muggle ghosts performing wizard magic' tickles him to no end." Danny thought of _Rictusempra_ and giggled.

"Is there anything else you would like to discuss this evening?"

Danny thought for a moment. He wondered what his friend might say, but he decided it was a good idea to mention it. "Harry said that he noticed a difference in you during Potions this week. He's not sure why it is, but he's thankful for it."

Professor Snape's eyes widened. "Is he?" Interesting. "Daniel, may I ask you a personal question?"

Danny was curious. "Sure."

"Do you look more like your mother or your father?"

Danny blinked. "Um… My mother was more muscular than I am, but I'm kind of more like her in build. But my hair is black and my eyes are blue like my dad's. Why?"

"Harry looks just like his father, but his eyes are just like his mother's."

"Okay." This seemed to come from nowhere. He noticed that the professor called his friend 'Harry' and not 'Potter,' as he usually did. "Sir?"

Professor Snape smiled warmly. "Thank you. Your uncle is waiting for you."

Danny was confused, but said, "Good night, Professor. I'll see you tomorrow." With that, he evaporated in a green mist.

Professor Snape mused over his current favorite student. His father had black hair and blue eyes. Wouldn't it take all if his mother's hair was red?

Harry Potter looked exactly like his father, but was he like him? He broke the rules, was arrogant, and… wait. Vlad Masters was manipulative and evil, but he managed to mentally separate the boy from the father he despised. Since Snape met Harry, he superimposed the boy's father onto Harry in his mind, and attributed his behavior to his father. But was he like his father? All other professors (with the exception of Umbridge, but what that woman said was negligible) mentioned how well mannered, likable, and humble he was, and Snape refused to acknowledge their reports, until now. If Masters could figure out that the boy in question was not his father but he couldn't… That made Vlad twice the man he was. Snape was ashamed.

At breakfast, Professor Snape approached the Gryffindor table. "Potter."

Harry spun around in his seat. He was engrossed in his conversation with Ron, and didn't see his professor until now. "Sir?"

"Please come to my office during your morning break."

The professor looked a little too eager for Harry's liking. "Am I in trouble, sir?" He couldn't think of anything he'd done wrong, or anything at all to attract Snape's attention.

Snape sighed. "No, Potter, you're not in trouble. Just come to my office after Transfigurations."

"Yes, sir." With that Professor Snape swept away from the table.

Ron and Hermione stared at him. Ron asked, "What was that?"

Harry shuddered. "I don't know."

Hermione asked, "Should we be worried?"

Harry looked at his plate. "I really don't know."

* * *

After Transfigurations, Harry knocked on the door of Professor Snape's office. "Come in." Harry entered, and the professor offered him a seat. He sat, with a little fear. He had no idea what to expect.

Professor Snape studied Harry for a few moments. "Do you remember what I said to you the first time we met in Potions class?"

Harry asked, "When? This year?"

The professor answered, "No. In your First Year." Harry listened closely. There was no mocking sneer in Snape's voice. He wasn't sure what to make of this. But he would answer.

"Yes, sir. You said something about me being a celebrity, and asked three questions that I couldn't possibly answer, considering the fact I only discovered I was a wizard when Hagrid brought me my letter personally on my eleventh birthday. Since then, I've burned the answers to those questions into my memory."

Snape noticed the bitterness in Harry's tone. "You…what?"

"You hated me from the day you set eyes on me. I never looked to be a celebrity. I didn't even know I _was_ the Boy Who Lived. Personally, I wish I were the Boy No One Heard Of, living with my parents and just being normal. But no one's ever asked me what I wanted.

"You saved me from Quirrell, when he tried to hex me off my broom, and I guess I never thanked you for that. Thank you, sir. But the fact that I _hate_ doting attention on me, especially for stuff I barely remember, is something…" He grew quiet. He closed his eyes and growled. "How many points are you going to take for this? What am I getting for detention?"

Professor Snape uncomfortably noticed the pain in Harry's voice and remembered the same resignation to his fate, yet defiance at the same time Daniel expressed when he brought Masters to his office on October 1.

"You aren't going to be punished, Potter. Please continue."

The gentle tone and the very words Professor Snape used confused him. "Huh?"

Snape sighed. "No doubt, you have had some of these thoughts and feelings for years, and I never actually noticed. I never listened to your side of the story." He held up a hand. "This isn't a trick. Have no fear of retribution. I want to hear what you have to say."

Who was this, and what did he do with Professor Snape? He wasn't sure… "What did you see when you found me in Professor Moody's office after the Tri-Wizard Tournament?"

It was so out of character for him to be kind to Potter that the boy checked to see if he wasn't Polyjuiced. He shook his head. "The Polyjuice Potion wore off, and Moody turned into Barty Crouch, Jr. I gave him Veritaserum, and he explained his plot to take you to the Dark Lord."

Harry nodded and grunted. This was Professor Snape. He was just… different. "Five points _for_ Gryffindor for your cautiousness and attention. Moody would be proud." He muttered, "Constant vigilance," and rolled his eyes. "Please continue."

Unnerved, Harry thought of everything he's wanted to say. "You knew I was an orphan – apparently, the whole Wizarding World knows – yet there was never a time you didn't find a chance to put down my father. I never knew him, or my mother, and my aunt and uncle never let me ask questions. All I know about my parents is what people here say. You kept calling him arrogant, and all kinds of horrible things, and telling me I was just like all those horrible things. It wasn't until I saw that memory of yours last year that I understood.

"By the way, I was horrified, and I demanded that Sirius and Remus explain this, because it was the first time I saw my parents in action, and I didn't like what I saw. I am sorry he was so mean to you, and I am sorry for looking into your private thoughts."

Professor Snape closed his eyes. "I forgive you, Harry. Please continue."

If Harry didn't just check to see that someone wasn't acting as Snape, he would have been certain of foul play now. Snape not only forgave him, but he called him _Harry_. "Until today, I can't think of one time you gave me the benefit of the doubt. Many times, I ended up breaking rules. It wasn't because I 'thought I was above the rules,' as you're so fond of saying. My track record for having adults listen to me and take me seriously is abysmal. My aunt and uncle would sooner lock me into the cupboard under the stairs than actually listen to me. Further, all the teachers in primary school were told that I was 'a congenital liar and a problem child,' so anything I tried to explain, or find help for was useless. The only one in Little Whinging who might listen to and believe me is Mrs. Figg, but she was afraid to do too much for fear of the Dursleys forbidding me to see her again."

Professor Snape was shell-shocked. This was the home life of the 'pampered and spoiled Golden Boy of Gryffindor?' Harry had it worse growing up than he did. "I knew Petunia hated magic, but she did that to you?"

Harry stared. "You know Aunt Petunia?"

Professor Snape said, "Your mother, your aunt, and I grew up in the same neighborhood. We knew each other. Your aunt hated 'our freakish ways,' and whatnot. But they locked you in a cupboard?"

Harry said bitterly, "It was my bedroom from my third birthday until Uncle Vernon intercepted my first letter from Hogwarts. I wasn't fit for a real bedroom because I'm just a waste of space, food, money, clothes, and any other resources. And even now, I can't call my room 'mine.' It's Dudley's second bedroom, essentially a storeroom for his broken toys and anything else he doesn't want. I fit right in."

"But…"

"So, my first inclination to ask adults for help just wasn't there. And when I did ask for help, it was unavailable. The whole deal about the Philosopher's Stone really might have gone more smoothly, if Professor Dumbledore was about. But he was out of town, on 'much more important business' than listening to me, but hey… that's what happens.

"In my Second Year, I couldn't do _anything_ right. Dobby, formerly the Malfoys' house-elf, levitated a pudding and I got in trouble for it, with both the Ministry and my aunt and uncle. Dobby locked the barrier so Ron and I couldn't get to Platform 9¾. True, if I thought things through more clearly, I would have sent Hedwig to get help, but would that have made a difference to you? I had to do things differently, getting all kinds of attention. The fact that I couldn't _stop_ the hero-worship of the younger students went completely unnoticed. Honestly, I could have lived without the notoriety of being thought of as the Heir of Slytherin.

"And if I didn't break a few rules, Ginny Weasley would be dead, and Tom Riddle's sixteen year old self would be alive and well, in addition to the 60+ character who came back at the end of the Tri-Wizard Tournament. No, I'm not above the rules, but which was the better option here?

"But more on the benefit of the doubt… In my Third Year, Sirius finished explaining that Wormtail was the Secret Keeper, and I wanted you to know this. But you yelled at us to be silent, and told me how I, like my father, would never listen to how mistaken I could be about Black. I understand now that you had good reason to not like my father or Sirius, but if you would have just listened, Pettigrew would be in Azkaban, and I could have lived with Sirius, the only adult who, since my parents died, actually wanted me as a son." Snape winced as he heard Daniel's words in Harry's mouth. He knew what Petunia was, but he had difficulty processing the concept: Harry's aunt and uncle didn't want him?

Tears started falling unbidden but unchecked from Harry's eyes. "If only you let me know, somehow, that you got my message about Sirius and Voldemort, instead of taunting me and making me feel like no one understood, I wouldn't have felt the need to go to the Ministry to save him! My friends wouldn't have been hurt, and Sirius would still be alive! It's my fault that he's dead, but it's your fault for not letting me know there was another way!"

Professor Snape acted instinctively. He came out from behind his desk and hugged the hysterical child in front of him. Harry was so far gone in his emotional torment, he did not realize he was being embraced by his most hated professor.

The professor understood that Harry never allowed him to see him this emotional. And until today, Harry probably would have been right. These were powerful emotions, and unlike Daniel who had his loving family until recently, Harry never had a person before whom he could release them. Snape only hurt him thus far. He was worse than Vlad. At least the villainous half-ghost knew the boy he tormented had secure emotional support. Harry had no one.

When the boy he held no longer maintained a torrent of tears, Snape allowed the boy to pull away. "Harry, no amount of apologies would begin to cover the debt I owe you. But I do hope that one day you will forgive me."

Harry took off his glasses, wiped his eyes with his sleeve, and asked, "Excuse me? What brought this about?"

Professor Snape answered sadly, "I have recently discovered someone very much like me, and I've seen his relationship to someone very much like you. The gentleman in question sought that relationship and would do anything to maintain it, and it occurred to me how badly I've done things, particularly with regards to you. He has got to be the luckiest man alive to have been so cruel, and to have the boy in question so forgiving."

He sighed and looked down. "Harry, I don't think there was a moment, until very recently, that I've seen you and not thought of some of the more hurtful things your father did to me as a child. But that was no excuse to treat you as if you were him during those precise moments. I don't suppose I ever told you of how protective your father was of younger students and Muggle-borns. And I know I've never told you of how your actual personality is very much like your mother." Harry blinked. "She was one of the kindest, most caring people I have ever met. If the truth be known, I was insanely jealous of your father, particularly after I lost the attention of your mother. That was entirely my fault.

"More to the point, until now, looking at you reminded me of my failure and descent into madness. Only when Voldemort threatened your mother did I realize how wrong I'd gone. I was the one who gave the prophecy to Voldemort, but I also tried to save your family afterward. When he killed your parents and tried to kill you, my resolve to leave him and spy against him was cemented.

"The reason Professor Dumbledore trusts me both implicitly and explicitly is that revenge is a very strong motivator. I will fight Voldemort to the bitter end for what he did to your parents."

"Professor, until now, you never said Voldemort's name, nor did you allow me to do so. What changed?"

Professor Snape smiled. "I'll get to that in a minute. I wanted you to understand my past, so we can decide on what to do in the future."

"Sir?" Harry was very confused. He wanted to be angry about Snape giving Voldemort part of the prophecy that made Voldemort sign Harry's death warrant, but if everything the professor said was true, then the professor cared for him a lot more than he cared to admit.

"Your father wasn't the only man I was jealous of. Until _very_ recently, he was. Now, I'm jealous of the gentleman I spoke of before. He has the type of relationship that I now want, though both he and I are undeserving. Frankly, I am less deserving than he is, because there has never been a time he did not express interest in a relationship with the boy he now has in his charge."

"Professor, you aren't making sense."

Professor Snape sighed. "I know I'm not. For now, let it suffice to say that between us, things will be different. And I do apologize to you for my dreadful behavior to you in the past."

Harry was seriously overwhelmed. "Thank you. You… have given me a lot to think about. Can I get back to you on this?"

"Of course. You have no obligations but your class work. And since you started working with Daniel, your work has improved tremendously."

"Thank you, sir." Harry thought for a moment. "Would it be okay if I discussed what we talked about with Ron and Hermione?"

"Yes. And while you're at it, you might want to talk to Daniel. But other than those three, I would prefer this not to be public yet."

"Okay," Harry said unsteadily. This would take some time to sort out.

"You better head to Charms. I'll see you this afternoon in Potions."

* * *

At lunch, Ron and Hermione descended on Harry. Hermione said, "So, what did Professor Snape want with you?"

Harry frowned. "To be honest, I'm not really sure. But he said that things are going to be different from now on."

Ron put down his fork. "That doesn't sound good, Harry."

"I don't know. I'm _really_ not sure. He asked me to speak my mind about my years of school here. When we get back to the Common Room later, we'll really hash this out. But he… apologized for being horrible to me, begging me to forgive him. It was weird. I told him I needed to think about it."

Ron said, "That doesn't sound like him."

Harry shifted his shoulders uncomfortably. "I know. I asked a 'security question' to make sure it was really him. It was. He was just really different. And he _gave_ me five points for my vigilance." He looked around. There were too many people to share some of the more interesting moments. "He asked me to keep the details of our conversation private, but that I can tell you guys and Danny."

"Danny?" they chorused.

Harry shrugged. "I really don't get it. In any event, we'll see what happens in Potions. I'll ask Danny about finding a time to talk, maybe this weekend."

Hermione smiled. "Perfect! This weekend is a Hogsmeade weekend. Professor Masters didn't let Danny come in August, but maybe he'll change his mind. I don't know if Danny's ever been, but we could pick an out-of-the-way table at the Three Broomsticks and talk about this to our hearts' content." Even Ron smiled; Danny was beginning to grow on him.

Harry felt better. "We'll still talk tonight, but now I have another reason to look forward to Potions this evening."

* * *

Before Potions began, Harry asked, "Danny? Can we arrange a time to talk this weekend?"

Danny was surprised. "Sure. What's up?"

Harry furrowed his brows. "Professor Snape and I had a rather long, interesting conversation this morning. It involved a lot of confusing emotions, and when I asked him if I could talk to Ron and Hermione about it, he said yes, and suggested that I talk to you about it."

Danny tried to absorb this. He's had his share of bizarre, emotionally confusing conversations both this week and last week. Maybe talking to someone else about their issues might give him some perspective on his own. Plus, he was curious about the strange relationship between Professor Snape and Harry.

"Sure thing, Harry. How about this Saturday?"

Harry smiled. "Sounds great. You know, this weekend is the first Hogsmeade weekend of the year, now that classes are in session."

Danny's eyes lit up. "I didn't think of that! I'll have to ask Uncle Vlad about it."

Harry said, "Let me know by tomorrow so we can make more definite plans." Danny nodded. Professor Snape began, so their conversation ended.

The potion they worked on was complicated, but Danny and Harry worked hard, and their potions were the exact color and shade Professor Snape told them to expect it to be. Harry was curious to see how Professor Snape intended to be different. For the past week, the professor refrained from making any negative comments, and the absence of nasty, snarky remarks made it easier for Harry to concentrate. He wasn't sure of Snape's reasoning, but he was glad for it. Today, however, Professor Snape said 'things will be different.' Harry wondered what that meant.

Professor Snape made his way over to Danny and Harry. Looking into their cauldrons, he said, "Excellent work as always, Daniel. Your attention to detail is amazing. Your potion is just as good, Harry. Five points to you both." He smiled at them and moved on.

Harry's eyes went wide. "That's new. Professor Snape… complimented my work and gave me points for it. This is a serious first."

Danny looked hopeful. "This is a good thing, right?"

Harry peaked his eyebrows. "I hope so. It makes the upcoming conversation we're going to have that much more important."

* * *

At dinner, Professor Snape told Professor Masters to wait for him before he entered the Room of Requirement. Vlad looked curious, and Snape explained that he needed to prepare the room. When Snape and the other Slytherins went downstairs, Vlad left for the Seventh Floor to wait.

When Danny brought Professor Snape to the Seventh Floor, the professor walked back and forth three times. The door opened to the cavernous room that was as big as several city blocks and filled with all sorts of things that Danny and Harry discovered as they explored the room. Danny exclaimed, "I've been here before!"

Professor Snape raised his eyebrows. "Have you?"

Danny smiled. "Harry and I explored the possibilities of the Room of Requirement, and this was one of the rooms we found. What is this place?"

"This is the Room of Hidden Things. Over the centuries, students put things here. Some of the things are forbidden to have, some things are experiments gone wrong. Other things might have been stolen from students, teachers, or whomever and disposed of here. What is more is that the room seems endless. If you need a place to simply destroy inanimate objects that no one will miss, this room suits the purpose. That's what I had in mind when I called this room into being."

Vlad's mind raced. "It occurs to me that after we finish these overshadowing exercises, this would be an ideal place for Daniel to practice his Ghostly Wail."

Danny beamed. "That's what I had in mind when I called this room up before!" Professor Snape looked concerned. "I didn't tell Harry what I had in mind, beyond mentioning 'a really destructive curse'."

Professor Snape looked unconvinced. "That 'Ghostly Wail' of yours certainly is a powerful attack. I don't think I've seen anything magical that was quite that destructive cast by any one person at once. It is absolutely tremendous."

Vlad smiled. "Yes it is. Daniel told us that he has used it at least once defensively. This power is truly awesome." He looked at Danny proudly. "Some day, you will be far more powerful than I am, and this is only one of a few talents we don't share." Vlad stared off into the distance. "Think of the possibilities…"

While Professor Snape looked vaguely disturbed, Danny looked almost panicked. He whispered, "What a cool power…if it weren't being used for evil." He hugged himself, lost in thought. He started shaking.

Professor Snape noticed Danny's distress first. "Daniel?" The boy was too ensconced in a vision only he could see to be aware of his surroundings. The professor tried again, but this time louder and more insistent. "Daniel?"

Vlad was woken from his reverie, and he noticed Danny's catatonic panic. "Daniel!" He gently put his hands on the boy's shoulders. "What's wrong, Daniel?" He embraced the boy. Vlad couldn't imagine what Danny was thinking. He just wanted him back. Rubbing Danny's back, he whispered, "Daniel, come back to us!"

Somewhere between the gentle sounds and the soothing touches, Danny came back to the present. "The possibilities… I could, in theory, destroy a whole city. That…wow."

Vlad almost cried with relief. "Daniel!" He hugged Danny again, and then held Danny's shoulders at arm's length so he could look at the boy. "What was that about?"

Danny looked at the two men. He wasn't ready to talk about his evil future self. He wasn't prepared to think about it properly, forget about explaining it. "I don't want to discuss it."

Vlad and Snape looked at each other. Vlad guessed, "You've used this power on another occasion besides last Christmas and this summer."

Danny said, "Yes. But I don't want to talk about it."

Professor Snape tried. "Does anyone else know...?"

Danny crossed his arms and said fiercely, "I don't wanna talk about it!" The two men stared at Danny. Of the many things Danny's seen and been through, neither man could guess what would make Danny mentally shut down as he just did or clam up like this. The three of them stood in silence for a few minutes.

Professor Snape was the first to break out of the moment. "Right, then. Today, we are going to cover four powerfully destructive curses (I promise that as much power as they have, nothing we'll do today has _that_ much power) and a spell to repair things. Are you ready, Daniel?"

Danny shivered. "Are you sure about this?"

Vlad reminded him, "It's only 'stuff' no one wants or cares about. Ectoblasts can do a bit of damage. You might think of these spells as new and creative ways to cause property damage."

Danny looked askance. Professor Snape said, "A few of these curses saved Harry last year. I understand that wing of the Ministry will never be the same, but six students casting the _Reducto_ Curse at the same time provided an excellent distraction and a means of escape. Temporarily, anyway. It was a painful, complicated adventure."

Danny's curiosity was piqued. "What happened?"

Professor Snape smiled wryly. "One of the less common magical talents is that of Sight, with a sixth sense, or some such. Prophecies can be divined by a true Seer. One such prophecy involves Harry and the Dark Lord. The Dark Lord wanted Harry to retrieve the recording of it and laid an ambush for Harry and his friends." He still felt Harry's accusations from this morning acutely. "In order to escape the Death Eaters, I understand Harry organized a massive destruction of the shelves holding the recordings of prophecies."

Danny thought about this. "If Harry could use these curses to save people, maybe I can, too."

Vlad smiled. "There's my boy!" Danny blinked. Did Vlad just call him 'his boy?'

"So, are you ready?" Snape asked.

Danny took a breath. "I'm ready."

Professor Snape taught Danny five spells, some of which seemed redundant. _Confringo_ causes objects to explode. _Deprimo_ blasts a hole in objects. _Expulso_ blows up a target, and _Reducto_ blasts solid objects out of the way. Danny learned them all, but he felt that ectoblasts of varying strengths would do the job just as easily. Then again, there might be times he needed to hide his powers. It would be useful, if Death Eaters attacked and he somehow needed to hide the fact he was a ghost, to be able to overshadow someone and use these curses for the same purpose.

Of all the spells he learned this evening, the one he liked best was _Reparo_. Considering all the damage caused by ghost fights, he often wished he could magically repair the damage. And now he could, at least in theory. They reviewed all the spells Danny learned so far, and they decided to call it a night for Powers Training.

After Danny returned Professor Snape and Goyle back to the professor's office, Vlad started discussing Shakespeare's _Julius Caesar_. Vlad was proud of his Shakespeare-heavy curriculum, but after this third tragedy, he decided a Shakespearean comedy was in order.

Once they finished the math lessons for the day, Danny decided to ask about the weekend. "Uncle Vlad?"

Vlad was in a good mood. "What's on your mind, little badger?"

"This weekend is the first scheduled Hogsmeade weekend for the year."

Vlad smiled. "I would say, it is the first Hogsmeade weekend since the beginning of the term. Harry, Ron, and Hermione had the _first_ Hogsmeade weekend in August. That was the first time you showed us your Ghostly Wail."

Danny vaguely remembered… oh, now he remembered. Harry asked if he could come, but the Hogsmeade outing was a chance to get the students someplace safe while Danny demonstrated his Wail. "Right. Students can only go if they get permission from their parents or guardians. So, can I go?"

Vlad sighed. "No, Daniel."

"But I really want to go!"

"I said no, Daniel."

"But everyone else Third Year and up is going!"

"Good for them, but you're still not going."

"But you've been to London a few times. I just want to go to Hogsmeade once."

Vlad started losing his patience. "I told you, no!"

Danny shouted, "It's not fair!"

Vlad glared. "What part of 'You're hiding from Death Eaters who recognize your face,' do you not understand? In case you've forgotten, our trip to Britain isn't for pleasure, but for your protection!"

Danny lowered his voice. "The Death Eaters are looking for Harry, too. And he can go."

Vlad sighed again. "And Harry doesn't currently have a guardian to protect him, as I understand his aunt and uncle are useless."

"So what am I supposed to do when all my friends go?"

"Funny you should mention that. By the time we finish _Julius Caesar_, it will be time for a mid-term project. I have a few essay topics for you to choose from. Tomorrow you will choose the topic, and you can spend some time on Saturday to start working on your essay. A little outlining and research would never go amiss."

Danny sulked. "I still say it's not fair."

Vlad crossed his arms. "Daniel, this time I'm not being overbearing and controlling – I am merely doing my job as a responsible guardian. And that means keeping you out of harm's way. And that means, making sure you stay where the madmen trying to capture and enslave or kill you can't find you. These people aren't like the ghosts you've spent time fighting, including me. Every ghost you've ever fought had a clear agenda, and a way to defeat it, difficult though it might have been.

"These people are evil. Unlike Showenhower, who had a ghostlike obsession, these humans… are ruthless, and don't seem to care about anything or anyone. You have rarely dealt with the evils of humanity. This is beyond you. That's what we're here for: your protection and education to learn how to defeat these people."

Danny scowled. Vlad sighed. "It's getting late. Have a good night, Daniel."

Danny grumbled, "G'night, Vlad." They went their separate ways.

When Vlad got to his room, he realized that Danny forgot to call him 'uncle.' Well, Daniel was angry. But Vlad was right. And no matter how special he is, Daniel is still only a teenager. This was not to be helped.

* * *

The next day, the Great Hall buzzed with students clamoring about what they intended to do in Hogsmeade. Draco asked, "Danny, are you going to Hogsmeade tomorrow? Besides the Honeyduke's Candy Shop and Zonko's Joke Shop, you might like to see the Shrieking Shack. They say it's haunted by a malevolent ghost."

Danny perked up. "Is it really? What do these ectoplasmic malefactors do?" His mother would be proud of him. If it was bad, he might have to kick some ghost butt after hours. He might have been out of action for a few months, but he's been training, and he was stronger than ever.

Draco sat still for a second. "No one actually knows. But sometimes, people hear unearthly screams coming from the Shack."

Danny thought he was missing something. "You said they were malevolent. What do they do to terrorize the people?"

Draco was at a loss. "I never heard." Wait a minute. Ghost attacks were well publicized, as he knew all too painfully well. If Draco didn't hear what went wrong, that must mean… that nothing wrong was happening. Some innocent ghost was being unfairly blamed and defamed.

Rolling his eyes, Danny sighed with exasperation. "You know, Draco, just because a ghost makes noise, rattles chains, looks in pain, or yells about something, that doesn't mean it's bad. I've seen ghosts actively trying to take over the world, or otherwise significantly alter… the world of the living. They find ways to hurt people, mess with people's minds, change traffic patterns, or even violently enforce an outdated school lunch menu. These ghosts _hurt_ people who get in their way. Making a lot of noise in a space confined to one house does not get a ghost labeled 'malevolent.' Would you like people to assume that because you own fine robes and things that you are a stuck-up snob?"

"Danny!" Draco cried indignantly.

"Didn't think so. So why should a ghost who, by and large, isn't bothering anybody be thought of as evil?"

Draco couldn't take it. "Why does this matter so much to you?"

"Because I happen to know a ghost who works hard to protect humans from violent ghosts, but ends up as Public Ghost Enemy Number One for his trouble. He's framed for crimes he didn't commit, and he's under constant suspicion for wrong-doing when he's never done anything but try to be useful to the citizens of his town. Yet he suffers from a seriously tarnished image because there are people who believe that ghosts can't be anything other than evil."

Draco flushed. He never heard of ghosts actively able to do anything, forget about acting malevolently. But that's what he's always heard about the ghost or ghosts who were known to cause a ruckus in the Shrieking Shack. But put in the light Danny mentioned, he could see Danny's point. "I never really thought about it before. But it's still interesting."

Danny smiled. "I'm sure. But to answer the question you asked me before all of this began, I won't be going. Uncle Vlad won't let me go."

"Why?"

Danny knew Vlad was right, but he didn't have to like it. "I'd rather not discuss it."

Draco sighed. "Sorry to hear it. I'll be sure to bring you back stuff."

"Thanks, Draco." Danny wasn't sure when he started noticing it, but at some point, Draco started acting more like a real friend, and Danny reciprocated the feeling honestly. Based on a few of Draco's general prejudices, this friendship might come to a screeching halt if he ever learned Danny's secrets. So he found a new Valerie, without the 'pretty girl I want to date' part.

During the beginning of Potions, Harry also asked Danny, "Are you coming to Hogsmeade tomorrow?"

Danny sighed. "No. Uncle Vlad won't let me."

Harry was very sympathetic. "My aunt and uncle wouldn't let me go in Third Year, either. But when Sirius, my godfather, and I connected, he let me go. But you see, my aunt and uncle work hard to deprive me of any joy in life. Professor Masters seems to really care about you, even though he has a weird way of showing it sometimes. Did he say why he won't let you go?"

Danny thought for a moment. Harry already knows about the Death Eaters. He could tell Harry. "It's to protect me from the Death Eaters. They massacred my town, and we're worried that they'll look to finish the job they started. They know what I look like, so it's best I stay in Hogwarts, where it's safe."

Harry said, "That's logical. I'm very sorry to hear it."

They had a few more minutes, because Professor Snape hadn't entered the classroom yet. "Harry, have you heard about the Shrieking Shack?"

Harry started in surprise. "Yes. How do _you_ know about it?"

"Draco told me about it. Is it really haunted?"

Harry remembered that Danny was respectful of Remus when it was clear he knew Remus's secret. If he didn't know it when Remus visited in July, he certainly knew once Professor Masters mentioned it in class. "No. You know that Remus Lupin is a werewolf, right?"

"Yeah."

"Well… when we covered werewolves in your uncle's class, he talked about Wolfsbane Potion. But the Potion has only been around for maybe ten years or so. Before that… I understand that the transformation was brutal.

"In order for Remus to come to Hogwarts, he needed a safe place to contain him when he went feral once a month. There is a secret passage from the Hogwarts grounds to the Shrieking Shack. Because of the pain and… blood lust involved in his wolf form, Remus would howl and snarl in pain. But no one was ever seen to enter the Shack. I understand that Professor Dumbledore encouraged the rumors that it was haunted by a dangerous ghost. That would kill curiosity and ensure the safety of both Remus and anyone who might otherwise encounter him by accident."

Danny frowned. Draco was purposely told there was a malevolent ghost in the Shrieking Shack as a ruse to protect Remus Lupin, and Danny bit his head off for believing what he was told. "It looks like I owe Draco an apology."

Harry noticed that Danny was troubled over an owed apology, which brought something else to mind. "We still need to have that discussion. Should we have it tomorrow when we come back or Sunday?"

"That depends. If you get back a few hours before dinner, we'll have time. If you get back too late, we'll have to do it Sunday."

Harry thought for a moment. "Can we do it Sunday, then? It is really important. And I'll be sure to bring you something."

Danny smiled. "Thanks. Sure. We've got a date – Sunday after breakfast." With that, Professor Snape came in and class began.

* * *

After dinner, when Danny came to get Goyle and Professor Snape, the professor was amused. "Because today will be the last day you will use magic this way, I decided we are going to have a little fun."

"Professor?"

Professor Snape smirked. "You'll see."

Once they met Vlad in the Room of Requirement, Professor Snape said, "Today, the five spells I'm going to teach Daniel are more of a potpourri. The first spell is _Diffindo_. It is a useful charm to release bindings and otherwise sever certain items. It has nowhere near the same force and violence as _Sectumsempra_. Professor Masters, please step forward." With a wave of Snape's wand, Vlad's arms were pinned to his sides and his legs were bound. All of these bindings were of silk cords.

Vlad barked, "You've been planning this since September, haven't you?"

Snape purred, "You have no idea." To Danny, he said, "Now flick your wand and think of the bonds you want to sever and say '_Diffindo_'." They practiced this spell, using different materials in the magically conjured bindings. Some materials required more intense concentration than others. Metal was tougher, but the spell worked just as easily.

Danny thought for a moment. "Professor, all of these bindings could just as easily be avoided by phasing through them. The real test would be ghost-proof bindings." He shuddered. Both Snape and Vlad looked at Danny curiously. "I guess part of me wants to know if you could conjure such things, and part of me wants to know – if you can – if this spell can break through them."

Vlad said, "That is very insightful, Daniel."

Danny blushed. "Thanks."

Professor Snape's analytic mind went into hyper drive. "What material would that be?" Danny shrugged.

Vlad considered this. Until this point, the Wizarding World held no knowledge of anti-ghost technology, with the possible exception of Blood Blossoms, and that didn't count as technology. Without this knowledge, no one had any power – except psychological, perhaps – over ghosts of Vlad and Danny's caliber. Once he told them, they would be at the wizards' mercy.

"Professor, I have a dilemma. At this point, no one in the Wizarding World has a reliable method of restraining either Daniel or myself. If I tell you this information, then you may truly have a power that we honestly cannot defend against. So far, everything you have taught Daniel can indeed be avoided by either of us with the expedient of an ectoplasmic shield. Ghost-proof restraints would hold us in place and cancel either of our ghost powers.

"Since Daniel's parents are no longer living, the only humans who know this secret are the Guys in White. They are Muggles, and could not use such things against us without being in very close proximity. As you have demonstrated, distance is almost negligible when it comes to creating bonds magically. As such, I don't feel compelled to teach you how to make these bonds, even at the expense of learning whether magic is capable of breaking them."

Professor Snape frowned. "You make a valid point, Professor. We'll have to leave it at that." Looking back at Danny, he said, "The next two spells are of my own invention." Danny's eyes widened. "Not to worry - they are both relatively harmless. _Muffliato_ is an anti-spying technique. The victim of this spell hears an indistinct buzzing in the ears. The purpose is to drown out other sound. The other is _Levicorpus_. I already told you what that one does."

Vlad asked Danny, "Should I be worried?"

Danny said, "Only for your dignity. You have your suit on under your robes, right?"

"Of course, but why should that matter?"

"You'll see."

The _Muffliato_ spell worked on Vlad only when he was tangible, but he could avoid it and end it by turning intangible. Snape smirked conspiratorially when he told Danny to point his wand and think the spell _Levicorpus_. Vlad squawked as he felt a force grab his ankle and suspend him upside down in midair. Turning intangible didn't help him. "Oh, apple strudel! So how do I get down?" Snape's grin broadened, and told Danny to think the word _Liberacorpus_. Vlad squawked again as he fell in a heap on the floor. The _Levicorpus_ spell could not hit Vlad when he was intangible, but _Liberacorpus_ could.

Vlad muttered so only Professor Snape could hear him. "I'm going to get you for this!"

Snape murmured, "I have no doubt." To Danny, Professor Snape said, "The last two spells are simply for fun." Vlad looked wary. "Not to worry, Professor Masters. The next spell should have no effect on you. At least, not directly. The spell is _Serpensortia_, which conjures a snake from nowhere. The idea is that most people are afraid of snakes. Making a snake suddenly appear is often a useful distraction." Vlad rolled his eyes.

Danny asked, "What kind of snake gets conjured?"

"I suppose any you can imagine. A black garden snake will suffice for the start of this exercise."

Danny nodded, but paused. "What will happen to it when we're done?"

This was unprecedented. A student wanted to know the welfare of a magically treated animal. They were routinely transfigured or Vanished, but this was the first time he could recall a student asking what happened to it. "What would you like to happen to it?"

Danny thought for a moment. The end location for the snake wasn't already thought of? "Well… how about sending it to the Forbidden Forest? You taught me how to Banish something, so I could Banish the snake there."

Vlad smiled. Danny had a good heart. The idea that Danny would think so far ahead for an animal not even in existence yet spoke well of him. His hero complex wouldn't quit. Professor Snape nodded. "Very well. The Forbidden Forest may have a few new residents after this session. The spell is _Serpensortia_. Point your wand in the direction you want the snake to appear. Ready?"

Danny nodded. He conjured a handful of different snakes, and Vlad was interested to see the versatility of this spell. Vlad even offered a few suggestions and was amazed and amused that they appeared. However, when Danny was done learning about them and their conjuration, he Banished them.

Professor Snape smiled at Danny. "The last spell is your choice, Daniel. You have learned any number of spells since the start of September. Are there any that you would like to learn to do? Pick one. The choice is yours."

Danny considered. "I think _Aguamenti_. I can conjure ice all on my own, but it would be kinda neat to be able to do it in liquid form."

"Very well." Professor Snape conjured a goldfish bowl. "Aim your wand and say _Aguamenti_." He did, and the bowl began to fill. Danny thought this was very cool. "And as a bonus, I'll teach you to Vanish it. Unlike Banishing something, which sends an item somewhere else, Vanishing an item makes it nonexistent, as if it never was. That spell is _Evanesco_. Point your wand at the water in the bowl and say _Evanesco_." He did. The water Vanished.

"Awesome!"

Professor Snape smiled again. "I'm glad you enjoyed this experience. This week you learned no fewer than 25 spells and their counter-spells. Would you like a final review?" Danny looked to Vlad, who was getting quite a workout as a target.

Vlad said, "Daniel, I think you should. This is the last time you'll be doing magic for a long while." Danny agreed. After a quick run-through of all the spells he learned, Danny looked back at both Vlad and Professor Snape.

Professor Snape said, "On behalf of your uncle and myself, I truly want to thank you for participating in our project. At long last, we now know that it is possible for a Muggle ghost to perform magic while overshadowing a wizard. We also know how certain untried spells affect a half-ghost while both tangible and intangible. Thank you for your patience for doing that which you understandably were reluctant to begin." Vlad nodded. "I think now is the time to thank Goyle for his participation. Professor Masters, I'll send your nephew back up shortly."

Vlad smiled at Danny. "I'll see you when you get back."

Danny teleported Professor Snape back to his office, and exited Goyle, waiting silently and invisibly in his usual corner.

Professor Snape smiled warmly at Goyle. "Gregory, I want to thank you kindly for your participation this week. It was indispensable, and Professor Masters and I got precisely what we required from our project, and your contribution was vital. With the 20 points you received for today's participation, you have earned Slytherin 100 points."

Goyle glowed in pleasure. "Thank you! But sir, what did I do?"

Professor Snape said, "My dear Gregory, you performed a series of defensive spells under conditions that might have worked or not, based on the principles of the experiment. Every last thing you did was successful in every way, and the information we sought was absolutely valuable."

"How come I can't remember anything about it?"

"To be honest, I'm not sure. When I underwent the same condition, I remembered every last detail. But your performance was admirable, and you provided everything we required. I cannot thank you enough. And next week, you and Vincent and I will discuss and establish a tutoring schedule to get you the help and practice you need so you can retake your Defense Against the Dark Arts OWL."

With a sly grin, Goyle asked, "Will we get points for the tutoring sessions?"

Professor Snape rolled his eyes. "Don't make me regret your participation in this, Gregory."

"Yes, sir. I mean, no sir. Thank you, sir."

"Have a good night, and have a nice weekend."

"Thank you. You, too, sir." Goyle smiled and walked out.

"Daniel?" Danny materialized and took a seat. "Thank _you_ for agreeing to this experiment. Considering that you were totally against it before you began, you have been an incredibly good sport. There were times you went completely against your inclination for our benefit, and you allowed yourself to be used for our purposes even when there were moments you might have chosen not to. I cannot thank _you_ enough."

"You're welcome, Professor."

"And for _your_ participation, I give you 100 points." Danny's head snapped up in surprise. "You didn't think I would give you any less for your efforts than I did Gregory, did you? He was a willing participant from beginning to end. You were dragged, literally screaming, into this, and you are the one who did all of the work. Even if the points are virtually meaningless to you, you do need to know that every last minute, thought, and effort you put into this was appreciated beyond words. Thank you, Daniel."

When Danny went back upstairs to the Room of Requirement, Vlad smiled more warmly and more genuinely that Danny had ever seen. He hugged Danny (Vlad decided that he can _seriously_ get used to this), and said, "Daniel, I have never been prouder of you. You did it. You went through a week of this project. You…" Words failed him, and he hugged Danny again. Oh, yes. He can indeed get used to this.

"Um… You're welcome?" Danny was not sure what to do, here. But after the week he had, he decided that humoring Vlad was a good idea. He could be angry with him tomorrow.

44


	24. Chapter 24

Welcome, one and all to another chapter of this marathon of a fic! I thank you all for reading, and I especially thank the many readers, reviewers, and folks who put this on their favorite and alert lists. I send you all cybernetic Nestles Turtles, in the big heart-shaped box.

This chapter, I have to thank Embers of Inspiration and Quacked Lurker for the idea of showing everyone's reaction to the sudden increase in points for Slytherin.

I would also like to thank Thozmp Corris for reminding me about the need to go back and check on the ecto-filtrators. Good catch!

The scene in Hogsmeade was written by my friend and collaborator, Cynthia. She borrowed heavily from the corresponding chapter in "Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince," so if anything looks familiar, that is why. Still, the outcome is one we agreed upon long before the chapter was started.

And this chapter, I have the honor of placing the chapters written by Youre-not-so-big in their rightful place: within the fic itself. There are a few changes, but not so drastic that they change the intent with which they were written (I hope). Once again, I thank you for the honor of allowing me to take your chapters from "A Vent for ADD" and developing them into this much beloved fic.

Disclaimer: I do not own either _Danny Phantom_ or _Harry Potter_.

Chapter 24

When Danny came upstairs for breakfast he heard shrieks and shouts and was a little nervous as he approached the crowd. He asked the first student he saw, "What's going on?"

Cormac McLaggen stared at Danny and answered for the addressed student. "Over night, Slytherin received 120 points. Something doesn't seem cricket." He leered and loomed over Danny, who recognized a bully considering a wailing when he saw one. Danny dodged into the crowd and made his way to the hourglasses that held House points.

The Gryffindor glass was filled about the same as the Ravenclaw glass. The Hufflepuff glass wasn't far behind. But between the 220 points Slytherin accumulated from Danny, Crabbe, and Goyle for the overshadowing project, the five points Danny got in Potions yesterday, and any other points garnered by his Housemates for the last week, there was a mass of green that stood out far above the other gems. This wasn't something Danny thought about on a regular basis, but he could see why other students would be unhappy.

The Slytherin students nearer the hourglasses were celebratory and the other students were accusatory. A voice between annoyed and angry bellowed, "What are you lot on about? There will be no fighting in the Hall!" Students turned to see an angry Mr. Filch, and parted so he could see what the fuss was about. When he saw Danny, his expression softened. "What's going on here, Fenton?"

Danny smiled at the grumpy caretaker. After the classroom furniture that was destroyed during his fight with Vlad on September 9 was cleared, Danny felt guilty, knowing he promised to clean any messes he made. That Wednesday, he apologized to Mr. Filch and volunteered to help him clean for an hour a day for a week. Mr. Filch was impressed that the boy's sense of responsibility was so strong that he assigned _himself_ detention for a week. From that day onward, he had a soft spot in his heart for Danny.

"House points seem to be causing havoc."

"Oh, for the love of… Thank you, Fenton. I'll get the Headmaster." As he hurried off to find someone to deal with this insanity, the students yelled and jeered at each other. The prefects managed to make sure no spells were cast, but it was uncertain business. Within minutes, the four Heads of House and Vlad followed Filch to the discontented congregation of students. The rabble appeared to be this side of coming to blows.

Professor McGonagall pointed her wand at her throat, muttering _Sonorus._ "Excuse me!" The adolescents became silent, and professor said _Quietus._ "What seems to be the trouble, here?"

Anthony Goldstein, a Sixth Year Ravenclaw prefect, said, "Slytherin has gained 120 points over night, and some students are complaining of foul play."

Professor McGonagall and Professor Snape exchanged a glance. Professor Snape mouthed, "Everything is in order." Professor McGonagall nodded.

"Foul play, Mr. Goldstein?" Anthony looked to the dissatisfied members of the Houses that weren't Slytherin. He nodded.

"Were the complainants aware of any Slytherin student interaction with professors? There _are_ a lot of points, but there are also a lot of students who might have earned said points."

Anthony looked to the more vocal of the disputants, and folded his arms, waiting for a response. Cormac announced, "It was in the evening. How should we know?"

Professor McGonagall glowered at him. "Mr. McLaggen, if you are unaware of what any students might have done to earn these points, you have no wherewithal to accuse anyone of wrongdoing. If I remember correctly, Gryffindor once lost 150 points over night. There was no cry over the validity of that. If Slytherin has earned 120 points over night, perhaps a more appropriate response would be congratulations. If there is nothing else, disburse and head to the Great Hall for breakfast."

With some grumbling, the mass of students made its way to the Great Hall. The four Heads of House stayed to maintain crowd control. Vlad observed the goings-on. Danny waited for the Entrance Hall to clear a bit before he moved from his place in front of the hourglasses. Looking at the offending container of points, Danny asked no one in particular, "Is it that hard to believe that Slytherin could come into so many points honestly?"

Professor Snape gently murmured, "I told you: the other students will mistrust you, and band together against you. While the acquisition of so many points at once is unusual, unfortunately the attitude of the students has come to be expected." He patted Danny's shoulder and entered the Great Hall.

Mr. Filch eyed the lot distrustfully. He might have given that McLaggen detention of some sort. He woke from his partial reverie when Danny said, "Mr. Filch? Where is Professor Dumbledore?"

"He is out of the castle. Professor McGonagall is the Deputy Headmistress, so she's the next best person. But this looked like a riot waiting to happen, and the other Heads of House were reinforcements. Your uncle had his own reasons for coming." Danny nodded.

Danny started for the Great Hall, but Vlad caught his arm. "Wait a moment, Daniel." Danny looked up curiously. "When was the last time you changed the ecto-filtrator on your parents' Portal?"

"Before I left for your house. I didn't know if or when I'd be back, and my dad showed me a simulation on his laptop of what _could_ happen if it wasn't changed every six months."

Vlad smiled. "Even as enemies, I taught you something. I'm willing to bet he showed you that simulation only after I tried to steal your Portal."

"That's not something to be proud of, Uncle Vlad."

Vlad shrugged. "It was a minor victory. I lost that particular battle, but it ensured that what was left of Amity Park wasn't blown off the map when you left." Danny stiffened and stayed silent. Vlad was surprised. He expected more banter, but some switch had been thrown. He cleared his throat, and Danny looked back up at him.

"I have to go back and change the ecto-filtrators in some Portals. I have a few of them in different homes across the Fruited Plains."

Danny flinched as if stung. "You're going home!" he accused.

"Only for today. Besides, one of my associates reminded me that it would be prudent to put in an appearance. VladCo and most of the other corporations are doing fine, but Axion needs some reassurance. So after I Portal-hop and change the ecto-filtrators, I'll have a business brunch (Central Time, you see). I'll be back for Powers Training this evening."

Danny looked mutinous. Vlad wasn't just leaving the castle, as was his wont on Saturdays, but he was going home. He knew Vlad was right about his safety, but it still wasn't fair.

"I'll be sure to give Miss Grey your regards." Valerie! If he would have known Vlad was going home, he might have written a letter or something. Vlad watched as emotions surged through his precious charge and sighed. "Daniel, any books you care to use and peruse will be in the Room of Requirement, but I suggest you do your work in the library. There will be people about. Something has been amiss since Thursday – before I said you couldn't go to Hogsmeade – and I think it would serve you well to be around people today."

Danny glared and crossed his arms. He wasn't talking about his evil future self. Vlad sighed again. Daniel was going to be difficult. "Let's go to breakfast. You can use it, and so can I."

* * *

Danny grumbled as he made his way to the library. Just like Vlad said, the books he needed and a few journals with related articles were on the shelves in the Room of Requirement when it looked like their English classroom. But now, he had work to do.

Terry and a few enterprising Ravenclaw students his year stayed in the library, opting not to go to Hogsmeade. Terry found Danny, as Danny fumed while flipping pages. Now might be a good time to try to get closer to his troubled classmate.

Bringing his own work with him and settling at Danny's table, Terry said, "Hi, Danny. What are you working on?"

Looking up, Danny sighed. "Uncle Vlad wants me to start preparing for a mid-term assignment."

"Really?" No one knew what Danny and Professor Masters worked on in their special classes together. "What is the subject?"

"English literature. He says that English and math courses make a more well-rounded education."

Terry smiled. "That's the hallmark of a true Ravenclaw! Is Professor Masters having you read Muggle or Wizard literature?"

Danny looked worried. "Muggle literature."

Terry was almost smug. "You are probably one of the few Slytherin students I've met or heard of who didn't disdain Muggle literature, simply because it comes from Muggles." Danny relaxed. Nothing was given away. "I didn't have much exposure to it until I got to Hogwarts."

Danny asked, "How did that work?"

"In my first three years, one of the Ravenclaw prefects was a Muggle-born. She put me onto it. Penelope Clearwater explained that learning can be attained from all sources, and that Muggle resources are a very rich source of information." Noticing that Danny's attitude of relief and curiosity didn't change, he continued. "Literature is always a great source for understanding… character psychology." He blushed. "I almost said 'human psychology,' but not all characters worthy of study are human."

Danny smiled. "Exactly. The project I'm working on for this mid-term is supposed to focus on the ghosts in the Shakespearean plays _Hamlet_, _Macbeth_, and _Julius Caesar_. I'm supposed to compare and contrast them, and discuss their characters and other literary value. How does their presence move the plot? I haven't read far enough into _Julius Caesar_ to find the ghost yet, but it's listed in the question, so it's just a matter of time before I find it."

Terry perked up with pleasure. "I'd like to read that paper when you've written it. I'd like to hear what you have to say on the matter." Besides – how often does a Slytherin student willingly write about Muggle literature? The topic – Professor Masters is engaging, regardless of what subject he teaches – is fascinating, and seeing what Danny has to say on the matter is only _more_ interesting.

"Okay." Danny couldn't remember having a friend who was interested in reading or comparing essays before. Frankly, he wasn't interested enough in class work to spend one minute more on it than necessary. But Terry sounded like he was truly interested. Further – he admitted to himself – the topic Vlad assigned him was cool.

Terry smiled to himself as he let Danny get back to work and focus on his own studies. He not only got a chance to learn what Danny and Professor Masters do in their private sessions, he was able to cheer Danny out of one of his darker moods.

* * *

After breakfast, Harry, Ron, and Hermione joined the queue of students going to Hogsmeade. All three were bundled up in several layers of sweaters, cloaks, scarves, and gloves against the wind and sleet outside. Ginny came up to them, carrying a scroll of parchment.

"Hey, Harry, I'm supposed to give you this."

Harry took the scroll from her, noticing the familiar thin, slanted handwriting. "Thanks, Ginny… It's Dumbledore's next lesson!" Harry told Ron and Hermione, unrolling the parchment to read it. "Monday evening!" He turned back to Ginny. "Want to join us in Hogsmeade, Ginny?"

"Thanks for the offer, but I'm going with Dean. If we see you there, we'll reconnect," she answered, scanning the students in the hall for the boy. Finding him, she wove through the crowd to get to him.

Filch was checking off the names of students with permission to go to Hogsmeade, but it was taking longer than usual. Filch was still annoyed with the morning mob scene, and was being more spiteful than necessary. The caretaker was triple-checking everyone with a Secrecy Sensor.

"What does it matter if we're smuggling Dark stuff OUT?" Ron demanded, eyeing the Secrecy Sensor nervously. "Surely you ought to be checking what we bring back IN?"

His cheek earned him a few extra jabs with the Sensor, and he was still wincing as they went outside. Hermione said, "Be glad you're not McLaggen. Filch was… not kind. I've never seen a fellow that big so close to tears."

When they got to the village, Zonko's Joke Shop was still boarded up. Honeyduke's though, had remained open since their visit in August and the three staggered to the crowded shop.

They were grateful to get out of the cold, and into the warm sweet shop. Harry began scanning the shelves for stuff to get for Danny. Ron and Hermione helped, and he soon had a nice selection of Chocolate Frogs, Bertie Bott's Every Flavor Beans, Pumpkin Pasties, Drooble's Best Blowing Gum, and Fizzing Whizbees.

Hermione's face brightened when she noticed something over Harry's shoulder. "Oh, look – they've got deluxe sugar quills – those would last hours! Danny would love these." Harry added a couple of the extra-large sugar quills to the pile of sweets and paid for it all.

They decided to go to the Three Broomsticks next. Bundling their scarves over their faces, they went back outside. The street was mostly empty, people rushing on to their destinations to get out of the bitter cold. That's why they found it odd when they saw two men standing outside the Three Broomsticks. Harry recognized one of them to be the barman of the Hog's Head, the other pub. As they neared, the barman left, and the other man awkwardly grasped… something. Harry recognized him.

"Mundungus!"

The short man jumped at his voice and dropped an old suitcase, which burst open, releasing the contents all about him.

"Oh, 'ello, 'Arry," Mundungus said, in an unconvincingly airy tone. "Well, don't let me keep ya." He began scrabbling on the ground to retrieve the contents of the suitcase.

"Are you selling this stuff?" Harry asked, eyeing him warily.

"Oh, well, gotta scrape a living," Mundungus answered.

Ron bent down and picked up something silver. "Hang on," Ron said slowly. "This looks familiar…"

"Thank you!" said Mundungus, snatching the goblet from Ron's hand and stuffing it back in the suitcase. "Well, I'll see you all – OUCH!"

Harry pinned the thief against the pub wall by the throat. Holding him with one hand, he pulled out his wand.

"Harry!" Hermione squealed.

"You took that from Sirius' house," Harry said. "That had the Black family crest on it."

"I – no – what - ?" spluttered Mudungus who was slowly turning purple. He dropped the case, and Ron picked it up. Harry was busy holding Mundungus in place, and Hermione tried to convince Harry not to kill him.

"What did you do, go back the night he died and strip the place?" Harry snarled.

"I – no…"

"Give it to me!"

"Harry, you mustn't!" Hermione shrieked as Mundungus began to turn blue.

There was a bang, and Harry's hands flew off Mundungus' throat. Gasping and spluttering, Mundungus Disapparated with a loud CRACK.

Harry swore loudly, spinning on the spot to see where Mundungus had gone. "COME BACK, YOU THIEVING - !"

"There's no point, Harry."

Out of nowhere, Tonks appeared. She had been assigned to the security detail in Hogsmeade, they had learned in August. "Mundungus will probably be in London now. There's no point in yelling."

"He's nicked Sirius' stuff! Nicked it!"

"Yes, but still," Tonks said, seemingly perfectly untroubled by this. "You should get out of the cold." She handed Harry the bag of sweets he had dropped and watched them enter the Three Broomsticks.

The moment he entered, Harry burst out, "_He was nicking Sirius' stuff!_"

"I know, Harry, but please don't shout, people are staring," Hermione whispered. "Go and sit down, I'll get you a drink."

Harry was still fuming when Hermione returned to the table with three bottles of butterbeer. Ron seemed slightly distracted.

"Can't the Order control Mundungus?" Harry demanded in a furious whisper. "Can't they at least stop him from stealing everything that isn't fixed down when he's at headquarters?" A grin slowly blossomed on Ron's face. Harry was too upset, righteously so, to notice.

"Shh!" Hermione said desperately, looking around to make sure no one was listening. "Harry, I'd be annoyed too, I know it's your things he's stealing…"

"Yeah, it's my stuff!" he said. "No wonder he wasn't pleased to see me! Well, I'm going to tell Dumbledore about this, as he's the only one who scares Mundungus."

"Good idea," Hermione whispered, pleased that Harry was calming down. "Ron, what in the world is wrong with you?"

Ron grinned broadly. "I thought Harry might like to get this back." He held up the battered old suitcase Mundungus had been carrying. "I picked it up while Harry was choking the life out of Mundungus."

Harry cried, "You're brilliant, Ron! You… you… thanks!"

Hermione hugged Ron. "It's one of the many reasons I love him, Harry." The three of them enjoyed each other's company. It was cold and bleak outside, but inside, everything was warm and fine.

* * *

At dinner, Draco greeted Danny with a warm smile. "So, how was your day?"

Danny said, "It was okay. I got a major head start on a mid-term project Uncle Vlad wants me to do." He looked at the Head table. Vlad was missing. Right… he was at that business brunch, Central Time. Seriously, who does business on a Saturday? Then again, Vlad was a billionaire. Maybe the rules were different or something.

Danny shook his head. "Whatever. And I got a lot of other work done."

Unsure of the source of his friend's discontent, Draco said, "When you get back from your lessons and stuff with your uncle, I'll give you the stuff I brought back for you from Hogsmeade."

Danny smiled. "Thanks, Draco. You didn't have to do that."

"No, I didn't. I wanted to."

Danny thought for a moment. "I'm sorry for yelling at you about the Shrieking Shack. You only believed what you were told, and the people who told you had a good reason for spreading those rumors."

Draco wasn't sure what to make of this. Yesterday, Danny's logic was perfectly sound. "So, did you find out if the ghost who haunts the house was malevolent?"

Danny chose his words carefully. "What I found out is that it isn't a ghost, but what _does_ haunt the house _is_ dangerous." This didn't make sense to Draco, but it was probably best to humor Danny for the moment.

"Hey, Danny, I didn't realize Mr. Filch likes you."

It was Danny's turn to be confused. "What?"

Draco smiled. It was fun to confuse Danny without getting him upset. "This morning, if looks could kill, almost no one in the Entrance Hall would be alive. But he smiled at you."

Danny gave a half-smile. "I promised him that I would clean up any messes I made. The one time I made a mess, he cleaned it before I got to it, so I offered to and actually cleaned for an hour a day for a week without magic to make up for it."

Draco wasn't sure if he was impressed or disgusted. "Why would you do that?"

Danny answered simply, "Because I know what it's like to not be given a break. And he deserves one."

"Without magic?"

"Hey – if he has to do it without magic, it was only fair that I couldn't use it, either."

"The idea of 'fair play' means a lot to you, doesn't it?"

"Yeah, it does."

Draco cocked his head. "You realize that makes you different from most Slytherins, right?"

Danny shrugged. "Being different is nothing new." He looked at his watch and sighed. "Uncle Vlad is waiting for me. I'll see you later."

* * *

Vlad waited for Danny in the Room of Requirement. They focused on creating an ectoplasmic tornado. The power would overwhelm an enemy. Danny remembered the first time he faced off with Lydia, and demonstrated his use of this power. Vlad was suitably impressed. Vlad demonstrated a bigger storm of such. Danny wasn't sure about using that much power, as it was purely destructive, but Vlad insisted that it was a skill; if a time came when it was necessary to use this power, Danny himself could assess the situation and see how much force was appropriate to utilize.

Danny was a lot happier with this Powers Training session than he had been for a while. This power didn't involve anyone but him. That was comforting.

When Vlad announced that studies were over for the day, he waved his hand and two comfortable chairs appeared. "So how was your day?"

Danny thought for a bit. Nah, if he needed to get angry, he'd do it later. "It was okay. I started on the mid-term assignment. Terry Boot found me in the library."

"Oh? What happened?"

"He was amused that I'm learning Shakespeare. He said that Slytherin students don't usually appreciate Muggle literature." Vlad was amused, perhaps more so than Mr. Boot. Confounding these wizards was becoming a past time that filled him with pleasure. It was nothing against Mr. Boot, but he just typified how wizards think, in general. "You know, I think the topic is cool, too. Mr. Lancer was never as interesting as you are." Vlad blinked. "He tried. I know he did, but you make everything seem relevant. I mean," Danny scrunched his face, "you could probably even make 19th century literature fun."

Vlad sat still for a moment. It was surprising and gratifying to know that Daniel appreciated his efforts. Not only was he appreciated, but Daniel _enjoyed_ his lessons. He sighed with contentment. "You know, I'll see about that next semester: I do so love a challenge. But now… how could we pass up learning Shakespeare as we are in the country where he wrote? If we are still here by the summer, I'll take you to the theatre that was built for the performance of his plays." It tickled Vlad to think – he had so much money. It would be a joy to spend it on family outings. He and Daniel could…

"And how was your day?" Danny asked.

Vlad sighed. He'd think about that later. For now… "The houses are still there. The businesses are functioning, and Axion is running better than ever. The brunch turned into a press conference. The media are so troublesome."

"At least they like you," Danny complained.

With a half-smile, Vlad said, "No good deed goes unpunished."

Danny frowned. "You know, you _helped_ the media to form bad opinions of me. That whole million-dollar bounty thing did _wonders_ for my image. The Guys in White _still_ won't leave me alone."

Vlad cringed. He almost forgot that aspect. "I'm sorry, Daniel. The next time I'm in America, I'll fix that."

Danny huffed. He should be grateful, but this just outlined the fact that as great a place as Hogwarts was, he was stuck here until further notice.

Vlad realized that making up with Daniel was going to take a lot of work. He _had_ caused all kinds of damage, and the repair might take years. "Valerie sends her regards."

Danny shouted, "You know, you could have let me know a few days before you left, Vlad. I would have had time to write a letter or something. I have no way to communicate with her, or find out anything about what's going on, and you could have let me know!"

Danny had a point. "Again, I'm sorry. I should have told you before hand. But you know, you _can_ write to Valerie. I think sending her an owl would give away too many of the secrets we have to keep about the Wizarding World, but there's no reason I can't get a post office box in London. And of _course_ I'll pay for postage."

"Thanks." That was unexpected.

"Are you up for a game of chess?"

* * *

After breakfast on Sunday, Danny met Harry outside the Great Hall. "Okay, Harry. Where would you like to have this conversation?"

"Somewhere private. How about the Room of Requirement?"

Danny thought, 'I spend half my life there, lately. But it was where Harry and I went exploring.' "Sure thing." He let Harry set the tone. When Harry opened the door, there were two squashy chairs, like in the Gryffindor Common Room, and a roaring fire in a fireplace. It looked cozy. "What's on your mind?"

Harry took a couple of seconds to gather his thoughts. This was hard. "Before I explain the current conversation, you need a little background first. Professor Snape and my father didn't get along when they came here. Actually, they hated each other passionately. And I understand that I look exactly like my father, except for the color of my eyes.

"When I first got here in First Year, Professor Snape worked to make my life miserable. He also worked to keep me alive (Voldemort and his minions keep trying to kill me, so it's a bit of a job to ensure my continued existence, you see), but he hated me as if I was a continuation of my father. You know how hard it is to talk about your family?" Danny nodded. "Well, he made sure to let me know how horrible my father was to him at every turn.

"At this point, I have conflicting reports about my dad. Some people, like Hagrid, like Professor Dumbledore, like my godfather Sirius, and his good friend Professor Lupin, all say wonderful things about him. He was brilliant, a very talented wizard, he was great at Quidditch, he was brave, he was good to younger students and Muggle-borns, and that kind of thing. Professor Snape spent endless amounts of time telling me that Dad was an arrogant git, a bully extraordinaire, and a co-leader of a gang of pranksters called the Marauders, among other things. Lots of students thought their pranks were fun and innovative, but apparently they had little tolerance for Dark magic, and they zeroed in on Professor Snape, making _his_ life miserable as a student here.

"I never met my dad, except, perhaps as a ghostly shadow while Voldemort and I battled for the first time since he was reborn."

Danny said, "I'm sorry to hear it."

"Thanks." Harry took a breath. "For most of my career here, Professor Snape hated me with the fervor he wanted to give my father but couldn't, since my father was gone since I was a little over a year old. But a few days ago, he asked me my thoughts on the matter." He closed his eyes for a second. "This was the first time since I got here that he let me explain myself, or my side of the story."

He stopped again. "He did something he's never done before: he apologized. He went on about it for quite some time. I was more shocked than anything else."

Danny thought, 'Whoa. Déjà vu.'

"I've hated him for making my life miserable, when I've never done anything to deserve it. And then… he said something that completely confused me, like all this apologizing and giving me a chance to air my views wasn't enough. I thought someone had taken him over."

"What?" Danny thought the Wizarding World didn't know about overshadowing.

"A person can look like someone else completely, if they take Polyjuice Potion. We'll get to that in a few chapters in Potions. I've had a few interesting experiences with it, including a Death Eater who posed as a professor here in my Fourth Year. It's complicated to make, but it can only be used on humans to be other humans. Animals could make the results go wonky, and I'm told that partial humans could have disastrous results."

Danny thought, 'Note to self: Don't use Polyjuice Potion.'

Harry continued. "Professor Snape said something about meeting a man like him, and how he marked the relationship to a boy not unlike me. He said something about how lucky the man was because that other man used to be so cruel, and the kid was so forgiving. And he mentioned how he was jealous of that relationship, saying that he wanted one."

Danny's eyes widened in understanding. That was a circuitous way to talk about Vlad and Danny, if he ever heard one. Wait. In so many words, Professor Snape said he wanted a relationship with Harry similar to Vlad's relationship to Danny. No wonder Professor Snape told Harry to talk to Danny. But what should he tell Harry?

Danny blew out a breath and said, "Right. I guess it's time for me to tell you a little more about my relationship to Uncle Vlad. He's not actually my uncle. He was friends with my parents in college, but after a lab accident that landed Uncle Vlad in the hospital, he hated my father. He hated my father even more for marrying the girl _he_ was interested in, my mother." Harry saw the similarities unfold.

"When Vlad held a 20th year college reunion, it was the first time he spoke to my father since the accident. Vlad was still interested in my mom (even though she and my dad were married for close to 18 years at the time), and he found that he and I had a few talents in common. He wanted my mom and me to leave my dad and go live with him. (My sister was a bonus, but he really wanted to train me to use those talents that we share.) I refused and told him he was a seriously crazed up Froot-Loop for thinking I'd leave my dad.

"Vlad didn't take kindly to the rejection, and made my life miserable for more than a year and a half. But when the Death Eaters came and killed my family and friends, and everyone," he closed his eyes and paused for a moment, "I went to Vlad. He told me that he wanted to adopt me since that first time we met, even as he drove me crazy. I have since learned that I have other options besides him, but as weird as it sounds, I kinda feel closer to Vlad than those other people, including my mother's sister in Arkansas. He has yet to appreciate me for who I am, but he has always appreciated me for _what_ I am."

Harry took a moment to absorb all of this. The similarities between Professor Masters and Danny and Professor Snape and him boggled his mind. Did that mean… Did Professor Snape want guardianship over Harry? This was more than a little barmy.

Harry asked, "Did… Did you forgive him?"

Danny looked down. "I guess. For some things, anyway. He has a _lot_ to answer for, and he still has to figure out how to treat me like a ward and not an enemy. This is going to take time. Both of us are going to need to make a serious effort to make this work, but he seems to be trying. It's hard, because he isn't necessarily the nicest guy, but… I don't know. Like I said, this is going to take time.

"Professor Snape is jealous, huh? Interesting. If I understand you right, the professor gave you a hard time without trying to figure out _who_ you really are. If he's comparing you guys to Vlad and me, I think you have something in common with each other that isn't exactly common knowledge, but holds a lot of meaning for him. And he probably wants to learn to like you for who you really are, as opposed to who he thought you were."

Harry realized Professor Snape's wisdom in suggesting talking to Danny about this. "Last year, Professor Snape started to teach me Occlumency. He saw some of my thoughts and memories, and I saw some of his. He knew we had that… commonality before. Why now?"

Danny thought for a moment. "I don't know. I really couldn't tell you. But what I do know is that once Professor Snape decides to take care of you, he won't let _anyone_ hurt you, including your family. All Slytherin students know this, because he told us as much on September 1. I know this first hand. I'm not sure why he's changed his mind about you, but if he decides to protect you, there is no one better for the job.

"Based on what you told me, he probably hurt you in a similar fashion to how Vlad hurt me. It was amazingly different, but then again, not really. If he asked you to talk to me about this, he probably wants you to consider: despite all that Vlad did to me – and he did quite a lot – I'm trying to give him a second chance. I don't know why now and not before, but I think, in his own way, Professor Snape wants you to give him a second chance."

Harry frowned. "What you're saying makes sense. I don't know what to do."

Danny said, "You probably don't have to do anything. See how it goes. If he's true to his word (as I expect him to be, but you might have to see it to believe it), he'll change his behavior towards you. I suggest you just be you, and if you like what you see, you can figure it out later."

Harry thought for a moment. "Thank you, Danny. You've helped me put this in perspective. I can't thank you enough."

Danny said, "I do what I can."

Harry smiled. "I got this for you." He handed Danny the bag of sweets from Honeyduke's.

"Oh, Harry! You didn't have to…"

"I know. I'm just sorry you couldn't come with us."

"Thanks."

* * *

After lunch, Harry, Ron, and Hermione met in an unused classroom. Hermione asked, "So what did Danny have to say?"

Harry thought for a moment. "For one thing, his relationship to Professor Masters is insanely complicated. And even though I didn't tell him everything, he figures that… Professor Snape wants to start over again. And…" Harry wasn't sure how he felt telling Ron and Hermione about his and Danny's musings on the idea of Snape forming a guardian bond with him the way Professor Masters was Danny's guardian. He shivered. "He gave me a lot to think about."

Ron looked worried. "You alright, Harry? You look a bit peaky."

Harry smiled. "I'm fine, Ron. But thanks. Now, let's have a look through that suitcase." Opening the clasps, Harry saw the things Mundungus meant to take. There were goblets, picture frames, candlesticks, a cake plate, and silverware. All of these things were tarnished, but were pure silver with the Black family crest.

Ron said, "I can't believe this stuff. Candlesticks and picture frames, I get. But the cake plate? Was that necessary?"

When the bigger items were taken out, two pieces of jewelry were left. One was a large gold ring, bearing the Black family crest – like almost everything else, and a locket. Hermione said, "Hey, this is the locket we couldn't open. I thought we put it in the discard pile."

Something clicked in Harry's head. "Let me see that." Hermione handed Harry the locket, and Harry closed his eyes in concentration. His eyes flew open. "I remember that! This is the locket Voldemort's mother wore! The 's' that's engraved shows that it was handed down from Salazar Slytherin!" Ron and Hermione blinked at him.

"You should show that to Professor Dumbledore during your lesson tomorrow," Hermione suggested sagely.

"I will. Make no mistake about that," Harry said.

* * *

Sunday evening, Danny returned from his evening with Vlad with a broad, triumphant smile. Draco asked, "Danny? What happened?"

Danny crowed, "I beat Uncle Vlad at chess!"

Draco cocked his head. "And so…?"

"Since the day he taught me to play, I've learned all kinds of strategy, but this is the first time I ever won. Uncle Vlad is brilliant, and a chess master among other things. And he assured me 'he didn't let me win.' I've seen him feint, lulling me into a false sense of security while he planned something else. But this time, I beat him, fair and square."

Draco raised an eyebrow. "I assume you think you can defeat me easily, then?"

Danny smirked. "You'll just have to find out, now won't you?" They played two games, and Danny won both.

"Huh. I wonder how you'd do against Weasley."

Danny asked, "Which one?"

Draco smacked himself in the head. "Ron. You weren't here in First Year. Apparently, in an effort to stop the Dark Lord from getting his hands on the Philosopher's Stone, Weasley was granted 50 points 'for the best played game of chess Hogwarts has seen in many years.' It was Professor McGonagall's contribution to the protection of the Stone." Draco creased his brows. "Weasley received full accolades at the End of Year Feast."

Danny was taken aback by Draco's bitter tone. "What happened?"

Draco's eyes narrowed at the unhappy memory. "Slytherin was about to win the House Cup for the seventh year running, when Weasley was given 50 points for his chess game, and Granger was given 50 points for 'cool use of logic in the face of fire.' Potter was given 60 points for bravery, which tied Gryffindor to Slytherin, and Longbottom – of all people! – was given ten points for standing up to his friends. A Slytherin victory was stolen from us because Potter and his pals broke all kinds of rules."

Danny stared. "But you said something about them protecting the Philosopher's Stone. If their efforts kept it out of… dangerous hands, surely they deserved a reward for their efforts."

Draco decided he had enough of this conversation; it was no use to argue outrage over House points with someone who doesn't care about them. Instead, Draco waved a letter about. "This morning, my mother sent an owl with a letter saying that a distant cousin got engaged."

"Congratulations!" It was time that he heard some good news, and he was glad for Draco.

"She's a distant cousin, so far distant that I couldn't discern if she was from the Malfoy side or the Black side. Anyway, her fiancé is from the States. There are fewer and fewer Pureblood families found in the States, but Mother said that this cousin's choice was good enough that she wouldn't have to be blasted off the family tree because of it." Danny looked pensive. "Well… it doesn't matter now. Even if she needed to be removed, _Potter_ is in possession of the most up-to-date copy of the family tree. He somehow inherited the Ancient and Noble House of Black."

Danny missed Draco's mutterings about no appreciation for ancient houses, and things of that nature, but Danny focused on the fact that the guy was from America. The angry feelings he had about not being allowed to go or informed of Vlad's departure ahead of time returned. "When is the wedding?"

"Over Christmas. The family is considerate enough to wait for student age children to be on holiday."

Danny fumed. Fine thing. Vlad could leave the school any time. The idea of even asking Danny 'by your leave' didn't seem to happen. Logically, Danny knew that this wasn't a pleasure trip that Vlad took, but still… it wasn't fair.

Draco was unsure of what caused the storm behind Danny's eyes. Was it going to America? Maybe Danny was homesick. Was it extended family? Danny never spoke of his family, so that might be it. Wait. He was happy about his uncle. "Danny, did you finish reading about Banshees for your uncle's class tomorrow?"

That was it – Danny couldn't take it. "Yes, I did. I'm headed to bed."

Draco decided that this was unfair. Well… maybe it had something to do with Professor Masters and not him. Maybe Danny was upset about not being included in Professor Masters' very exclusive project. There was no explaining some of the reactions Danny had, but at least his conscience was clear.

* * *

Danny lay on his bed, cuddling Morph. She always seemed friendlier when he was sad. He couldn't be bothered to think about whether this was normal behavior for a cat. It just helped to know that the warm ball of black fuzz knew how to comfort him when all seemed wrong with the world.

He went over the conversation he just had with Draco. He blew up at Draco for no reason. He wasn't being obnoxious about himself, Muggle-borns, or lots of other characteristic conversations. He was being pleasant, and Danny snapped at him.

He sighed sadly. What he did was not fair and unjust. Even the Froot-Loop apologized for his wrongdoing. Tomorrow, he might let Vlad know how upset he was, but he would make it up to Draco. Danny's mood wasn't Draco's fault.

At breakfast, Danny apologized to Draco, and congratulated him again on the good news of his cousin's engagement, and even for the fact that his family approved of the match. Danny didn't mention it, but he refused to take his anger against Vlad out on anyone else. He wouldn't hurt Sam or Tucker that way (knowingly). Draco might not be as close, but he deserved no less.

Draco couldn't believe his good fortune. It was good to know that he wasn't the cause of Danny's outburst, _and_ Danny seemed be out of his funk from last night. Danny even told a story of his aunt's party celebrating the tenth anniversary of her divorce. The way he told it, Draco could tell it was meant to be humorous, especially because Danny mistook the implications. This was more than Danny ever shared about his family. Draco was happy.

* * *

Vlad looked over his Defense Against the Dark Arts class. Danny wasn't looking at him again. What did the boy want? He apologized to him Saturday, and he thought Danny was happy yesterday. Daniel's moodiness was not to be believed.

"Open your textbooks to last night's assignment." Professor Masters' voice echoed off the back wall of the classroom. The sound of flipping of pages and restless shifting in chairs soon filled the room as all students obeyed their teacher. All of the students, that is, except Daniel, who decided to play the American Rebel as he leaned back in his chair with arms crossed, and an angry, yet bored look on his face. Professor Masters glared at the boy before heaving a sigh of tested patience. Well, two can play this game.

"It seems your fellow classmate, Mr. Fenton, doesn't much feel up to in-class work," he said casually, and everyone turned to face the Slytherin student's corner of the room. At least half the class groaned. Slytherin could visualize the glorious points achieved over the weekend slip away, and the rest of the class quietly and a little nervously waited to see what Professor Masters would do. The relationship between the uncle and nephew was infamous, and this was an unknown part of the dynamic.

"Perhaps you all are bored with this lesson. If that's the case, let's move on to something more… hands on."

The entire class gave Danny a cold glare before turning back to face the front in order to hear what "hands on" activity was coming their way. Professor Masters was not known to be a forgiving or particularly merciful teacher, even though he could be fair to a fault. Just not usually in a way that any offending student favored.

Draco wasn't sure what was going on, but it might be worth Professor Masters' wrath to have a more cheerful Danny later. Danny smirked at a playful punch from Draco. Bingo! "I hate in-class reading," Draco whispered to him truthfully, though Professor Masters rarely employed it. "Whatever your uncle's got for us has got to be better than that."

"I'm sure you've all come across Boggarts," Masters' voice cut over Malfoy's as the teacher turned to a thick wooden trunk at the side of the room. "They're hardly even Second Year material."

"Third Year," Hermione's loud whisper to Harry and Ron could be heard by Danny from the front of the room.

"I stand corrected." The professor raised an eyebrow. He remembered now. Remus Lupin was their Third Year teacher. "You've all studied them, I'm sure, but can anyone tell me what they really look like?"

Hermione raised her hand barely nanoseconds after the question was asked, and she didn't wait to be called on. "No one knows what they look like, sir, because they're shape shifters. They turn into our worst fears."

Vlad looked at Danny. Not even a hint of recognition that these Boggarts had the same effect as the Fright Knight's Soul Shredder registered on Daniel's face. Vlad rolled his eyes.

"Thank you, Miss Granger. That would have been correct, but Professor McGonagall brought to my attention a study that was done this summer by the Ministry's Department for the Regulation and Control of Magical Creatures that proves that by killing a Boggart, you force it to reveal its true form."

"But, sir, how is that possible? Just because something dies doesn't mean it reverts back to its true form." Some students glared at her for lengthening the lecture, and others enjoyed the verbal tennis match between Hermione and the professor.

Good question, Vlad decided. And perhaps I can use this to get a reaction from Daniel. "Of course it does. After all, you would say that it requires a certain modicum of magical ability to change your form, yes?" He waited for the students to reabsorb the concept of Animagi and werewolves, and any other people or creatures that changed form.

"And it is generally well known that when someone dies, their remaining spells die with them. Only when creatures are drastically weakened do you see their true nature – or more _humanistic_ form. I'm sure if you want to know more, Mr. Fenton can tell you everything you could want to know about that." Professor Masters smirked knowingly at his nephew. Vlad thought, 'Now, if Daniel wants to glare at me, at least I'll deserve the hostility. Besides… remembering a little pain can't be all bad.'

Danny narrowed his eyes at the barely implied threat. Success! Vlad got a reaction. Hermione remained quiet, intrigued by the new information. No one was particularly bothered when their professor referenced his nephew's knowledge. Professor Masters and Danny were always saying things to each other that no one understood, as if there was some big inside joke only the two of them knew about. Today was just more confusing than usual.

"Today, you will be the first class to witness a Boggart's true form. Gather around the back room. Crabbe, Goyle, bring the trunk to the back. Be careful – it's heavy."

The class clustered together in a semi-circle in the empty back room with Professor Masters and the wooden trunk in the center.

"I'm sure none of you have encountered Boggarts for quite some time, so in order to refresh your minds, you're just going to take turns defending yourselves before we move on to harder things. Line up."

Remembering the fun they had when Professor Lupin had them perform the same exercise, everyone moved in a frenzied rush to be the first one in line. They were excited that Professor Masters was actually letting them participate in a hands on activity, much like the best DADA professor any of them had thus far. Danny and Harry hung behind, understandably preferring to stay in the back of the line. The last thing Harry needed was to have the Boggart turn into a Dementor, or Ron and Hermione dying, or anything like that. Danny was known for his hit-and-miss wandwork. He was near genius at Potions, but his wandwork left much to be desired, especially with defensive spells.

As soon as Professor Masters opened the lid of the trunk, he jumped with almost inhuman speed out of the way and the first student in line stepped up to face his worst fear.

"Re-rediculo…" Neville was frustrated. Last year, he faced down Death Eaters, including Bellatrix Lestrange, who tortured his parents into insanity. But now, he was faced with Professor Snape, and his legs turned to jelly. This was so wrong. Without Professor Lupin's gentle encouragement, his tongue refused to cooperate as Boggart Snape approached him slowly and menacingly.

The whole class gathered around him to see whether he would make it or not. Danny watched with curiosity. He wasn't sure how he found his way to the front row, but poor Neville! What did Professor Snape do to make Neville this frightened? If his favorite professor was harsh to Harry, who showed no fear ever, what might he have done to get this reaction? Neville was brilliant at Herbology, but sometimes he seemed a bit nervous…

Draco was bored by Neville's seeming incapacity to do anything right, and felt the urge to pull a prank on his favorite Gryffindor target. Namely, Potter. It's been far too long, and now seemed like a capital time. He spied the scrawny black-haired boy standing behind Neville, and a couple of feet in front of himself. His eyes fell on the wand sticking out of the boy's pocket and the corners of his mouth rose to form a small, evil smirk.

Danny, his mind miles away, was fully unprepared for what happened. In one quick moment, he felt his wand sliding from his pocket (not that he had any need for it but for show, anyway) and heard a voice whisper in his ear.

"Too predictable," it said, referring to Neville. "We all know the fat lout's just going to faint any second. Dementors should brighten the classroom quite nicely, eh, Potter?"

And with that, Danny felt himself being pushed forward between Neville and the boggart Snape before he had any time to protest. The image of Professor Snape vanished almost instantly, and from all around him, Danny heard the class gasp. When he blinked, he thought that the Boggart had disappeared. Until he looked down.

Five gravestones stood up from the floor, engraved with the names and deaths of the five people Danny missed most. But that wasn't all. No, Danny's worst fear was extensively complex. Behind the headstones was a teenaged girl in a red suit ('Still red, not black. How do you like that?' thought Danny briefly before his brain refocused on the Thermos and almost shut down) clutching a broken thermos and lying asleep on a silver board. Or, so the class thought, until a red trickle of blood fell from the corner of her mouth. Danny's eyes widened and he froze while the rest of the class stepped a few feet backward, huddling close together in fear of being near a dead body. Professor Masters was quickly making his way to Danny's side when a deep, resounding laughter sounded throughout the room.

Everyone shared a gasp when a second Vlad Masters appeared standing over the body of the girl. The boggart Masters looked exactly like the real one that stood behind Danny except for the fact instead of wearing wizard's robes, it was wearing an upper class Muggle business suit, complete with platinum cuff-links and professionally shined shoes. On its hands it sported a pair of metal gloves, holding them like a doctor holds his hands when he or she wears sterile gloves. Five needles protruded from each hand, making the gloves become claw-like.

This was particularly odd to everyone, including Vlad. Actually, _especially_ Vlad. The grave markers were understandable. Daniel had made it quite clear that he was more than upset by the death of his family and friends. Dead Valerie… also understandable, to some extent. But why Daniel's worst fear would include himself wearing modified Fenton Ghost Gauntlets was way beyond him. Sure, it could be scary to the boy, but he already promised not to hurt the boy again, if he wanted to keep his guardianship of him. But this really had nothing to do with anything. It was as if Daniel had chosen his worst fear at random.

But when he looked questioningly at the boy to ask him why this was his worst fear, he noticed the terror in his expression. This was the most frightened he had ever seen him, which was saying quite a lot. He opened his mouth to interrupt this slightly awkward (for him, at least), if scary moment, but was beat to the punch by his doppleganger.

"You _know_ you want the operation, Daniel!" Vlad heard the boggart version of himself say, and he became thoroughly confused. _What operation…?_

"Vlad!" The boy finally found his voice, though it was nothing more than a pathetic squeak. "No! I can't - ! You don't understand!"

"It's what's best for you, my boy." Vlad shuddered at the amount of manipulation he could hear in his own voice. "To make all those painful emotions go away."

There really was no explaining what happened next. Well, not to the class, anyway. Danny closed his eyes as he yelled, and when he opened them, they were a ghostly neon green. "You can't! I won't let you!"

Neither Vlad hesitated. The boggart Vlad brought back his hand for a swipe at the terrified boy, and the real Vlad pushed Danny out of the way so that he was now the closest to the Boggart. Everything that had scared Danny instantly disappeared, and in its place was a second _Danny_ lying face down on the floor.

Vlad rolled his eyes. Having a dead body as someone's worst fear didn't work when the real person was alive and well, and in full view of the person the Boggart tried to scare. Vlad powered up a strong ectoblast and hit the Boggart squarely in the back and it exploded and fizzled out of sight. No one said anything and the silence began to pound on everyone's ears before the professor decided to break it.

"And that, dear students, is what a dead Boggart looks like."

There was nothing to say, nothing he could do. Eyes the size of saucers, afraid of and for everything, Danny bolted. A line of students was shoved to the side as he ran past them, desperate to escape. A single voice broke the startled silence, calling his name to stop him, but the boy didn't listen. The door of the room closed shut with an ominous slam, further startling the already bewildered students, and the professor's shoulders slumped in frustration and defeat.

"Daniel," he whispered, full of nothing but sorrow for all the mutual loss they shared and worry for his precious charge. Danny lost his friends, his family, and his teacher. He left his hometown, and now he was losing his personality. But Vlad wouldn't let him. He wasn't going to let the boy lose the last thing that defined him.

"Class," he whispered hoarsely, turning from the closed door to face his students, who were all looking up at him, waiting. "Class dismissed. Tidy the room before you go. I won't have it looking like a mess." That was all he said to them before he turned on his heel and jogged out the door to find his nephew, leaving the class alone.

"What the hell just happened?" Draco's voice rose above the silence, capturing everyone's attention. Terrified whispers and confused murmurings filled the room, as did quiet shouts of "He's _your_ friend," and "How the bloody hell should we know?" sounded in reply.

"He's _supposed_ to be your friend, Malfoy," Harry said accusingly, over the other voices. "You should know. What did you do to him?"

"I didn't do anything, Potter!" Draco exclaimed in reply. "Like you said, he's _my_ friend. Why would I do anything to him?"

"You pushed him, I saw you! You know, just like everyone else, his defense skills are sketchy!"

Draco fingered Danny's wand guiltily, and quickly put it in his pocket. "But I meant to push _you_!"

Harry's hand flew to his pocket as he fingered his own wand threateningly. Draco maneuvered his hand to the familiar feel of his own wand in his pocket, and they stood, hands in their pockets, growling angrily until they noticed the rest of the class standing around them, waiting for a fight.

"Get lost!" Draco yelled at them, and many hung their heads and slowly filed out of the classroom, until only Crabbe, Goyle, Ron, and Hermione remained with Harry and Draco.

Harry shook his head at Ron and Hermione, and Draco told Crabbe and Goyle, "You stay out of this." Ron and Hermione looked at each other, as did Crabbe and Goyle, and all four backed away from the two potential combatants. They weren't sure why, but this had become very personal.

Draco turned back to Harry, pointing a threatening finger at him. "I'm warning you, Potter…"

"Don't you threaten me. You already threatened my _actual_ friend, while he's supposedly yours, and he's the professor's nephew to boot…"

Harry was cut off, but not by Malfoy. They both stiffened as a faint yell sounded from above them.

"What was that?" Draco whispered, mostly to himself, his face paling.

"I don't know," Harry whispered back distractedly, as he began walking towards the door. "I think it was the professor."

"Harry, what are you doing?" Ron asked.

"Shh," Harry said.

"You're not seriously going to find out, are you?!" Draco asked in alarm. "You _bloody_ _git_…"

"Shh!" Harry waved his hand in a silencing motion, and walked out the door. Malfoy felt he had no choice but to follow him.

"Let's…" Hermione started, but faced a wall of Crabbe and Goyle, who blocked the door.

"Leave 'em," Goyle growled.

"You git! Let us go!" Ron yelled.

"It's Fenton's business, and even Potter and Malfoy are two too many. Leave 'em alone," Goyle insisted. Crabbe sneered, almost asking them to try something.

Hermione cried, "You can't keep us here!"

Goyle held up a hand, and listened to hear footsteps. He couldn't hear them anymore. "Fine. But you leave them alone, or I'll know where to find you."

This protective streak in Goyle, Crabbe too, but mainly Goyle, took both Ron and Hermione by surprise. Ron and Hermione looked at each other. As annoyed as they were, the Gryffindors realized that Goyle was right. This was Danny's business, and if words between uncle and nephew were to be had, it really was none of their affair. Besides, Harry would let them know anything important at lunch.

Hermione shrugged in defeat. "We'll leave them alone. Now let us go."

Goyle glared at her, but decided that it was safe. He motioned to Crabbe, and they stepped out of the door, allowing the smaller students to leave the classroom. All of them headed to Charms.

* * *

Once Harry and Draco exited the room, the voices Harry heard grew louder, distinctly echoing off corridor walls above them. Harry found the nearest staircase and followed the voices. As they ascended, the voices got louder. Draco looked timidly behind him before following Harry, making sure to stay at least five feet away from the boy.

"What do you hear?" He asked. "Where the hell are they coming from?"

Harry hushed him again, and ran up the rest of the unfamiliar staircase, forcing Draco to speed up so he wouldn't be alone.

Looking around, he noticed that this landing was of a House Tower. The odd thing was that they were nowhere near the Slytherin dorm, which they both knew was in the dungeon. This must be Professor Masters' House, Ravenclaw. Both Harry and Draco pressed their ears to the door of his living quarters.

"You don't _have_ to go _anywhere_," their professor's voice rang out, loud and sure. Both boys were stunned to have found themselves listening in on a private conversation of the school's most mysterious teacher and student. Their eyes widened when they heard him continue.

* * *

Danny didn't even think to run to his own room; everything he needed was in Vlad's room. He burst through the man's door and began sifting through his things.

"Where's my bag… my bag…" he muttered to himself, as he threw item after item out of Vlad's drawers. Papers, pens, files, spare change; nothing was spared and it all ended up on the floor.

"Daniel!" Danny's head shot up in surprise when his guardian opened his door. "What the hell do you think you're doing? You risked our cover!"

"I'm leaving, Vlad," he told him simply, and continued digging through the man's private drawers for his own bag of valuables. It took only three long strides for Vlad to cross the room. He grabbed Danny's arms and dragged him to a small cushioned chair.

"No."

"But I have to get out of…"

"You don't _have_ to go _anywhere_," Vlad cut through his lame excuse, crossing his arms angrily. "In case you haven't noticed, you have nowhere to _go_. Now I want answers."

"There's nothing to answer, Vlad! I want to go home!"

"Your home is gone, what about that don't you understand?" the man yelled loudly, effectively silencing the teen. "You can answer me this: what the hell was that, back there?"

Danny crossed his own arms and turned away. "Nothing."

"Oh, it was something," Vlad growled. "Do you have any idea how hard it is for _me_ to know that _I'm_ your worst fear after everything you've been through? I wasn't the one who killed your family – murderers of some blasted occult did!"

"You're _not _my worst fear," Danny whispered quietly, almost to himself.

Vlad froze, looking at the boy as if for the first time. "What?"

"I said, you're not my worst fear," he said, raising his voice. "You never were, and now you never will be!"

"So what _is_ your worst fear?" Danny didn't reply. Instead, he stood up and walked around Vlad to resume digging through his drawers.

Vlad continued undeterred. "If it wasn't me, what was it, then, hmm?" he asked, throwing his arms open in a questioning gesture. "Was it the death of everyone you loved? If it was, then you should probably learn to get over your fear of it, as they're long since dead."

Danny paused to wince, but didn't answer.

"Was it the death of Valerie Grey?" the man went on. "It could be, as she's the only friend you have left from home. But it's not, is it?"

There was still no answer. Silence prevailed, except for the clatter of things being moved around inside Vlad's bureau.

"So if it's not me, what is it? What could you possibly be afraid of?" His voice was steadily getting louder. "Her hover board? The Ghost Gauntlets? Whatever operation I was talking about? That empty broken Thermos in her hands? _What?_"

Suddenly, Danny found he was no longer able to control himself. He froze when a sob forced his body to convulse and tears began finding their way into his eyes. He dug his hand through the bottom drawer one last time to pull out the small dufflebag he had asked Vlad to keep safe for him the day they had arrived at the school.

"The Thermos," he whispered hoarsely. "You're right. The empty Thermos is what scared me the most. And _then_ the Ghost Gauntlets."

Vlad frowned. "Mind filling me in?" he wondered aloud.

Danny unzipped the dufflebag and shoved his hand inside. "No. Just telling you, _you_ didn't scare me."

"Well, that's nice to hear, I suppose," Vlad shrugged. "But you know it would only help if you told me what went on back there."

"Alright," Danny sighed, and the tears slowly began to stop. Wiping his face on the sleeve of his robe, he continued. "There's a reason I can't tell you. The Boggart thing that looked like you scared me a little. If you asked me to go through with the operation, I don't know how long I could last without it. I want it so _bad_, I want so bad to be normal. But I know it's not… not possible."

"Daniel," Vlad sighed, running a hand over the top of his head. "I don't know what I'm going to do with you. I don't know what operation you referred to, but if you tell me, I'll use my better judgment to decide whether or not it's the right thing."

"No! Don't offer it to me! Never!" Danny cried hysterically, standing up and backing away, clutching a crumpled laminated photo in one hand. The fact that Vlad was planning on asking him to go through with the operation was the one compelling factor to just tell him. "Okay, okay! I'll tell you! It's me!"

"You?"

"_Yes!_ I'm so scared! What if I go crazy? Start killing people? I know I could do it, don't you see how easy it'd be?"

"Daniel, you know as well as I do that I have the power to stop you should that ever happen."

Danny nodded, not really willing or courageous enough to tell Vlad the whole truth (at least, not yet), as he somberly sat back down on the reclining chair, elbows on his knees. Danny watched as Vlad moved to embrace him, and Danny lost himself in the hug. After a few moments, Vlad released him and stood, leaving a hand on Danny's shoulder as the boy looked down longingly at the wrinkled photograph in his hands.

Danny found himself realizing that it was only too possible that the human Desiree had died of heartbreak, that maybe the palm reader Madam Babazita had hit the nail on the head. He himself didn't know how much longer he would be able to last.

He couldn't bring himself to force a smile as he looked up at Vlad, but Vlad was able to force one for him. "Come on, my boy," he said encouragingly, patting the boy on the back. "Let's get you to Charms class."

He had taken three steps to the exit before he heard two distinct sets of footsteps running away from behind his private door.

* * *

In front of the Charms classroom, Harry and Draco stopped to catch their breaths. "What was that?" Draco asked. Harry decided it was Draco's new favorite question.

Harry said, "I don't know, but we need to figure it out. Afternoon break, we'll meet back here. You pick an empty classroom. Make this happen." Draco nodded, and they headed to their respective workstations.

Danny was subdued. He was quiet but not angry. Draco noticed that Danny was a lot more attentive to the vocalization of incantations and wand movements than he was before, even though he still seemed to have no success casting the Charms. Draco tried to get Danny to talk about what happened during a lull in class, and Danny refused. But all of this happened after Danny stopped laughing.

After the adventure that brought Harry and Draco to Professor Masters' apartment door, Draco had forgotten he put both his and Danny's wand in his pocket. When Charms first began, Draco pulled out the first wand he grasped. When he cast whatever spell was being practiced in class, Draco found himself covered in green goop, much to the surprise of everyone besides Danny and Professor Flitwick, and to the amusement of all.

"Danny! What, in Merlin's name, was that?" Draco spluttered, as he attempted to collect some dignity.

"You tripped a safety feature," Danny said around his mirth. "My wand was spelled so that no one can use it but me, and perhaps my uncle."

Quite a few people were curious to know what on earth just happened. Danny's wand came with a safety feature, such that no one could use it but him. That type of thing was almost mythical in wandlore, and many students stopped to consider. Surely, such magic was insanely expensive, unless Professor Masters had a hand in this. He _was_ the professor for Defense Against the Dark Arts, and he might know how to spell wands like that.

Ignoring the ectoplasm for the moment, Draco asked, "How did your wand come to have this safety feature?"

Danny shrugged. "It came that way. The ones who made the wand added that feature." Danny decided that he had to tell Sir Nicholas about this later.

Any number of students who followed this conversation realized a few things about this mysterious nephew and uncle. Professor Masters cared very deeply about the safety of his nephew to get a wand with such a feature, and that Professor Masters had to be considerably wealthy to be able to afford such a thing.

This only confused students who saw Professor Masters as part of Danny's Boggart manifestation. Harry thought of the impressive conversation he had with Danny. They were once enemies, but the professor cared enough to get Danny a wand specifically spelled for his protection. Danny said he was giving the professor a second chance. Based on what Harry saw, Professor Masters deserved it.

Harry then decided to see if Professor Snape deserved a second chance. He had quite a lot to answer for, and Snape as his guardian… was too creepy to consider. Well, one step at a time.

At lunch, Ron and Hermione's dam of patience burst, and they demanded to know what Harry and Draco discovered. They told Harry how Crabbe and Goyle held them captive, and pleaded with Harry to tell them what happened. Harry cast an angry glare at the Slytherin table. Draco looked as wordless as Harry was, and Goyle held a protective posture as he sat on Danny's other side. He was surprised to see the great hulking Goyle speak solicitously to Danny.

Crabbe and Goyle had no call to mistreat Ron and Hermione, but from the look of things, they were honestly concerned about Danny. Harry shook his head. He tried to explain what he and Draco heard, but perhaps things might make more sense after his meeting with Malfoy later today.

* * *

Draco chose an unused classroom in the dungeon. That way, the conversation could go for as long as necessary and they wouldn't be late to Potions. Draco closed the door and put a silencing charm on it. When both he and Harry took chairs, Harry began.

"Right, then. In order to figure out what we heard, we'll have to compare notes about Danny. So what do you know?"

Draco tried to decide whether or not to be cooperative. He was curious, but he had… well, he thought he had more information than Potter. Then he remembered – Potter said that _he_ was Danny's actual friend and that Draco was only _supposedly_ Danny's friend. The comment stung, but maybe that means that Potter might know something about Danny he didn't. In order to get, he would have to give.

"Well, he is an excellent flier. Some of the moves he executed at try-outs were not to be believed, as he said he never played Quidditch at home." Harry nodded impatiently. "He and Professor Masters didn't always get along." Harry raised his eyebrows. Draco smiled. It looks like he hit something Harry didn't know. "Your turn."

Harry realized that he probably knew more about Danny than any other student here. He had to be careful about what he chose to share. "Professor Masters is strict with him. While the professor makes sure Danny has the best of everything, the professor carefully monitors Danny so that he won't get into too much trouble." Draco raised an eyebrow. "They went to Weasleys' Wizard Wheezes, but Professor Masters didn't let Danny explore or get anything fun. The twins gave me a care package for him for when I started tutoring him." Harry smirked. "Everything in the package not only meets Professor Masters' approval, I think even Mr. Filch would not give him a hard time."

Both boys fell silent. They just began, and each gave the other something to think about. Draco said, "He's not afraid of the Bloody Baron."

Harry smiled. "Actually, he's friendly with all four House Ghosts, and he gets along with Moaning Myrtle." That was a bit of a surprise to Draco. He knew that the House Ghosts made themselves available to talk to students, but he didn't think anyone actually took them up on that. Considering how strongly Danny feels about fairness for ghosts, he wasn't surprised, now that he thought about it.

Draco decided to keep Danny's friendship with Mr. Filch private. "Danny's Boggart made the gravestones of his family and closest friends. But they are already dead. It doesn't make sense that he would be afraid of what already happened."

Harry said, "They died in July, but that wasn't the date on the stones."

Draco asked, "Who was that girl in the red suit? And what was that suit?"

Harry shook his head, working something out. "The date on the gravestones was wrong. And he talked about being afraid of 'going crazy' and 'start killing people.' He said it would be easy, but his spellwork is patchy. I've seen him use a Shield Charm that was bright green," Draco raised both eyebrows. _Protego_ is only barely visible. But bright green? "and that was produced wordlessly."

Draco thought, "Boggart Masters talked about an operation to remove painful emotions. That set him off in class. And when the professor talked to Danny about it, he flipped out."

Harry ticked the facts off on his fingers. "Danny and his uncle didn't get along. The date on the stones is wrong, and that's only part of his worst fear. He flipped out over an offer for an operation to remove his emotions." Harry shook his head. "I'm not sure what all the issues are, but Danny's greatest fear seems a lot more logical. I think he's afraid of becoming a Dark wizard."

Draco stared at Harry. "I think you're right. There is still a lot that doesn't make sense. I mean…" Draco thought about how much he should say. Well, he wouldn't mention any names. That would have to suffice. "When Professor Lupin had the Slytherins fight the Boggart, some students imagined the Dark Lord. Students afraid of joining him often saw themselves at his side. Danny didn't have anything in his Boggart manifestation that even hinted at the Dark Lord. While he may fear becoming evil, we are missing something."

Harry looked up in thought. "The world isn't split up into Death Eaters and people fighting against them. There are other types of evil." He looked at his right hand that bore the scars reading 'I must not tell lies.' He shuddered.

Sitting up straighter, Harry said, "Right or wrong, we've come up with some pretty powerful suggestions about Danny. Now, what do we do about this information?"

Draco frowned. "What do you mean, 'what do we do with it'?"

Harry stared at him in disbelief. "Something about his worst fear bothers him so much that he fled from the classroom. Having fears of my own that are on par with his, even though they are different, I understand that he's not going to want to talk about it to just anybody. Heck, he didn't want to talk about it to his uncle, who has shown how protective he is." Harry smirked and Draco scowled. Still, Draco saw his point.

Draco ran a hand through his hair. "I guess the only person to tell would be Professor Snape." He looked Harry in the eyes. "You know, getting along like this is going to ruin both of our images, right?"

Harry shrugged. "As long as people don't think I'm maliciously evil, I don't really care too much about what people think."

Draco cocked his head. "The Golden Boy of Gryffindor doesn't care about his image? Who knew?" Harry growled. Draco grinned. Oh, yes. He now knew how to annoy Harry. But protecting Danny came first. "Maybe we should tell Professor Snape tomorrow after Transfigurations."

"Right." Professor Snape is thinking about becoming his guardian, Draco is actively _not_ being a git to him… What else would happen to stand his world on its head? Voldemort presenting him with doves of peace would complete the picture. He would either know complete happiness, or know he was completely insane. Either seemed like valid options at the moment. "Now let's head to Potions."

32


	25. Chapter 25

Once again, I want to thank all the readers, reviewers, and the new folks who added this fic (and me as an author) to your favorite and alert lists. Let me tell you… the attention is addicting, and I love it. Thank you again.

Lots of thoughts that I've had for months now finally got a chance to see the light of day. And Cynthia initially wrote the scene where Harry brings Dumbledore the locket. I added a bit, and it corresponded to Harry's meeting with Dumbledore in HBP, but she deserves the credit for drawing it up, and giving me the inspiration I needed to fill this scene out.

Disclaimer: I do not own _Danny Phantom_, _Harry Potter, _or _Star Wars: The Empire Strikes Back._

Chapter 25

Lord Voldemort sat in a tall, high-backed armchair, his fingers steepled in thought. The American child who lived through the Death Eaters' _Avada Kedavra_ has been elusive. The town of Amity Park was known to be completely of Muggles. There were supposed to be ghosts whom even the Muggles acknowledged, but that should not have mattered. This was not to be believed! News of Muggles who became orphans from a devastating attack such as theirs were splashed about the media. Yet this child disappeared without a trace. The American contingent of Death Eaters searched the Wizarding publications since July, but not one word of the lone child who lived before the Death Eaters were fired upon by some phantom was written.

"Yaxley, what have you heard from our American corespondents?"

Yaxley jumped, as he wasn't expecting to be addressed by his lord at this time. "My lord, what we have heard is that he looks like the Potter boy. He has no magic, or someone would have mentioned the placing of the boy…"

"Indeed." This immortal child looked like the _last_ survivor of the same curse. He found this particularly interesting, as there was no prophecy about this boy. There was nothing of note to explain the longevity of this child who, by rights, should have been dead.

Thinking aloud, Voldemort asked, "Is it possible that Muggles would know how to hide this child so effectively? Or has the Wizarding World had a hand in hiding him?"

Yaxley wasn't sure where this was going. "If you please, my lord… The wizards in America have closer ties to the Muggle World. As such, we discovered that the Muggle agencies that normally place orphans haven't been contacted. The British Death Eaters who reported that the child lived have as much information as our American counterparts. Unfortunately, that leaves us with nothing but a physical description of the boy.

"Unlike Potter, he has blue eyes, and wears no spectacles. Like the Potter boy, he is short, thin, and has black hair. More than that, we don't have."

"Thank you. You have served me well, even though the results are disappointing. That will be all, Yaxley." The addressed Death Eater bowed low and left Voldemort's presence. Voldemort mused, now he had two raven-haired teenagers he needed to find. One he needed to defeat, and one he needed to capture and learn his secrets. But he was patient. He would wait. Something had to slip sometime.

* * *

In Potions, Harry looked at Danny quietly. He still looked a bit haunted by his worst fear, but Danny set up his cauldron and his potion ingredients with his usual attention to detail. Danny said, "Professor Snape looks happy."

When Harry turned his eyes to the front, Professor Snape smiled dangerously. This can't be good. The students finished settling in, and Professor Snape announced, "You are preparing NEWT level potions. For your midterm projects, you will have a research project. In five groups of two and one group of three, you will look up potions from four chapters ahead of where we are in _Advanced Potion Making _to the end. You and your partner will describe the potion and what it is supposed to do. You will list and explain the ingredients and the procedures for preparing them, how long it takes to brew it, and what it should look like in its various stages of production. List the legal ramifications to the potion's use, if there are any, and if there are, any circumstances when it's permitted or forbidden to use it. You will list any safety precautions, and – of course – take them. Tomorrow, we will discuss when you will begin brewing them. Depending on the results, we will see about using said potions for a limited time only."

Snape looked around the class, and noticed which students looked relieved, excited, or filled with disgust or dread. "You have the next fifteen minutes to select which potion you and your partner will brew. No two groups may choose the same potion." That settled things as far as cheating went. "And, you will cite all of your sources, of course."

The room filled with the sound of pages flipping and quiet murmuring as the students discussed which potions they wanted to brew. Harry remembered Danny's interest in Polyjuice Potion, but Ron beat him to it. "We're doing Polyjuice Potion!" he whispered joyfully. Hermione shrugged. Harry was annoyed, but Danny sighed with relief.

Danny flipped through the table of contents. "Harry, how about this one? Felix Felicis – it's supposed to be 'bottled good luck'."

Harry smiled. "That sounds like something both of us can use. Let's go for it." He thought for a moment. "We can get started on this tomorrow, during our afternoon break."

Danny considered. Professor Flitwick decided to rethink of few of Danny's skills and needed time to come up with what else to do. As such, Danny's afternoon break became free. "Sounds good to me."

At the fifteen-minute mark, Professor Snape called on groups around the room. Ron and Hermione claimed the Polyjuice Potion. Harry and Danny announced they were doing Felix Felicis. Draco and Blaise decided on Veritaserum. Lisa and Mandy smirked and they said they chose Amortentia. Millicent and Theo chose Hiccuping Solution, and Terry, Michael, and Ernie chose the Elixir to Induce Euphoria. Professor Snape wrote permission slips to the restricted section of the library for their various topics. They would need it. After this, they discussed the midterm exam they would have on everything they covered so far.

After dinner, Vlad asked Danny if he wanted to discuss what happened earlier. Danny didn't want to. They finished exploring what Danny could do with ectoplasmic storms, and tomorrow they would do something new.

* * *

When Harry headed up to Dumbledore's office at 8:00pm on Monday, he brought the gold locket to show the professor. He knocked on the door a bit nervously; Professor Dumbledore was gone all weekend, and Harry wasn't sure if he was back yet. Harry breathed a sigh of relief when he was told to enter and walked in. Dumbledore seemed tired, but he smiled as he gestured to Harry to sit down. As before, Dumbledore's Pensieve, a carved bowl in which memories were stored, sat on the desk casting silvery specks of light on the ceiling.

As the professor pulled out a bottle of memories, Harry said, "Sir, I met Mundungus in Hogsmeade."

"Ah, yes, I am already aware that he has been treating your inheritance with light-fingered contempt," Dumbledore said. "He has gone into hiding since your meeting outside the Three Broomsticks; he likely dreads facing me. However, rest assured he will not make away with any more of Sirius's old possessions."

Phineas Nigellus Black, Sirius's great-great-grandfather, raised his head from where he had apparently been sleeping in his frame. "That mangy half-blood was stealing Black heirlooms?" Incensed, he stalked out of his frame to go to his portrait at Grimmauld Place. Harry stared after him, considering that Bellatrix called _him_ a half-blood, and he was the sole inheritor of the Black Estate. He shrugged; that was just Phineas's way.

Turning back to Professor Dumbledore, Harry said, "I recovered some of them; or rather, Ron did."

Harry got quiet. The professor asked gently, "What is wrong, Harry?"

Looking ashamed, though he couldn't say why, Harry said, "Something weird happened. Yesterday, when we went through stuff in the suitcase…" Nervously, he pulled the locket out of his pocket. "This was among all of the stuff with the Black crest. I recognized it as the one Voldemort's mother was wearing in Ogden's memory."

Dumbledore examined it. The ornate serpentine "S" was inlaid with glittering green stones, resembling a tiny snake.

"What was weird is that I almost felt the locket call to me. After I finished my homework and stuff, I wanted to look at it for a bit. I fell asleep with it in my hand."

Professor Dumbledore asked, "Did you? And what happened?"

Harry looked sheepish. "I put it in a close pocket. I'm really not sure why, but the urge to do so was strong. But to be honest, I feel lighter for having given it to you."

"You and your friend Mr. Weasley did an excellent job, Harry." The Headmaster's expression became thoughtful for a moment. "Would you object to my holding on to it for a little while? I have a theory about this locket, which will take time to prove one way or the other." Puzzled, Harry shook his head and Dumbledore put it into a drawer of his desk. "Thank you, Harry. I will explain it all in due time."

"Yes, sir."

"And now, to our lesson." Dumbledore uncorked the vial and poured the memories into the Pensieve, swirling in the stone basin. "I am sure you recall that we left our talk at the point where Tom Riddle, the handsome Muggle, abandoned his witch wife and returned home to Little Hangleton…"

* * *

In the Common Room, Ron said, "Wow. Scary thought, the boy You-Know-Who."

Harry looked unsettled. "Yeah. But what made it more confusing is that… I don't know. Even as a kid, he was cruel. That just seems wrong, somehow."

Ron argued, "What is confusing? It's You-Know-Who we're talking about."

Hermione rolled her eyes. "Ron, he wasn't always the big, scary wizard, the terror of humanity we know him to be. Harry's right. It _is_ unfortunate that even so young, he took pleasure in causing others pain."

Harry gave her a half-smile. "Professor Dumbledore wanted to study the locket. I'm not sure why he's showing me all this, but he promises that he'll explain everything 'in due time,' whatever that means."

Hermione smiled. "Well, Professor Dumbledore promised to tell you everything." Harry looked uncomfortable, but there was nothing to do but wait until their next meeting. Recognizing the end of this train of thought, Hermione asked, "So, what have you and Draco discovered?"

Harry took a breath. This could take a while. Unless… "Do you want the long version or the short version?" Hermione looked surprised. There was more than one understanding for what they saw this morning?

Ron said, "The short version. Anything that has to do with Malfoy is better when it takes less time." Hermione wasn't sure of that logic. This was about Danny, not Draco.

Harry nodded. "We think that Danny is afraid of becoming a Dark wizard."

Both Ron and Hermione stared. "You got that from everything we saw?" Ron asked.

Harry cocked his head. "No. We didn't understand much more of what we saw than anyone else. But we heard Danny tell Professor Masters that he was afraid that one day, he was would go crazy and start killing people. He asked the professor, 'Don't you see how easy it'd be?' He's afraid of what he could become."

Hermione shook her head. "That doesn't make sense. Why would he say it's so easy, when the only defensive spell I've seen him do successfully is that shield of his?"

Harry shrugged. "No one says it has to make sense. It's his worst fear, and it panicked him enough that he fled from the room. Malfoy says that the best thing to do is tell Professor Snape."

Ron blurted, "Have you gone mental? How is that greasy git supposed to help? Students are _afraid_ of him! Even Neville, who fought Bellatrix Lestrange, for Merlin's sake, is still scared of him!"

Harry said, "That may well be, but Professor Snape _is_ his Head of House. Malfoy says that the professor is the 'go-to' person when Slytherins have problems."

Hermione raised an eyebrow. "Is that so? Perhaps we ought to keep Professor McGonagall in mind, next time _you_ have a problem." Harry's eyes grew wide. "Other Gryffindors do all the time."

Harry gulped. "Er… Okay."

* * *

After Transfigurations, Harry and Draco met and headed to Professor Snape's office. "Are you sure about this?" Harry asked.

Draco said, "I've done it before when Danny seemed… off. Professor Snape thanked me for bringing the problem to his attention. Why?" He bit back a comment about Gryffindor bravado. They needed to get along to help Danny.

"Coming to a professor to explain a problem… is kind of new to me. The last time I tried it and it was useful was when Professor Lupin taught me how to fight Dementors. Stopping from fainting was important. But to just talk about something that bothered me, or someone else?" Harry shrugged.

Draco stopped and stared at him. "You have a problem with adults, don't you?"

Taking a page from Danny's book, Harry said, "I prefer not to discuss it."

Draco rolled his eyes. "Yeah, well… this is closer to normal." They continued to Snape's office, each lost in his own thoughts.

Draco knocked on the door. "Come in." The boys entered. "Draco. Harry! What a surprise to see you… both here." Both of them looked healthy and whole, and not intent on jinxing each other. What on earth was going on? "What is this about?"

Harry and Draco looked at each other. Professor Snape just called Harry by his first name. Draco never saw that before, and Harry was still getting used to it. Still… while it was Draco's idea to talk to the professor, doing something about Danny's fear was Harry's idea. Draco nodded at Harry in encouragement. Professor Snape raised an eyebrow.

Harry took a breath. "It's about Danny, sir."

That was unexpected. Professor Snape offered them both seats. "What about Daniel?"

Harry continued. "Yesterday, Professor Masters had us work with a Boggart, and Danny's fear was so bad, after Professor Masters killed the Boggart, Danny ran out of the room."

Professor Masters killed the Boggart? Well, he couldn't very well cast a _Riddikulus_ on it. Laughing would confuse it, but killing it? Interesting.

Wait. "Daniel, with his spellwork as it is, would not voluntarily greet the Boggart. How did that come to pass?"

Harry glared at Draco, who swallowed. "I… pushed him, sir."

Professor Snape narrowed his eyes. "And why, Mr. Malfoy, would you do that to your friend who you know clearly has issues?" Draco winced in guilt, but also because he noticed that the professor switched from calling him 'Draco' to 'Mr. Malfoy.' He was in trouble.

"I… I mistook him for Potter." Snape rolled his eyes. "And I removed his wand from his pocket."

Professor Snape glowered at Draco. "For your own amusement, you not only pushed Daniel in front of a Boggart, but you relieved him of his wand so he had no way to defend himself? Even if Harry, who got an 'O' on his Defense OWL, was the one who faced the Boggart, you still would have rendered him defenseless." Draco shrank in his seat. "Do you think the room full of students needed to face a Dementor?"

"N-no, sir." That isn't what he said at the time, but facing Snape's wrath, he realized that it was more dangerous than simply humiliating Potter.

"What were you thinking?"

"I meant it to be funny, sir."

"You and I will discuss this later, Mr. Malfoy."

"Y-yes, sir."

Harry sat speechless. He just witnessed Professor Snape dressing down Draco Malfoy. He didn't know if this happened behind the closed doors of the Slytherin Common Room, but he certainly did not expect to see the day such would happen in front of him. He wondered how Professor Snape knew that Harry's Boggart manifestation was a Dementor, but now was not the time to worry about such things.

Harry cleared his throat. Both Slytherins refocused on him. "Danny's Boggart manifestation was very complicated, but after a little analysis, and listening to Danny explain it, we think his fear is very logical, although confusing."

Professor Snape put his hand on his forehead. "Daniel explained his fear to you?"

"Um, no, sir. After Danny ran from the classroom, Professor Masters went after him. I heard yelling, and came to see what the problem was."

He promised himself that he would not yell or punish Potter without getting his perspective, but Snape could not see a logical explanation for this. "And why did you follow the uncle and nephew to where they might have a private, family discussion?"

"Professor Masters was part of Danny's Boggart manifestation." That was different. That explained a lot, actually, and it excused – in Snape's mind – what would otherwise be impertinence and insolence on Potter's part.

"Go on."

"The actual vision bears description, and I'll get to that later, but Professor Masters was upset that he was part of the Boggart manifestation."

Professor Snape nodded. "Yes, I imagine he would be."

"Danny said that Professor Masters never was and never would be his greatest fear."

Curiouser and curiouser. "So what _is_ Daniel's greatest fear?"

"Danny's worst fear is himself. We think he is afraid of becoming a Dark wizard." Draco nodded vigorously.

Professor Snape absorbed this. It made sense. It explained why Daniel went catatonic with panic when he envisioned 'the possibilities' with such a destructive force as his Ghostly Wail. Still, the boy had a tremendous amount of self-control. Between what he's seen Daniel do, what Professor Flitwick told him, and what Danny said about himself and his powers, Snape decided that he has rarely seen a person with that much power be that responsible with it at such a young age.

As his Head of House, Snape paid attention to the reports other professors made about Daniel. Whether he was right or wrong, Daniel was honest, almost to a fault, about all things study related. For any report or essay, he cited every source, and was near obsessive about proving his integrity. If a student suggested cheating in his presence, Daniel would glare at the student until the idea of cheating was recanted. It made for interesting student relations in Slytherin House, but the fact that he was consistent earned him the respect of his Housemates, as well as respect from students in other Houses who got to know him.

With so much self-control, why did he fear becoming evil? There had to be something they were missing. "Please describe the Boggart manifestation. Leave out no detail you remember, no matter how insignificant it might have seemed at the time."

Harry and Draco thought, and remembered the headstones, with names and wrong dates. The girl (Professor Masters named her 'Valerie Grey'), the red suit, the 'hover board', the broken thermos – that was particularly important, because Danny said he was most afraid of it – the blood, the boggart version of Professor Masters, the Muggle business suit, the metal gloves ('Ghost Gauntlets,' also particularly important), and the operation all came out, some in more detail than others.

Between all of these things, Professor Snape struggled to figure out how any of this made sense. He would have to have a talk with Professor Masters later, but this would have to do for now.

"I thank you both. You have been a great help." He looked at Harry. "This is what is _supposed_ to happen when you come to a professor for help, Harry. I do hope this reaching out to professors becomes a trend. Draco, I will seek you out some time after I speak to Daniel about this later this evening."

Draco sighed. The professor was glad to get closer to the bottom of the mystery, but he still remembered who was responsible for starting the problem.

"I'll see you both in Potions. Thank you for coming."

* * *

Danny met Harry outside the library. They settled at a table, and Danny took out his copy of _Advanced Potion Making_, and flipped it open to Felix Felicis. Harry looked on.

_Felix Felicis__ – "Bottled Good Fortune"_

_This potion guarantees the drinker good luck. Until it wears off, all of the drinker's endeavors succeed. It gives the drinker an exhilarating sense of confidence and sense of opportunity._

"It's about time," Danny murmured.

_Taken in excess, Felix Felicis causes giddiness, recklessness, and dangerous overconfidence. It is highly toxic in large quantities. The appropriate dose is two tablespoons at breakfast. It guarantees 12 hours of good luck._

_When it is completed correctly, Felix Felicis is the color of molten gold. When it is exposed to the air, large drops leap like goldfish above the surface without splashing or spilling._

"Sounds pretty," Harry whispered.

_Because the luck is so potent, the potion is banned from being taken by players, managers, referees, and others in or around sporting events, from students and others taking exams (on exam days), candidates and campaigners in political elections, etc. A more complete list of legal implications for taking Felix Felicis can be found…_

"We'll look it up later," Danny promised. This was going to be great!

_In order to ensure the luck promised in its perfect brewing, Felix Felicis is tricky to make, disastrous to get wrong._

"So let's make sure not to get it wrong," said Harry. They proceeded to note the complex stirring patterns, and times to add which ingredient. "It says it takes six months to brew it."

Danny said, "It is a long time, but if we get a chance to use it, it will be worth it." Both boys grinned, and looked at the list of what would make up this 'bottled good luck.' There were two lists: one simply listed the ingredients, and one listed how much of which was needed at any stage of the six months it took to brew it. Many required multiple infusions and inclusions.

_Ingredients: Four-leaf clovers, hind feet of a rabbit (any species), lucky bamboo, an entire ground elephant tusk (either Asian or African), frogspawn (tadpole to mid-morph), spiders (no bigger than a Galleon), hibiscus, aloe vera, red chrysanthemums, lilies, jasmine, narcissus, Blood Blossoms, red Chinese rose, cabbage, chicory…_

Danny gasped, "No!"

Harry looked up. "What's wrong?"

Danny pounded the table with a fist. "I can't make this potion. And they say it's supposed to be good luck…"

Shaking his head in disbelief, Harry asked, "Why can't you make this potion?"

"I'm allergic to one of the ingredients."

Harry looked at the list. He knew about allergies. Hagrid was allergic to cats. But did wizards have allergies to potion ingredients? He hadn't heard of that before. Not quite believing Danny, he asked, "Are you sure? I mean, Ron's afraid of spiders, so I would understand if they made you nervous. Of course, the dead ones we use in potions don't bother him so much…"

Danny clicked his tongue. "No, Harry. I'm not afraid of spiders or anything like that. I'm allergic to one of the plants on the list. I can't touch it, or… I'm sorry."

Harry asked, "What are you sorry for?"

Danny groused miserably. "I can't even be in the same room with the plant. I have a horrible reaction. Some people have that with peanuts and stuff." He sighed. "Just because I have rotten luck doesn't mean you have to suffer."

Harry whispered furiously, "Danny! Don't be stupid. If you can't make this potion, I won't either." He thought for a moment. "Snape is going to kill us."

"There is no reason for you to forego the good luck because I have none."

Harry growled. "I think I now understand Hermione when she complains of my 'saving people thing.' There's no call for you to sacrifice your grade. Maybe Snape will let us do a different potion instead, or something."

Danny sulked at the lost opportunity to make this 'good luck' potion. Why did it have to be Blood Blossoms, of all things? Someone, somewhere, must have decided that ghosts, more likely thought of as 'evil spirits,' were unlucky, so ghosts were not only banned from using it, but ghosts were also banned from approaching the user of this stuff for the duration of the user's lucky 12 hours. He recalled Johnny 13's shadow and sighed sadly.

Regardless, Harry was ready to give up this opportunity… just for him. He looked up at Harry and smiled gratefully. "Thanks, Harry. So what other potion did you have in mind?"

Harry smiled. Poor Danny! He was glad that he could pull Danny back to near happiness. "I don't know yet. But to make up for the fact it is 'tricky to make, disastrous to get wrong,' it would have to be complicated."

Danny got into the swing of things. "And it should be necessary. The idea of a 'hiccuping potion' just…ugh."

Harry chuckled. "And something… I know! It would also be something Snape brews regularly, but resents for personal reasons."

Looking, waiting, Danny asked, "What?"

"Wolfsbane Potion!"

Danny glowed. "That's brilliant! Let's just check the ingredients, first…"

* * *

During the afternoon office hours, Professor Snape knocked on the door. "Come in." Vlad was surprised to see the Potions Master. "Professor Snape! What can I do for you?"

Closing the door behind him, Professor Snape said, "We need to talk. It's about Daniel."

Vlad offered him a seat and perked up. "What is it?"

"It has to do with your class yesterday."

With a heart full of pain, Vlad closed his eyes and put a hand on his forehead. "What about it?"

Professor Snape realized that Vlad wasn't trying to be difficult. "A couple of students came to me to discuss Daniel's greatest fear."

Vlad growled. "It wasn't me. I know I was part of the image, but Daniel assured me…"

"Calm down. They didn't complain about you." Vlad relaxed a little. "But we still need to talk about Daniel."

"I'm listening."

"The students spoke of his worst fear as being himself…"

Vlad fumed. "Students listened in to a private conversation between Daniel and me, in my own private rooms?" He remembered the sound of footsteps running from his door, so his feelings of invasion of privacy were justified.

Snape avoided answering the question and rolled his eyes. "The students were in the same class as you were in. They put the clues together. If you weren't emotionally distraught yourself, you might have as well." Vlad bristled, but he had to admit that Snape was right.

Professor Snape continued. "I understand that Daniel's worst fear is allowing himself to become evil. However, this is completely illogical, given what we know about him. Sir Nicholas dubbed him a hero…"

"One of my previous sources of frustration, but yes."

Snape took a calming breath. Vlad may not have meant to be difficult before, but he was certainly purposefully grating now. "He is earnest and honest in his studies and with his dealings with students in all things except his family, and obviously his status as a half-ghost and a Muggle. He despises using his powers against people at a distinct disadvantage. He believes in equality among people. There is nothing about him that suggests he would turn Dark.

"Even though it might have been logical," he glared at Vlad, "_at one time_, to fear being corrupted by you, Daniel did not have this as a part of his Boggart manifestation. You are not his greatest fear.

"What is there about himself that he could possibly see that would make him fear turning evil?"

Vlad looked at a spot on his desk in concentration. "I didn't actually think about that. I was too busy spending time calming the child to figure out why his fear made sense on any plane. The fact is that he is a very powerful ghost, and in time, will be one of the most powerful in existence. There could be a great deal of temptation…"

"But there's not. His own character indicates this would never be a problem. You said yourself that even when you were most bitter enemies, he would have helped you if you only asked. There has to be something that we're missing."

Vlad nodded and absorbed this. "So what are you thinking?"

"The students noticed the names on the headstones were those of his friends and immediate family, but the death date was wrong." Vlad started. "The Death Eater attack was in July, but the date on the stones was in the spring."

"In the spring? But why would he imagine that?"

"That is the first question to consider." Professor Snape cocked his head to the side, trying to figure out how to word his next sentence. "What is the significance of the broken thermos?"

Vlad shook his head quickly. He was so focused on the names on the stones and the presence of Valerie, Vlad entirely forgot about the Thermos in her hands. "Right. The Thermos is a ghost containment device. Did the students mention whether it was primarily green or red?"

Snape was now the shocked one. "Green. Why does it matter?"

"If the device was green, it was of Daniel's parents' design. If it was red, it was mine. As it was green, it means it was a Fenton Thermos. As such, if Daniel feared the broken Thermos… perhaps he was also afraid of a ghost he captured but escaped." But he's afraid of himself. Something isn't adding up.

Professor Snape nodded in satisfaction. He didn't know what was going on, but if Masters was thinking it through, perhaps they could solve this together. "And what of the metal gloves?"

Vlad sighed. "Another invention of his parents. They would be called 'Ghost Gauntlets,' because a ghost could not avoid them by turning intangible. Like almost every Fenton product, they were designed to incapacitate, capture, and contain ghosts." More to himself, he muttered, "I still can't believe Jack caught me that day. He was an idiot! But as he said, he was the idiot who beat me."

The professor stared at the half-ghost. He was sure those words were not meant for him. "And the claws?"

Shaking himself out of the memory, Vlad said, "Yes, well… apparently, they were a modified version of the Ghost Gauntlets. Considering that they were ghost-proof, such that a ghost caught on the business end of the gauntlets would be at the mercy of the wearer, apparently…" He thought for a moment. "The boggart version of me said that the 'operation' would remove 'those painful emotions'…"

Vlad shook his head. "But that's… Caramel apples and candy canes! That would only make sense if the operation somehow removed Daniel's ghost half from his human half!"

Professor Snape narrowed his eyes in thought. "Is that even possible?"

Vlad put a hand to his mouth as he considered. "I imagine it should be. Neither Daniel nor I was born half-ghost. We were born as human as you are. An accident, that could easily, for this purpose, be considered a procedure, made us half-ghosts. If a procedure made us half-ghosts, it logically follows that a procedure could remove our ghost halves from our human halves."

Professor Snape said, "Now we've made a bit more sense of what we know. There is something that scares Daniel about himself turning evil, and it has to do, most likely, with the separation of his ghost half and his human half. It also has to do with a different death date for his loved ones, and a ghost escaping from a Thermos. While we still have questions, I think we are much better prepared to understand the reality of it."

Both of them sat and thought this through. Professor Snape sat up. "Are you up for a parent/teacher conference with Daniel this evening?"

"I… what?"

"In the Room of Requirement. It will take the place of Powers Training this evening. We need to get to the bottom of this, and we cannot afford to have Daniel go catatonic on us again."

Vlad looked down. "I think I like the sound of that. A parent/teacher conference. Yes. We should get there before Daniel. I would like to set the room."

"As you wish."

* * *

Potions class was filled with anxiety and excitement. Professor Snape asked the students about their findings so far, focusing on how long it would take to brew their assorted potions, so he could arrange for the necessary time, space, ingredients, and specialized ingredient preparation. Some potions could not be brewed in close proximity to others, and of course these potions would have to be brewed in a different laboratory room than the standard classroom. The last thing he needed was a First Year cauldron meltdown of the Longbottom variety around some of these potions. The Hiccuping Solution would be no great loss, and could be easily made up, but the Veritaserum could be toxic if tampered with.

"Mr. Malfoy, how long does it take to brew Veritaserum?"

Draco smiled. "It takes about a full moon-cycle." Harry shook his head bitterly. That's what Snape told Umbridge when she demanded he make more for her interrogation.

"Mr. Weasley, how long does it take to brew Polyjuice Potion?"

Ron smirked. "It takes about a month. One of the ingredients needs to be picked in the moonlight of a full moon, and a different ingredient needs to stew for 21 days, so it will take some time to set it up." Hermione nodded. They did this… well, _she_ did this in their Second Year. Professor Snape eyed the pair warily. He was beginning to think he knew where the stolen Boomslang skin of his private stores disappeared to in this class's Second Year. He always had his suspicions, but had no proof, and he remained wary.

"Mr. Potter, how long does it take to brew Felix Felicis?"

Harry gulped. "It takes six months, sir. But we won't be able to brew it."

The professor narrowed his eyes. Before their long discussion, he might have accused the boy of laziness, arrogance, or desire to call attention to himself for being different. Since that discussion, he learned that if Harry asked to do things differently, there was usually a reason for it.

"And why not?"

Danny answered, "Because I'm highly allergic to one of the ingredients, sir."

Professor Snape widened his eyes in surprise. He mentally catalogued the ingredients of the potion and remembered the Blood Blossoms. That was not just a reason, but a wholly justified reason for being different.

"Very good."

Before Snape could award points for their attention to caution, Ron asked, "Could we switch?" It occurred to him that whatever was in Polyjuice Potion might not have the same problems as Felix Felicis, and it sounded like a good luck potion would be a useful thing to have.

Professor Snape glared at him. "Of course not! Mr. Weasley, are you worried that your own potion will be too difficult? I'm _sure_ I could come up with something you might appreciate less," he concluded silkily.

"No, sir," Ron said quickly, as he turned a shade of red that clashed with his hair. It was at that moment that Harry appreciated the idea that Professor Snape was often cruel, but it was a targeted cruelty. While it probably wasn't necessary for Snape to be that mean to Ron, Harry realized that if Danny was allergic to whatever it was, and if Ron and Hermione brewed it, it would still affect Danny if he was in the same room. He further realized how embarrassed Danny was because of his inability to do this, or that Harry lost the opportunity to brew himself some good luck. Professor Snape protected Danny at Ron's expense, but the level of Danny's embarrassment far surpassed that of Ron's.

Was this a point that drew him closer to giving the professor the benefit of the doubt? Was this part of Snape's reasoning for all the emotional abuse for all the years prior? It was twisted logic to be sure, but as Harry contemplated the implications of this, Danny volunteered, "Professor? We checked over a list of ingredients for a different, yet still complicated, potion to make instead. But it isn't in the textbook."

Professor Snape was curious. "What potion are you proposing to make?"

Harry smiled. "Wolfsbane Potion."

The professor stared at Harry. At once, he realized the resourcefulness of the boy. Not only was this potion complex (he supposed that was to make up for the complexity of Felix Felicis), it would be useful in full to any werewolf. He probably had Lupin in mind. He couldn't really fault the boy for it. And Daniel sympathized with the plight of werewolves in general, and he heard about the half-ghosts' meeting with Lupin in July. Further, the letter that earned Slytherin 20 points in the first week of classes was legendary, and actually sent to other werewolves to ask them to join the fight against the Dark Lord. While Harry and Hermione's letters also got positive responses, Danny's letter was met with enthusiastic recognition and acclaim.

"You realize that even though it only takes two weeks to brew it, the complexity of stirring and ingredients preparation will take far more care and attention than the other potions your classmates are preparing combined, don't you?"

"It's worth it, sir," Harry and Danny chorused. They looked at each other in surprise and then shrugged.

"Very well. Five points to each of you for your attention to safety and the preparation of a back-up plan." Both dark-haired boys looked relieved. Everyone else in the class looked surprised and some were confused. Professor Snape was not only NOT picking on Harry for attention seeking and trying to be different, he was being kind to Harry. Further, he gave both Harry and Danny five points apiece. He did that before, but it was still a bizarre occurrence. What was more, Professor Snape was meaner to Ron than to Harry. While it was understood that Professor Snape was usually unpleasant to students outside of Slytherin, he usually had it in for Harry. This no longer seemed to be the case.

Professor Snape usually had no problem with the disparity of treatment of Harry and Danny, though lately this was changing. Today was a more dramatic display of this change. No one could guess what was going on besides Harry, Ron, Hermione, and Danny.

* * *

When Professor Snape reached the Room of Requirement, he noted a marble fireplace with a roaring fire. The paneled walls were covered in Muggle paintings and tapestries. Beyond the hearth was a deep plush maroon carpet. Vlad was seated in a matching deep leather chair, and there were two others. Not far from the chairs was a mahogany table with embroidery on the velvet seats and backs of the surrounding chairs. The rich appointment of the room bespoke comfort and great wealth.

"Opulently ambitious, aren't we?" Snape sneered.

Vlad smiled. "Not at all. These are mere reminders of home. It's not the first time I've appointed a room in a castle for comfort. My sitting room in my Wisconsin home is far larger, and similarly appointed, but the color scheme is different. Since it is only the three of us, this will do just fine. Besides, I want Daniel to be as comfortable as possible, considering the fact that the topic under discussion will be anything but."

His Wisconsin home? That must mean he has more than one. If this room was any indication of the wealth Masters possessed, he was worth far more than the Potter, Black, and Malfoy estates combined. Daniel _did_ say something about Vlad being a billionaire, but it was a detail the professor must have overlooked before. 'And he chose to be a teacher here. Masters may need some work on his relationship with Daniel, but the fact he left something like this to hide here with the boy says something.'

Danny opened the door to the Room of Requirement and closed it. This could not possibly be the right room. He looked across the hall. The tapestry of Barnabas the Barmy was there, so he was on the right floor. He shook his head and opened the door again. In a room with brown paneling filled with furniture and furnishings of brown, maroon, and dark purple, he did not find any type of classroom. "Um…"

"Daniel!" Vlad called brightly. "Have a seat."

Hesitantly, Danny asked, "What's going on?"

Vlad motioned to a chair close to the fire. "Professor Snape informed me that," he paused to smile, "a parent/teacher conference is in order."

Danny looked at the fully stuffed leather chairs and noticed Professor Snape sitting not far from Vlad. "Am I in trouble?"

Professor Snape smiled. "Not at all. Please make yourself comfortable." While Danny took the proffered seat, Professor Snape noted that Professor Masters felt at home surrounding himself with items reflecting his wealth. Daniel did not. Interesting. "We are here to discuss a problem that is ongoing. We noticed it last Thursday, but it came to a head yesterday."

"I don't want to talk about it."

Vlad said gently, "I understand that. You have said as much. Nonetheless, we need to talk about it. On Thursday, you gave us quite a scare, little badger. We need to resolve your fear so that doesn't happen again."

Danny looked between Vlad and Professor Snape. "What do you want?"

Professor Snape explained, "Between then and now, we have pieced together parts of your worst fear." Danny's eyes widened. "We'll come to that in a moment." Distrustfully, Danny sat quietly. He didn't know where they were going, but he didn't like where they seemed to be headed.

"This is not the first time students your year encountered a Boggart. Last time, there were many of the run-of-the-mill fears, like spiders, snakes, banshees," he closed his eyes and pinched the bridge of his nose, "me." Vlad smirked as he recognized whose fear THAT was, but he schooled his face back into concern by the time Snape opened his eyes. "And all sorts of things. But this time, like last time, you did not see the Boggart manifestation of Harry Potter."

Danny perked up curiously. "What is his worst fear?"

Professor Snape gave a half-smile. "At this point, I'm not sure. Whatever it is, I'm sure it is a lot more intense than it was three years ago. Three years ago, it was a Dementor."

Danny shook his head. "But why? He can cast a Patronus."

Professor Snape said, "He's a very thorough tutor. Yes, he can cast one, and he taught the members of the DA how to cast them."

"How do you know?"

"Normally, I'd say that's not important, but after Harry produced his Patronus for his Defense Against the Dark Arts OWL, there was murmuring about the students' capabilities. The Heads of House discussed this some time after the DA was exposed and confirmed it after the Ministry incident last summer. But the better question is why Harry was able to cast it at all."

Professor Snape closed his eyes again. He still despised Black, but recognized that he was almost Harry's ticket to freedom and love, if he only would have listened. "Though Sirius Black was posthumously discovered to be innocent of the mass murders he was accused of committing, he escaped Azkaban, wizards' prison, in Harry's Third Year. Since he was thought to be in league with the Dark Lord, and was thought to have been instrumental in the deaths of Harry's parents, as well as responsible for the killing of 12 Muggles and the _actual_ mass murderer (who was Wormtail, as we've discussed before), the Ministry sent some Dementors, the guards until recently of Azkaban, to try to find Sirius, or at the very least, to protect the school from him. That was the first time Harry was exposed to Dementors.

"On his trip to Hogwarts on the Hogwarts Express, Professor Lupin discovered that Harry's reaction to a Dementor involved him fainting." Danny looked concerned. "Dementors make a person remember their worst memories. In his Third Year, Harry's worst memories involved him watching the Dark Lord murder his parents." Snape took a breath. Seeing things from Harry's perspective opened his own eyes and increased his own shame. "I would imagine that Harry had a very difficult time getting started defending against Dementors because at the same time that it tore at his heart as he heard his mother's frantic screams before her murder, it was also the only memory he had of hearing his mother.

"Harry's reaction to the Dementors – fainting – was more dramatic than that of other students because his worst memory was more horrific than most. And Harry's worst fear was dealing with a Dementor.

"While he isn't my favorite person for personal reasons, Professor Lupin did recognize the problem, and helped Harry face his worst fear. And because of one conscientious professor's attentiveness to a student's needs, Harry is able to produce a Patronus of a quality that many wizards twice his age would be hard pressed to duplicate."

The professor refocused and looked at Danny. "Your worst fear is just as logical in your mind. Just as Harry learned to face and defeat his greatest fear, we would like to be able to make you just as strong, to be able to face and overcome _your_ greatest fear, such that _you_ can defeat it."

Danny listened to the professor and took a moment to absorb all of this. It sounded like Harry also had a seriously tough way to go. While it wasn't the same as coming face to face with one's own evil future self, the professor gave quite a convincing argument for _why_ this could be necessary. "Okay." It wasn't, really, but what else was he going to say to that?

Vlad said, "Based on what we've seen and discussed and what you told me yesterday, Professor Snape and I have a few thoughts, and were hoping you could fill in the blanks." Danny recognized his own words to Professor Dumbledore the first time he asked about that Ministry incident. He nodded. He didn't see a way out of this, and who knows? Maybe something good can come of this. Maybe…

"You said that you were your own worst fear. Somehow, this fear involves," Vlad paused, as the idea was seriously distasteful and disturbing, "separating your ghost and human halves – which you've expressed, in no uncertain terms, is NOT an option – and of something escaping from a Fenton Thermos. And somehow, this connects to an earlier date of death for your family and friends. And Valerie is involved in all of this. But we are missing the key factor, which brings this all together. What are we missing?"

Danny realized that he was sitting in front of two of the most intelligent people he knew. They worked everything out. And, he realized, no one presently cared about him more deeply than the two men sitting before him. Maybe he could do this. A memory from a movie seen long ago brought a smile to his lips. 'Do or do not. There is no try.' He _would_ do this.

"All of this began in the spring of my freshman year. Mr. Lancer announced the CAT exams – it's the Career Aptitude Test. My sister Jazz got the highest score in the history of the exam, and Irving Burns, the manager of the Nasty Burger – our favorite fast food restaurant and teen hang out – got the lowest score in the history of the test. I got frustrated as I studied; it's not easy to be the not-as-smart kid brother of the most brilliant student of the school. And I would have studied a month in advance, but I was fighting ghosts. Whatever.

"After a fight with a weird ghost from the future," the eyes of the adults grew wide, "I ended up getting the answers from Mr. Lancer's briefcase. It wasn't my plan, but unpredictable things happen around ghost fights. When I realized what happened, and that I had the answers in my hand, I was excited, and couldn't wait to get home to 'explore my new options.' Sam and Tucker didn't look comfortable, but I opened the seal." Professor Snape was about to protest, but Danny said, "I know, I know. I'll get to that soon.

"Before I actually looked inside, another weird ghost from the future attacked me, and ended up bringing me, Sam, and Tucker to Clockwork's Tower."

Vlad's eyebrows shot up. "You met Clockwork? But… I thought he was a myth."

Professor Snape asked, "Who is this Clockwork?"

Vlad answered, "He's the Ghost Master of Time. You met him?"

Danny shrugged. "Yeah. He showed me what I _could_ become if I decided on the wrong path, or the 'dark side,' or whatever you want to call it. And it all started because I decided to cheat on a test. After seeing that possible future, I vowed that I'd never turn evil. And part of that involves me never cheating. That is _not_ going to happen."

"But your future? What happens?" Vlad asked. The new reality of Danny's learning about his possible future was bizarre, but so was the idea that he met the Master of Time. Professor Snape simply sat back and listened.

"Apparently, in the time line where I actually cheated, Mr. Lancer had my parents bring me to a parent/teacher conference of sorts outside the Nasty Burger. Jazz came with him – she found the answers to the test in my book bag. Because of a ghost fight that messed with the cooling tanks for the Nasty sauce – it's highly flammable – the Nasty Burger was going to blow up. Sam and Tucker came to warn the five of us… the memory gets fuzzy because of incidents in time lines and paradoxes Clockwork said I couldn't understand because I was only 14."

Danny sighed. "In a time line I've only heard of, I watched my family, friends, and Mr. Lancer die in the Nasty Burger explosion, and it was all my fault." Vlad wanted to jump in and assure him it was no such thing, but Professor Snape waved him off. If Danny stopped talking now, they would never be able to get him to finish this.

"In that time line, I went to you, Vlad, not unlike I did this summer. And I guess I asked you to separate my human and ghost halves, as our ghost halves seem to experience emotions far more intensely than our human halves, or something. It's why your obsessions raged on as long as they did."

Danny took a breath and closed his eyes. "You did go through with the operation. Once my human half was separated from my ghost half, apparently my ghost half was furious with you for all you had done to me, and it separated _your_ halves. For some reason, my distraught ghost half merged with your evil ghost half, and became the most powerful, destructive, evil ghost in existence. It was essentially me, but with your intelligence and evil inclinations.

"My evil self from that alternate time line killed my human half and went on a rampage. Within ten years, all of Amity Park was laid to waste, except what Valerie and Mr. Grey protected with a ghost shield when they took over Fenton Works."

Tears ran down his face and Danny continued. "The Observants – ancient ghosts who monitor the time line to stop truly evil ghosts from this kind of destruction – sent Clockwork to kill me. When I was in his tower, I escaped destruction from his scythe (he kinda looked like the Grim Reaper with it) by going into the future. I went to face my evil future self."

Professor Snape wondered why something like the Observants didn't step in and stop evil on the human plane. Perhaps the answers lay within the religions of the world. This part of ghost culture seemed to be very different from the world of the living.

Danny continued. "Life for me got complicated, because my evil future self didn't want me, the then-14 year old Danny, to interfere with setting up history so that he could exist. He stuck me in the future and _he_ came to my present day time line…ugh. Whatever. He cheated on the exam while I was being tortured by ghosts in my future who he hurt and messed up. My sister – home time – figured out what happened, and somehow sent me a message that told me to visit the you in that future time.

"You told me about what happened in that bizzaro other time line, and you helped me get back home. But after meeting you, ten years after my family's death and without your ghost half… That's how I knew I could trust you NOW with a second chance. At that time, I told you, 'Maybe that's all anybody needs… a second chance'."

Vlad started. That was an interesting insight to how Daniel operated.

"But when I got back to my home time line, my evil future self was ready to kill everyone I loved. Again. He used ectoplasmic bonds to hold my family, friends, and teacher to an overheated cooling tank. The temperature of the sauce was too high, and it was only a matter of time before it blew them up." That gave both Vlad and Snape pause. Now they knew why Danny was so resistant to learning how to make these bonds.

"I fought my evil future self and just barely won, capturing him in a Fenton Thermos, when the clock ran down, and I watched everyone die. This time line.

"And then Clockwork stopped time. All six of them were protected from the blast. Clockwork told me something about how I gave my all to protect everyone I loved, and he brought me back to the Saturday morning of the CAT, and told me, 'You've given everyone else in your life a second chance. Why not you?' When he restarted time, I admitted to looking at the answers and asked if I could take a make-up test. Mr. Lancer let me, and I've been careful never to do anything that smacks of cheating since."

Danny took a breath. "That's why my… Boggart manifestation scared me so badly. The first part sort of reminded me what could have happened, if everyone died that day. With my family and friends gone, and Vlad out of commission, the only ghost fighter left was Valerie, and if she died, Amity Park was doomed. Especially if that evil future self got out of the Thermos.

"And the second part was even scarier: everyone who Clockwork saved when it was my fault died because of the Death Eaters. At this point, I'm almost convinced that it's not my fault that I couldn't do more to save people…"

"It wasn't," the adults chorused.

"But if you offered me that operation… I… Even without the operation, I have to fight, really hard, to keep every last emotion in check. I … don't you see how easy it would be?" Danny dissolved into tears, and Vlad got up and hugged him. They stayed that way for a while.

The great mystery was solved. A lot was explained, and Vlad made a _lot_ of promises to himself about dealing with Daniel in the future. The boy was far stronger than anyone gave him credit for being. Vlad might be more powerful currently, and physically stronger, but he had nothing on his little hero.

When Danny calmed down and allowed Vlad to pull away, Professor Snape asked, "And what of your Ghostly Wail?"

Danny sighed. "The first time I saw it, I watched my evil future self use it to destroy the ghost shield around the remains of Amity Park. When… Uncle Vlad told me to think of the possibilities, I already _saw_ the fruition of some of those possibilities. The first time I saw it, Sam drew my attention to it on Clockwork's view screen. I remember saying 'What a cool power… if it weren't being used for evil.'

"But the first time I had it, here in this time line (kind of), I was trapped in the Ghost Zone, in the future, beaten badly by all kinds of enemies who had suffered at the hands of my evil future self. I told them to get away – I had as much as I could take, and probably more than that. But they were ready to come at me again. I screamed at them to get away, and it came out as the Ghostly Wail. It knocked every last one of them unconscious, and allowed me to go find the future you." Danny looked down sadly. "I used it on my evil future self before I captured him. It took too much power. That's why I couldn't get to them in time. I…"

"Shh…" Vlad soothed and clutched Danny tightly to him again. Vlad eventually pulled away, holding Danny's shoulders. "Listen to me. Tomorrow, we are going to start training you to work with your Wail. We will work on modulation, duration, and stamina. And we will work to find positive uses for it. Imagine, for a moment, if you had full control over this power when you fought Pariah Dark. You would have been able to take out the whole skeleton army single-handedly and still have enough ghost energy to deal with the Ghost King. We are going to focus on _those_ kind of possibilities."

Danny's eyes widened. Vlad was right. That _would_ have been totally useful. While he couldn't think of a logical use for his Wail now, there _was_ that time, and Christmas with the evil trees was necessary. It wasn't strong enough to defeat Tucker's sphinx, but what was it that Vlad said? 'It was a skill to learn and perfect. He could figure out the where and when to use it later.' What was more, Vlad encouraged him to find ways to use his power like a hero, and Vlad wasn't annoyed about it anymore. Maybe better things could come of this relationship. Maybe…

"Thank you for your time," Professor Snape said. He noticed the change of expressions on Daniel's face, and Danny's hope and eagerness seemed to be a good note on which to leave them. "Daniel, thank you for your indulgence. I am glad that we got that matter resolved. You've given me a few things to consider, but most importantly, I hope we have done enough to keep you well and functional. Again, I thank you both for your time. Now, I believe you have a class…"

Danny said, "Thank you, Professor." Danny looked at Vlad, who smiled at him.

"Yes, thank you, Professor." Vlad waited for Professor Snape to stand up before shaking his hand. "I can't thank you enough for what you have done for Daniel. And me."

It was Professor Snape's turn to smile. As he reached the door, he heard Vlad ask Danny, "So what did you think when you read the refrain 'And Brutus is an honorable man'?"

24


	26. Chapter 26

Again, a sincere thanks to one and all who have read, reviewed, and/or put this fic on your favorite and alert lists! This is especially meaningful to me, because last chapter received more reviews than any other, so far. To all of you, I give a bottle of Butterbeer and a cup of honey mead. For everyone who figured out what I would make Danny's Ghostly Wail do in the Room of Requirement, I further give you some Hamentashen and an apple each. Happy holidays!

Enough people have mentioned them in their reviews that I decided that these two topics needed to be addressed publicly.

In "The Ultimate Enemy," it appears that Dark Dan has indeed destroyed the world, and Amity Park is the last remaining bastion of humanity. I agree with this assessment. However, we have the opportunity to make this observation because we saw the first few seconds of the episode.

Danny did not have that luxury. The only bit he's seen of that alternate future time line was Amity Park. While Danny seems to be a smart cookie, I've decided that using the logic of "a 'C' student," Danny may not have extrapolated that if Dark Dan did this to Amity Park, there was nothing that said he couldn't have done this to the rest of the world. As such, Danny would only think of the destruction of Amity Park, which is pretty horrific. The destruction of the whole world is something I think he would have serious difficulty imagining. So he doesn't think of it.

In all, you are right. Dark Dan DID destroy the whole world with the exception of Amity Park until he destroyed the ghost shield, but all Danny thought of was the destruction of Amity Park once the ghost shield was down. Good catch, folks!

The second issue is a bit more general. In the Danny Phantom universe, there is a LOT of action. It is fast paced, and Danny is often overwhelmed by it all. This makes for the interesting situations we enjoy so much, and keeps us coming back to watch it.

However, this story is happening in Hogwarts. While Danny and Vlad (and the occasional odd character) are definitely _from_ Danny Phantom's universe, they are _in_ Harry Potter's universe. Because it is a school where the fantastic happens on a regular basis, much that sets off panic in Casper High is fairly easy to ignore, or have a completely different reaction by the teachers, students, and staff. Further, I'm not sure that I intended it when I began, but at some point I realized that I gave Vlad quite a LOT of power. In general, Danny's common enemies in the Ghost Zone are seriously afraid of Vlad, and they will respect and obey his wishes, rather than face the wrath of Plasmius.

The net result of this: there will not be many action scenes, because the ghosts most likely to cause problems are too afraid to start trouble for Danny, mostly because of where he is (if they knew where he was) and who he's with.

In response to one particular request, I had in mind to stick in an action sequence this chapter. As I explained to the reviewer who sent the request, "When I originally dreamed up the scene, I envisioned a fight scene. With this in mind, I set to writing it. But the scene and the characters took on a life of their own. Despite what I wanted, the situation itself changed, such that, well...

"I tried. I really did. I had you in mind. It was about to have all kinds of action and everything. But then... The characters enforced their personalities, especially as I've written them, and they didn't do it. They refused."

The fact is I do actually have some action sequences in mind. Some are even already written out. Unfortunately for the folks who want the action NOW, the scenes come into sequence as a story with Harry Potter-type pacing, not Danny Phantom pacing.

Disclaimer: I do not own _Danny Phantom_ or _Harry Potter_.

Chapter 26

When Danny came back to the Common Room, he found Draco alone in his usual spot, but Pansy, Crabbe, and Goyle were elsewhere. Danny started to wonder about that, but as he came closer, Danny noticed that Draco was shaking and his cheeks were pink. Danny was concerned. "Uh, Draco? Are you okay?"

Draco looked at him. "I…" Danny might be his friend, but Draco refused to show weakness. A Malfoy never did. Even after Professor Snape chewed him out over what he did, the professor didn't let him leave the office until he stopped crying. He truly didn't mean to hurt Danny, and he deserved the tongue-lashing he received. But the good professor was ever aware of House politics, and he would not do anything to upset the balance. Professor Snape didn't let him leave until he regained control of his demeanor, and was set to face the world like the prefect he is. Still, he had trouble controlling the emotion, which came out in shaking. He was not of a mind to share his troubles with anyone.

Draco took a breath and looked at Danny squarely. "I'm sorry for what I did yesterday. It was a cruel trick, and taking your wand was unforgivable. Still, I'd like you to forgive me."

Danny opened his eyes wide. "I forgive you. It, uh…" He thought about telling Draco that it wasn't Draco's fault that he freaked, but it honestly was. Then again, as Professor Snape and Vlad pointed out, the panic attack was waiting to happen. What happened on Thursday was so much worse than what happened yesterday. Further, his wand was just as useless to him in his own hand as it was in Draco's hand. Draco didn't know that, and Danny realized that a wizard would be upset about the loss of his wand.

Danny said, "Don't worry about it. I know you didn't mean to hurt me. Harry, on the other hand…"

"I've spoken to him. We've… come to an understanding."

"Okay. Should I ask…?"

Draco shook his head. "It's a long story, and probably not worth it. But…" he closed his eyes. "It's made me act in a way that is not befitting my position as a prefect and my station in life."

Danny looked at him. "Your station in life?"

Draco winced. It seemed weird when Professor Snape told him that, too. But it _did_ sound like something his father would say. "My father used to be on the Hogwarts Board of Governors, and I intend to be a community leader like he was. Without the Death Eater thing. Maybe."

"What do you mean, 'maybe'?"

Draco looked uncomfortable. "I'd prefer not to discuss it."

Danny widened his eyes again. Interesting. Draco's father was a Death Eater, and he was in prison because of his evil, criminal acts, including trying to kill Harry and his friends in the Ministry. This is the first time he heard Draco talk about the possibility of actually _becoming_ a Death Eater.

Why would Draco think of that? Danny remembered how horrified Draco seemed when he discussed the Nazis (he was still amazed that Draco hadn't heard about them until he told him). Since Draco's detention with Vlad, Draco didn't mention anti-Muggle rhetoric, and he didn't seem to like the idea of killing and torturing people.

Danny decided to try his luck. "Did… the Dark Lord offer you something?"

Draco drew breath sharply. "How would you know?" he demanded.

Danny knew he had to say something. He thought it would give away too much to say that he fought with the Ghost King. "It's how Uncle Vlad explained how the Dark Lord might achieve his goal of acquiring power: offering something to the undecided but likely candidates for his cause." Besides – it didn't take too much imagination to envision Vlad as a Dark Lord in his own right. He had Skulker and those vultures as his minions, and he could command many of the ghosts in the Ghost Zone, and they took his direction. So, in other words, he might have first hand knowledge in how a Dark Lord acquires power.

Great. He had to be the ward of a ghost evil overlord of sorts. Darned Froot-Loop. But… Tonight. The way he and Professor Snape helped him work through, or at least heard him out about, his worst fears… Wow. He loved his parents dearly, but neither of them would have understood about this fear. Jazz would be helpful, as she always meant to be, but still, she was only a sister. A very special, loving, overprotective sister, but still, she was just a sister.

Vlad was actually an adult who understood, kind of, what he was going through. They still needed work, but… this was a fear Danny suppressed until July, and since then he only repressed it. Too much happened.

Clockwork was supposed to be his guardian. And he let it happen. Again. But this time, it wasn't his fault.

Danny blinked in realization, and whispered, "This time, it wasn't my fault."

Maybe Clockwork didn't interfere with Time, this time, because the deaths weren't his fault, and being with Vlad would not involve ripping out his humanity. The idea still squicked him out.

Maybe… This whole thing with Vlad could work. Danny decided to make a concerted effort to remember to call him 'Uncle Vlad.' It was weird to think, but after this evening, he felt he could actually think of Vlad like an uncle. It wasn't just an honorific any more, but almost for real.

"What's not your fault?" Draco asked.

Right. He wasn't alone. "I was just thinking about the deaths that you saw in my worst fear. They weren't my fault. And Uncle Vlad helped me realize that, together with Professor Snape."

Draco smiled. He and Harry only figured out part of the fear, but Danny was willing to discuss this much. Who knew that he could get Danny to say that much about himself? And he wouldn't have known that much about Danny if he didn't bring the matter to Professor Snape. And he wouldn't have done that if Harry didn't decide to follow Danny. And he was thinking of Potter as 'Harry.' That was because Professor Snape called him Harry.

What was this world coming to?

* * *

Tuesday evening, Terry thought it was time to put his plan into action. Yesterday, after witnessing Danny's worst fear, he decided to put together the few facts he knew about the mysterious Slytherin. (He made no fuss over Neville's worst fear. The whole school heard about it in Third Year. He was a little surprised that Neville was still that frightened of Professor Snape, but it made as much sense as his own fear, which didn't bear thinking about right now.)

Danny was an orphan who lived with his uncle. Professor Masters indicated that Danny sought to be an Auror of the Spirit Division, but that couldn't be right – Aurors needed to know Transfigurations, and Danny didn't take that class. Still, Professor Binns favored Danny, if not academically, certainly enough to remember his name. Professor Masters taught the young Slytherin Muggle literature and he didn't object. Danny was odd, for a Slytherin. He didn't have that air of arrogant superiority of his Housemates.

But that fear of his… it made no sense. There were headstones; three bore Danny's surname, so it was likely that they belonged to Danny's immediate family. The other two had birth and death dates that suggested they were contemporaries of Danny's. Perhaps they were the 'closest friends' the professor mentioned.

There was a girl in a red suit who was dead without a headstone. Maybe Danny was afraid of her dying. That could have made sense, but what was she doing by the family headstones? Maybe he was afraid that whatever killed his family and friends would kill this girl. That was logical.

But then there was Professor Masters. That made no sense whatsoever. Professor Masters cared dearly for his nephew. He got Danny a wand that no one could use except himself and Danny.

This operation that was mentioned panicked Danny like nothing else. Boggart Masters spoke of ridding Danny of 'painful emotions.' Dementors could do that with their Kiss, but the Muggle-dressed Masters had no Dementor with him. He wore metal gloves with claws. What did the gloves have to do with removing emotions?

Perhaps part of Danny's research about Aurors involved these mysterious magical weapons. But why should this scare Danny so badly? And what did this have to do with the girl in the red suit?

Monday evening, he thought about all of this, and he discussed his observations with his friends from History of Magic. "So, what do you think of all of this?"

Michael Corner, Lisa Turpin, and Mandy Brocklehurst sat in a knot, listening closely to Terry's thoughts. Lisa said, "I'm not sure. There are a lot of details about our mysterious friend that don't make a lot of sense."

Michael mulled this over. "Whatever the fear is, it involves death. But it isn't simply about death, because there are too many details for that to be the conclusion. Professor Masters' Boggart was of Danny dying. It was simple, to the point, and obviously ineffective, as the good professor demonstrated. There are too many extraneous things in Danny's fear to pin down."

Mandy narrowed her eyes. "There is a lot of death involved. That much is painfully clear. But most of the things we know are not about Danny's death. He has an affinity to ghosts, he is worried about the deaths of his nearest and dearest, and he is afraid of 'taking away painful emotions.' There are three conclusions that come to mind. One, he is afraid of his loved ones becoming ghosts. Two, he's afraid of being blamed for said deaths, and three, he might be afraid of a Dementor. 'All those painful emotions go away' when a Dementor Kisses someone. One possible conclusion is that he _is_ responsible for their deaths, and that he will be punished."

The other three stared at her. Terry frowned and shook his head. "Why are you so ready to find fault with Danny?"

Mandy shrugged. "It is merely a logical conclusion, and until we know the facts, all possibilities remain open. No one says that it is most probable, but it is one logical conclusion."

Terry sat back and crossed his arms. "As far as logic goes, it could be a possibility, but without details and intimate knowledge of Danny's issues, all we have are suppositions, and I – for one – am willing to give him the benefit of the doubt."

Michael thought for a moment. "There are facts, there are suggestions, and perhaps we can find entertaining scenarios, no matter how unlikely they are. I think you are missing an important fact: we really don't understand what we saw. Including… wait a minute."

Terry, who wanted to share this information to better understand the atypical Slytherin student, not to condemn him, narrowed his eyes. "What?"

Michael ignored Terry's expression and said, "At the height of his panic, just before Professor Masters stepped in, Danny's eyes glowed green."

Lisa, who was curious about the fellow who was shy at the start of every History of Magic class, decided to pipe back up. "That is something we can't understand. I mean," she drummed her fingers on the armrest of her chair as she thought, "people with hazel eyes sometimes appear to have blue eyes, gray eyes, or green eyes, depending on the light and the clothes they wear. But Danny doesn't have hazel eyes. His eyes are normally robin's egg blue, but this morning they turned…" She looked up, trying to think of something that color.

She winced when she came up with it. Danny was so friendly, if mysterious and aloof, and she didn't want her friends, partners, and classmates to get the wrong idea. Still, it was the only thing she could think of. "Killing Curse green."

The other three nodded. They remembered the demonstration of Professor Moody two years ago. Lisa was right. Danny's eyes turned that same shade of green.

Mandy smirked and crossed her arms. "Another thing that suggests he isn't…"

Terry growled, "Mandy, you're not even using logic, now. It was an _eye color_. Suggesting that the unusual color hints at things that Dark is just as 'logical' as assuming that he's evil because he's a Slytherin."

Mandy blushed. "Perhaps. But we _don't_ know what caused that Boggart manifestation, and it _does_ look Dark."

Lisa rolled her eyes. "If you're finished…" She glared at Terry and Mandy. "Regardless of _why_ he's afraid – oh, and death of loved ones _is_ a logical fear – that color shift of his eyes is not normal. Maybe… it could mean… It's happened before…"

Michael smirked. "Are you planning on sharing with us?"

Lisa shrugged. "Danny may not be completely human. I tried to think of another time when a partial human was a student here. Professor Lupin was a werewolf, Hagrid is part giant, and the Beauxbatons Tri-Wizard champion was part Veela. It doesn't mean that whatever _else_ Danny might be is Dark, but it would explain the eye color change."

Terry perked up. "That is logical and interesting. And it would explain Professor Masters' comment about Danny's empathy for a partial human perspective with an unfair advantage." He beamed at his friends. That comment bothered him since the professor made it. Now, it made so much sense. "Further, it means that Melissa Spradt might not have been so far off when she reported that Danny and Professor Masters' eyes glowed. That rumor lasted for three weeks. But now… we have a few thoughts to get us going.

"Lisa, maybe tomorrow you could look up more information about eye color, human, partial human, and humanoid. Today, let's talk to Anthony before he goes on patrol. He might have some insight, having heard Melissa's report first hand."

Mandy frowned. Even if she was wrong, and there was nothing wrong and Dark about Danny, full human or not, this was an awful lot of prying into the life of a fellow student. "Okay. Let's say that Lisa does that research. Regardless of her findings, I'm curious to know what Anthony and Melissa spoke about. Still, we have to consider: what do we do with this information? Danny is a _student_, not a Flobberworm ready for dissection and examination."

Michael shrugged. "It might give us insight into why he hides his head before history class. And don't forget: 'Wit beyond measure is man's greatest treasure.' Knowledge for its own sake is always interesting. Even if we can't do anything with it, it would solve a great mystery and give us a better appreciation of our mysterious classmate."

Terry grinned. "That's the spirit!" They hopped up and looked around the Ravenclaw Common Room until they found Anthony Goldstein, who was reading by the fire.

"Hi there. Can I help you?" Anthony asked.

Terry, the spokesperson for the group, answered, "We'd like to know more about what Melissa Spradt said about Professor Masters and Danny Fenton."

Anthony frowned. "Why?" The last thing anyone needed was for a fellow prefect to lose credibility, and the unlikely tale she told made students give her a hard time for three weeks.

Terry explained, "Because we actually saw Danny's eyes glow green in class, and we wanted to compare notes."

Anthony studied Terry, and then the others in the group. They looked serious. "Alright. We are expected to meet on this patrol rotation. I'll talk to her and ask when she would be likely to be available for a chat."

All of that was yesterday. Today, Lisa's research on eye color turned up that such a dramatic change in color was not possible in full humans, unless they were able to change their forms at will, like Metamorphmagi. Animagi could change their forms, but not their eye color. None of the partial humans she found could change eye color, but there could be possibilities she hadn't found yet.

Tonight, though, Terry was ready to put his plan to action. After dinner, he would meet Melissa in the library and compare notes.

* * *

In Wednesday morning's Defense Against the Dark Arts, everyone noticed that Danny was all smiles. The trauma he suffered on Monday seemed nonexistent, and only eight students thought they had a clue to what it was all about. Professor Masters brought the topic back to Banshees, and this time, Danny cooperated fully, handing in his paper and participating in class discussion. Whenever Professor Masters called on him, Danny said his piece, but instead of saying 'sir,' Danny said 'uncle.' This delighted the professor, though only Danny and Harry had a clue why that might be.

Vlad called on Danny far more often than normal just so he could hear the boy call him 'Uncle.' Last night's parent/teacher conference caused a breakthrough in their relationship. Today was a very good day.

In Danny's morning meeting with Professor Snape, they discussed psychological tactics and tortures used by Death Eaters. Danny found it both fascinating and horrifying to see how Voldemort found Dark creatures and creatures otherwise discriminated against and used their bitterness and hatred against law and order. Still, even while operating within that framework, Voldemort – or rather, the Death Eaters – would let these creatures know how worthless they were considered except as pawns for the Dark Lord's will.

Danny was thoroughly disgusted, and Professor Snape was privately proud. It was one more proof that despite Daniel's worst fears, the likelihood of the boy's turning Dark was slim to none.

This discussion took half as much time as most of their other conversations. Professor Snape sighed. "Daniel, I have something to give you." Danny's eyes widened in wonder. "In the library, you will find countless books that discuss the legal issues and implications of Wolfsbane Potion. However," the professor opened a drawer in his desk, "this book is the only one that actually has the instructions for how to make it. The Board of Governors fought with Professor Dumbledore on the matter of including something this useful for werewolves in the stacks, and for better or for worse, the Board won this battle."

Danny shuddered. Vlad was right – this anti-werewolf sentiment was truly unfair. "Students aren't supposed to _learn_ how to help werewolves?" Professor Snape watched Danny's fury build. It mirrored the anger of Professor Masters, but he could tell that this righteous indignation came from his own store of emotion, and was not aped from his guardian.

Professor Snape smiled. "The Board of Governors didn't count on the fact that I brew it monthly. I've ordered a new copy for myself from Flourish and Blotts. I would like you to give this copy to Harry to keep, after you finish this midterm project."

Danny smiled back. "Of course, sir. Could I ask you a personal question?"

Professor Snape raised an eyebrow. Danny was full of surprises, and the professor had no idea what to expect. "Please ask."

Danny furrowed his brows. He thought about this since the discussion he had with Harry. "I can tell that your relationship with Harry is changing for the better. This is a good thing. But why now? Harry's a good guy, and he hasn't really changed from the beginning of the year until now, and… I understand the value of second chances. What made you change your mind?"

This was a good question. With a half-smile, Professor Snape said, "Believe it or not, your relationship with your uncle put a few things in perspective for me. Because Harry looks so much like his father, I assumed he was _like_ his father. But more to the point, I reflected on the injustice of the malice Vlad once showed to you. If you didn't have that life-changing accident, he might not have cared about you either way. But because of something you couldn't control and he didn't get what he wanted, he treated you badly.

"And then it dawned on me: I had done no better. All this time, I realized that I berated Harry for his celebrity status as The Boy Who Lived. But when I thought about how wrong it was for Vlad to bully you, I remembered: It wasn't Harry's fault." Professor Snape shuddered. "I guess it took seeing someone else doing what I was doing to realize how wrong it was. I could go on about pots and kettles, but that would be redundant.

"And if Vlad could put aside his differences with your father to appreciate you, well… I should be able to do at least that much."

Danny put a hand on the back of his neck. "So… You changed your mind about Harry because that would have meant that Uncle Vlad was better than you if you didn't?"

Trust a teenager to put your most embarrassing moment succinctly, so artlessly. "Yes. And," his dark eyes twinkled wickedly, "if he's 'an evil Froot-Loop,' and he can figure out how to look past his differences with your father, what would that make me if I couldn't do at least that much for Harry?"

Danny giggled. "I guess it's good for Harry (and you, sir) that Uncle Vlad and I are here." Maybe Clockwork had a handful of reasons for letting time play out this way. Maybe he wasn't the only one learning something from this version of reality.

"I suppose you're right."

* * *

After Danny dropped his morning books back in his dorm, he headed to lunch when he was practically assaulted by an overly excited poltergeist.

"Mr. Fenton! Mr. Fenton!"

Danny rolled his eyes. "What is it, Peeves?"

Peeves trembled as he bobbed in place. "I was fooling around not far from the kitchens…"

"What did you do?"

"Nothing important, I promise! Besides – the elves have a bigger problem!"

Danny threw a hand in the air, and Peeves flinched. "What are you talking about?"

"There's a blue ghost upending the kitchen supplies. Normally, I'd play along, but he… he threw the stuff out of the boxes without even touching them. I can't do that!"

Danny raised an eyebrow. "Levitation or ghostly possession?" Peeves blinked; Danny missed the point. Suddenly, he didn't. "The Box Ghost? _Here?_"

"Not even the Bloody Baron could stop him. But you're…" Peeves looked around. No one else was in the hall. "Danny Phantom!"

Danny sighed. The Box Ghost was the most annoying ghost in creation, but he seems to terrorize even the ghosts here. It would be interesting to face off against some ghost worthy of fighting, but the _one_ ghost from home that figured out where he was just _had_ to be the Box Ghost. Danny put a hand against his forehead. "Oy." Noticing that he was alone in this hall with Peeves, Danny shook his head. "I'll take care of it. Goin' ghost!"

Peeves applauded. Danny sighed again. "Where is he? My ghost sense isn't helpful here, as it can just as easily indicate you, or Professor Binns, as it would a real threat."

"Come with me." As much as the powerful half-ghost made him nervous, Peeves realized that Danny Phantom was annoyed at a ghost here in Hogwarts, and _he_ wasn't the one in trouble. This was exciting! He plunged through the floor to a lower level.

The Box Ghost sent the House Elves into paroxysms of terror. They weren't afraid, _per se_, but they couldn't rescue the food the Box Ghost threw around as fast as he was upending boxes. The Bloody Baron was appalled, but could do nothing. He smiled when his hero arrived.

Danny assessed the situation and mercilessly blasted the Box Ghost with a medium sized blast. "Ow! What was that for?" The Box Ghost indignantly rubbed his smoking posterior.

A grimace of tested patience crossed Danny's lips. "Better question. What are you doing here?"

"Plasmius said we can't bother people in Amity Park, so I found a different natural portal." Eyeing Danny for any silver and green devices, he continued, "You can't confine me within a cylindrical container!"

For once, this was true. Neither Danny nor Vlad had a Thermos.

Danny rolled his eyes. "We may not have brought Thermoses, but… unlike at home, most people here are _not_ afraid of ghosts, and the ghosts here _like_ me. Also…" Danny's bravado stopped short for a minute. "Plasmius is not only here, he's my legal guardian."

The Box Ghost's eyes grew wide. He stuttered, "But… but, I have yet to begin with the corrugated boxes of DOOM!"

Danny raised an eyebrow. "Ya know, you've always been slow on the uptake. I may not have a Thermos, but…" He thought for a moment of Sir Nicholas's gentle admonishment. He sighed, but then crossed his arms. "Don't make me hurt you. Leave the elves, the students, and the staff alone."

The Box Ghost thought about this. If Phantom was right, the local humans were not afraid of ghosts. The creatures he attempted to terrorize were more annoyed than frightened. The local ghosts were on Phantom's side. What was more – Plasmius was here, and Phantom was under his protection. The Box Ghost knew he wasn't the brightest ghost, but even he realized that the odds were seriously stacked against him.

He noticed Danny's relaxed yet dangerous posture and decided that discretion was the better part of valor. "Beware!" he shouted, then flew in the direction of the portal.

The Bloody Baron relaxed. "Thank you, Danny. I can't do the things you do. Any of us could touch… this ghost, but he is so powerful, none of us could stop him. We are fortunate that you are here."

Danny drew a sharp breath. "I'm glad I could help. It's what I do. However, I get the feeling that if I wasn't here, the Box Ghost would never have bothered you."

The Bloody Baron beamed at Danny. Admittedly, he wasn't as good at the expression as Sir Nicholas, but he put in the effort to make it work. "You are too modest, young Phantom. That is one of the many reasons we are so fond of you. Which brings me to my next point. The Ghost Council meets on the 30th of this month. We would be honored if you could once again join us."

"I'll be glad to pop in after my classes with Uncle Vlad, but I have Astronomy at midnight."

"Understood. But I do believe you are scheduled to be in the Great Hall now."

Danny stopped. Lunch! He was so busy with the Box Ghost, he forgot about lunch. "Thanks, Baron."

Danny launched himself through the ceiling and shook his head as he flew to the Great Hall. "At home, the ghosts didn't care what was going on, or how much time their interference cost me. Here, the ghosts seem to have memorized my schedule to help keep me on track. It's just one more reason to love this place." With that, he observed no people in the area, turned human, and proceeded to go to lunch.

* * *

After dinner, Vlad and Danny met at the Room of Requirement. Danny said, "Would it be okay if I set it? The walls looked different when I thought about practicing the Ghostly Wail than they did when Professor Snape had me destroy stuff last week."

It never ceased to amaze Vlad how observant Daniel could be. He smiled indulgently. "Go ahead, Daniel."

When Danny opened the door, the Room of Hidden Things appeared. When Professor Snape was here last Thursday, the walls were of the same stone as the rest of the castle. Now, they seemed to be made of – if not simply covered over with – the pressure-proof material that lined the outside of space shuttles. This room was ready.

Vlad had to think this through. "Daniel, at the lake in August, was that your most powerful Wail? Or was it just a sample?"

Danny put a hand on the back of his neck. "I don't know. I never really thought about it before."

This Ghostly Wail was uncharted territory. The scientist in Vlad bounced in happiness at the newness of what the Wail could mean. However, Danny only saw Vlad's thoughtful mien. Vlad stroked his chin. "Hmm… Have you ever used the Wail and it didn't produce the desired effect?"

Danny squirmed. "Once. I used it to fight a sphinx. But the sphinx was too powerful."

With a calculating look, Vlad said, "Or you were not yet powerful enough. Was there a difference in the force you used against the demonic Christmas trees and the force you used against the sphinx?" While Vlad never heard of a living sphinx, his experience with ghosts told him that truly anything was possible.

Danny frowned. "I think so. I used more force against the trees. I turned human when it was over. When I fought the sphinx, I was surrounded by classmates. I used the Wail, but I couldn't afford to run out of energy and turn human. But I gave it my best shot!"

"I'm sure you did," Vlad soothed. "But the idea is that _you_ control how much force goes into a Wail, just as you do with _every_ power. That is important to recognize. Over time, we are going to see the difference in the effects of the different forces. That is called Modulation.

"For now, though, I want you to give your Wail the same force you did when you fought the sphinx."

"Alright. Stand behind me." Danny closed his eyes, and he remembered the sphinx with Tucker's face. He missed Tucker, but if he learned how to do this right, maybe it could honor Tucker's memory. Danny smiled.

Danny thought of the force of his Ghostly Wail when he fought the sphinx. He took a big breath and began his Wail. Objects cracked, broke, or flattened as the sonic waves swept through the room. The tower of 'stuff' immediately in front of him toppled, as did a few around it and behind it. A sudden prolonged shriek to the halfas' right caught Danny's attention. He stopped, looked nervously at Vlad, and then called, "Who's there?"

The shriek continued, and Danny flew through the stacks to find the source of the sound. Vlad came after him. Senseless child! If something suffered but wasn't silenced by this attack of deadly force, whatever it was could possibly _hurt_ Danny! But no – the boy followed his hero complex, and looked to save whoever it was, with no regards to his own safety.

Danny came to the place of the source of the screams, but he didn't see any creature. He dove into the stuff, looking for a body. Nothing around him had a life form. The scream ceased, and Danny's search picked up a frantic pace. The more Danny searched, the more upset he became. At this point, Vlad helped him look. There continued to be no sound, other than the clatter of their moving items.

After at least ten minutes of fruitless searching, Danny cried, "No!" He drifted to the floor, and then sat with his back against some taller dross. "I'm sorry. I failed you." Morosely, he added, "That's what I've done lately. I fail to save people."

"Daniel! Stop this nonsense. You _didn't_ fail the people in Amity Park. You were overwhelmed and overpowered. And now, we've searched but we haven't found…" Vlad's eyes tracked something oozing not far from where Danny sat. "Stay put."

"But… Uncle Vlad?" The older half-ghost followed the trail of blood back to… a tiara? Blood was flowing from a crack in the largest diamond gracing the headpiece.

"Daniel… If this thing is a source of blood, it occurs to me that it was the source of the scream." Danny was relieved. No one was hurt. "Still, we've come across some pretty bizarre things. Between all the things we've encountered as ghosts, and now in this Wizarding World, this is distinctly _not normal_." Vlad nodded, coming to a decision. "Come, Daniel. We're bringing this to Professor Dumbledore."

Holding the tiara in one hand and Danny's shoulder in the other, Vlad teleported them both to the top of the winding escalator in front of Dumbledore's office. Hearing voices on the other side of the door, Vlad turned the tiara invisible before knocking.

Immediately, the voices stopped. "Come in," Dumbledore called. When the password was given to the gargoyle, a chime sounded so the headmaster knew when someone approached his office. Besides the elves, only three beings in the castle had the ability to bypass the gargoyle and be able to knock on the door, and only two actually _would_.

Vlad opened the door to find that the headmaster was alone. The portraits on the wall were asleep, some of them snoring loudly. Dumbledore smiled as the two half-ghosts entered. "Professor Masters, Mr. Fenton. What brings you here this evening?"

Vlad said, "This." He held up the tiara, making it visible under Professor Dumbledore's gaze. Danny always thought that Vlad had a flare for the dramatic. "We found this during our Powers Training session. I've never heard of an inanimate object bleeding before."

The wizard raised his eyebrows in interest. Tom Riddle's diary bled when Harry pierced it with a basilisk fang. "May I ask where you found it?"

Vlad wrestled internally. Until now, no one but Professor Snape knew where he and Danny had their private classes. This _was_ the headmaster, and he should know what went on where in his school. Even if he didn't know which powers they worked on. Vlad sighed. "The Room of Requirement."

Professor Dumbledore's eyes went wide. "Really? I've only recently become familiar with this room. It sounds fascinating." He brought his attention back to the item Professor Masters came to show him. "You say it bled?"

Danny nodded, and said, "I was practicing…" Vlad cleared his throat. Danny decided not to share _what_ he was practicing quite yet. "When we heard a scream. I looked to see if anyone was hurt. There was no one. Just that. And Uncle Vlad found it because he followed a flow of blood."

The professor nodded. "I've heard of this before. It is _very_ uncommon. May I examine the diadem?" Curious, especially because the professor said this phenomenon of inanimate objects bleeding _happened before_, Vlad handed the professor the diadem.

Dumbledore looked at the cracked diamond, then looked at the base of the headpiece. Almost to himself, he read, "Wit beyond measure is man's greatest treasure." The two confused half-ghosts watched him turn to one of the portraits. "Dilys?" The portrait of an elderly witch with silver ringlets opened her eyes, fully awake and aware. "Will you kindly ask the Grey Lady to come here?"

The witch nodded. "Of course." She promptly walked out of her frame.

Danny looked at Vlad and the headmaster. "Professor? What would make a thing bleed and scream like that?"

Professor Dumbledore looked at him. "I have a few thoughts, but I will need to study it further to be sure. As of late, I have seen or heard of two other items scream and bleed when a particular spell they contained was destroyed. I have a few more things to check, but if I am correct, you will have serendipitously helped to get us one step closer to defeating Voldemort."

"But how?" Danny asked. He knew that there was something he was missing, but Professor Dumbledore seemed to insist on keeping it mysterious. Vlad seemed annoyed by the mystery, too.

Before Professor Dumbledore could respond, the witch returned and sat back in her armchair. Danny and Vlad's ghost senses were alerted before the Grey Lady phased into the room. She glanced curiously at the half-ghosts before turning to the headmaster. "You sent for me, Professor?"

"Yes. Professor Masters and Mr. Fenton appear to have found something that may be of importance to you." At her questioning look, Dumbledore held up the bloody tiara. He waved his wand and muttered _Scourgify_, and it was shiny and clean once more. "I believe you know what this is?"

The Grey Lady's face showed her shock. "My mother's diadem! How did you find it? Where was it?"

Dumbledore folded his hands in front of him on the desk. "It was in the castle. All these years, and no one knew."

The Grey Lady looked at the floor, her face turning silvery opaque in embarrassment. "No, not all these years."

Dumbledore asked gently, "Where did you last see it, Helena?"

Danny shook his head, and Vlad's eyes went wide. Danny said, "Huh?"

Professor Dumbledore explained, "This is the lost diadem of Rowena Ravenclaw. It disappeared over a thousand years ago."

Vlad nodded. He didn't understand everything yet, but the pieces were beginning to fall into place. Danny looked around at everyone. "I still don't get it."

The Grey Lady bowed her head. "For you, Danny Phantom, I will explain everything, despite my underlying shame. In life, I was Helena Ravenclaw. My mother, Rowena, spelled the diadem such that it would bestow wisdom upon the wearer. I stole the diadem to become cleverer and more important than my mother. Even so, my mother never admitted the diadem was gone, but pretended she had it still. She concealed her loss, my dreadful betrayal, even from the other Founders of Hogwarts."

Danny took her right hand in his left and patted it with his right hand. "Lady Helena, I bet your Mom loved you very much. I'm glad she forgave you." Professor Dumbledore raised his eyebrows. Not only did Danny correctly refer to the Grey Lady by title, but _he held her hand_. Not once in his long career at Hogwarts has one of the students been able to comfortably touch a Hogwarts ghost. Then again, he never had a ghost as a functioning student before, either.

She answered, "You are very kind, Danny." She closed her eyes before continuing. "I had run away to… I think they refer to it now as Albania, in my defiance and shame. Then, my mother fell ill – fatally ill. In spite of my perfidy, she was desperate to see me one more time. She sent a man who had long loved me, though I spurned his advances, to find me." Vlad perked up. "She knew that he would not rest until he had done so."

Vlad's mind went into hyper drive. So many people here were passionate and long suffering for love that was unrequited and otherwise spurned. Besides himself, there was Severus Snape, and whomever longed for Lady Helena Ravenclaw. Professor Snape spent time doing something Dark that he's not proud of, before turning himself around. He wondered about the Grey Lady's suitor. "Did he find you?"

She frowned angrily. "Yes, he did." The generally sanguine lady took on an emotion no one in the room had seen on her before. "He tracked me to the forest where I was hiding. When I refused to return with him, he became violent. The Baron was always a hot-tempered man."

Vlad cringed. 'But for the grace of God, go I,' he thought.

"Furious at my refusal, jealous of my freedom, he stabbed me."

Vlad blanched. "No!" he whispered. He would never… Maddie meant too much.

She took a calming, cleansing breath, and she said, "When he saw what he had done, he was overcome with remorse. He took the weapon that had claimed my life, and used it to kill himself. All these years later, he wears his chains as an act of penitence… as he should."

Tears flowed freely from Vlad's eyes. Professor Dumbledore noticed this, but drew no attention to Vlad. Danny thought for a moment. "The Bloody Baron!"

"Yes, Danny. He was my unwanted suitor." Danny hugged her; she really looked like she needed it. Vlad was jealous, but said nothing.

Professor Dumbledore asked, "So how did the diadem get from a forest in Albania back to the castle?"

Still embarrassed, but encouraged by her hero's embrace, she said, "Over fifty years ago, there was a student. I had… no idea. He seemed to… to understand, to sympathize…"

Professor Dumbledore asked pointedly, "Tom Riddle?" She nodded. He muttered, "I'm going to discuss this… tomorrow…" To the Grey Lady, he said, "My lady, now that the diadem has been found, and I suspect it fell into the hands of Tom Riddle, I need to study it, to make sure – among other things – it is safe to use. Should it prove safe to use, what do you think your mother would have wanted done with it?"

The Grey Lady looked shy. "She… would probably want it given to the Head of her House, and made available to any student clever enough to ask about it." Looking at Danny, she continued, "Including students in other Houses." Danny squeezed her with one arm. She smiled at him.

Professor Dumbledore smiled and nodded. "Very good. Thank you all for coming this evening. I believe Professor Masters and Danny have a class. Care for a lemon drop before you go?"

18


	27. Chapter 27

Thank you kindly to all who have read, reviewed, and put this fic (and me as an author) on your alerts and favorite lists. As of this posting there are 104 people who have this fic on their alert list, and 77 people who have it on their favorite list. There are 18 members who put me on their favorite authors list, and 20 members who have put me on your author alert lists. I thank all of you, and give you grape juice and macaroons of your favorite flavor. Happy holidays!

My friend and collaborator Cynthia lent her first and middle name to my Second Year Hufflepuff student, for which I am sincerely thankful. It's all about the love!

If there are any parts and pieces which are familiar, they should be, a little. Slughorn's memory is lifted wholesale from _Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince_, chapters 17 and 23. (I honestly figured that the memory should be transmitted perfectly, and I couldn't think of a better way to do that than to do it the way J.K. Rowling did it.) The destruction of the locket was heavily inspired by _Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows_, chapter 19.

Disclaimer: I do not own _Danny Phantom_, _Harry Potter_, or _A Midsummer Night's Dream_.

Chapter 27

After having Daniel turn in his midterm project and start "A Midsummer Night's Dream," and reviewing basic statistics for their use in following the stock market and insurance purposes, Vlad hugged Danny before dismissing him for the evening. The more time he spent with Daniel, the more Vlad realized he never truly learned to appreciate the boy. Part of the boy's hero complex was built from what he inherited of Jack's exuberance, and Vlad was only beginning to see the merit of this side of him. The kindness and patience the boy had were inherited from Maddie.

Vlad sighed and teleported to his room. He sat disconsolately in thought in a chair by the coffee table when his ghost sense went off. He glared at the door. "Who is it?"

"Sir Nicholas." Vlad decided that if any ghost besides Danny was to interrupt his reflections, he was glad it was this one.

"Come in."

The older ghost said, "Professor Dumbledore suggested you might like some company this evening."

"The Headmaster doesn't miss a beat, does he?" Vlad gestured Sir Nicholas to a seat.

Sir Nicholas drifted over to the chair nearest Vlad's. He couldn't actually sit in it, but he knew it would be disconcerting if he didn't look like he did. He smiled and said, "Very few and far in between. It occurs to me that you could use a cup of tea. If you snap your fingers and concentrate on what you want to eat or drink, the elves will send it up." He grinned. "It is a perk of being a professor."

Vlad was amused at how the House Ghosts stopped needing sustenance or convenience, but were ever mindful of the needs of the living. "Thank you. I think I will." He snapped his fingers and a tea service appeared with a plate of cookies. He hadn't thought of cookies. An elf must have taken the desires of humans into consideration. Vlad might go down and thank them some day. For now, he poured himself a cup and took a sip.

Sir Nicholas waited. Vlad would speak when he was ready.

Vlad closed his eyes, organizing his thoughts. "It is hard for me to fathom how much pain love seems to cause, and the insanity it drives people to." Sir Nicholas nodded encouragingly. "For years I… well, it doesn't matter _what_ I did, but let's just say it wasn't entirely ethical, mostly out of anger, but also, I suppose, to prove myself. If I couldn't have my beloved Maddie, I would have a financial empire." He stared at his cup. "I imagine that my thoughts ran somewhere between, 'If I could financially outperform Jack Fenton, Maddie would realize what a mistake she made in choosing him,' and 'I've managed to acquire just about everything _else_ I wanted, minus my favorite sports team, so the only thing left was seeking out my long lost love.'

"While I'm hardly the first man in the world to turn to illicit means to assuage my jealousy and loneliness, it never would have dawned on me that there were _three_ of us in such close quarters. Apparently, Severus Snape lost his 'beloved Lily' to James Potter, and the Bloody Baron was once not so bloody, but desired the fair hand of Lady Helena, or 'the Grey Lady'."

Vlad took a cookie, but stared ahead, his vision on his thoughts. "This evening, when Lady Helena said that the Baron became violent, and stated that he was always a hot-tempered man, I thought for a moment that she was talking about me." Vlad put the cookie on the saucer and continued, "I've been violent. You know that. But never to Maddie. My plans always involved removing Jack from the picture, sometimes with violence against Daniel, who got in my way, but never did they involve harming Maddie."

Sir Nicholas shook his head. "No, Vlad. You never _intended_ harm against Maddie. But surely, you can see that harming her husband and son would indeed hurt someone as loving as Madeline Fenton, can't you?"

Vlad grabbed the cookie and bit it viciously. "Well, what's Snape's story?"

Sir Nicholas took a moment. Vlad asked about the private details of the life of a professor, and such things were not for public discussion. However, Professor Snape's darker moments were on public record, and perhaps discussing this might soothe the angry young man before him.

"Professor Snape grew up in the same neighborhood as Lily Evans, Harry's mother. They were close for years. James Potter and Sirius Black led a small band of four students. For the most part, they were harmless pranksters, like the Weasley twins. But because of their backgrounds, James and Sirius were particularly vicious when it came to fighting against people practicing the Dark Arts. Severus was naturally gifted with Potions and Dark magic. Because of his fluency with the Dark Arts, among other things, he was their favorite target.

"There is more to the story, but I think the part you are looking for deals with the fact that Severus gravitated to a Darker crowd. As I said before, James and his crew tormented Severus, though he gave as good as he got. But Severus spent time in the company of future Death Eaters, though Lily, his love, was a Muggle-born."

The older ghost sighed. This was not a pleasant story. "During a particularly humiliating prank towards the end of their Fifth Year, James and Sirius… well, what they did isn't worth repeating. But Lily tried to stand up for Severus. In a misplaced moment of bravado, he insulted Lily with a name that shows utter contempt for all witches and wizards Muggle-born. It was at that moment that Lily no longer had use for her erstwhile friend.

"James discovered that being more mature had more of an impact on this particular lady, and he reformed his less than savory behavior. By giving up his bullying ways, he succeeded where Severus failed, and he won the hand of Lily Evans.

"Because of peer pressure, anger at himself, or whatever, Severus became a Death Eater. I couldn't tell you what he did or didn't do, but rest assured it wasn't good. Until… At some point, You-Know-Who decided to target James, Lily, and Harry Potter. James and Lily were Order members of great acclaim, but as specific targets, they were in danger.

"Severus never intended to hurt Lily. As a matter of fact, he tried to save the three of them, for Lily's sake. From that time, Severus has worked for Professor Dumbledore in more ways than one, but the night of October 31, 1981, You-Know-Who killed both of Harry's parents, to the Wizarding World's detriment, and attempted and failed to kill Harry, for which we are grateful.

"Severus lost Lily's love, but when she lost her life, he began a private crusade to stop You-Know-Who."

Vlad frowned in thought as he poured himself another cup of tea. He thought, 'I guess that makes us a lot closer than either of us care to be, hmm? Snape stopped his villainy when his love was killed. I guess,' he interrupted his thoughts as this epiphany came to him. 'Largely, so did I.' Looking up at Sir Nicholas, he said, "I see."

Sir Nicholas looked at Vlad. He could tell that the younger fellow struggled with his conscience. Vlad was a very private person, but once one had a handle on his thought patterns, it wasn't too difficult to telegraph where these thoughts might take him. Sir Nicholas watched and waited.

Vlad sipped his tea with his brow furrowed. "The Bloody Baron took his own life, and serves a penance of sorts by serving as the Slytherin House Ghost, and wears his blood and those… chains as a mark of eternal humiliation. Professor Snape does… whatever it is that he does against Voldemort, and functions as a Head of House, and is a professor who honestly cares about the students who pass through his tutelage. And I…" Vlad sighed. "I have many companies to run that I no longer need to…well, that's not important. I have classes to teach, for now. And I have Daniel to take care of."

Taking another cookie, Vlad said, "I'm not sure it will right all of my wrongs, but I'm pretty sure that some of them will be repaired by doing right by Daniel." Staring off again, he said, "And I suppose that means helping him become the hero he is intent on being rather than using him for my own ends, as I originally intended. Unless, of course, our goals work in concert…" He sighed again, but looked back at Sir Nicholas. "But from now on, Daniel comes first."

The former knight smiled. He wasn't sure what bizarre plans Vlad had on tap, but it sounded like he was putting anything nefarious on a shelf for the nonce. That could only work to the benefit of everyone around him. "It sounds like you've made a wise decision."

They sat in congenial quiet as Vlad enjoyed a few more cookies. Another memory of his meeting with Professor Dumbledore and the Grey Lady came to mind. "Sir Nicholas, who is Tom Riddle?"

Sir Nicholas jerked his head up so fast he had to grab his chin to keep it from flipping up. "I beg your pardon?"

Vlad quirked an eyebrow. "I asked who Tom Riddle is. He managed to get his hands on the Diadem of Ravenclaw, and Professor Dumbledore needs to check to see if it is safe to wear. Who is this fellow, and why is he supposed to pose such a threat?"

Sir Nicholas took a steadying breath, putting one hand over where his heart used to be. "Tom Riddle is the name You-Know-Who was born with. It was also the name of his father, who was a Muggle. Since You-Know-Who has made it one of his life's goals to dominate and destroy all things and people Muggle, he no longer uses this name. Instead, he chooses to use…" He closed his eyes. "Lord Voldemort."

Vlad's eyes widened in understanding. "The dreaded Dark Lord who has no compunctions against capturing, killing, or enslaving innocent people for fun or profit, in Nazi fashion."

The older ghost said, "Yes."

Vlad narrowed his eyes. "It's because of Voldemort and his Death Eaters that Maddie is dead."

"It's because of them that _many_ people are dead," Sir Nicholas pointed out.

"Perhaps I can get more involved in this fight against them."

That was interesting. Vlad was interested in fighting You-Know-Who? If Vlad used his powers and resources to fight Voldemort and the Death Eaters, this could help tremendously. However… "Perhaps you could. But fighting them is not like fighting Pariah Dark. The Ghost King merely sought control. Your comparison of You-Know-Who and his followers to Nazis was a good one. One of the biggest differences is that they use magic."

Vlad looked askance. "So? They use magic. I use my powers. Muggles could use all kinds of weaponry against them, if they knew these people existed. But from what I understand, most wizards would rather stick to their prejudices and biases than actually do anything useful."

Sir Nicholas looked distinctly uncomfortable. Vlad made a lot of sense. "You might share your thoughts on this matter with Professor Dumbledore. You have an excellent mind for strategy, and you could be a tremendous asset in the war against You-Know-Who."

"I'll be sure to do that."

* * *

Thursday morning, after Transfigurations, Mandy headed to the library to work on her homework. She thought about what Terry, Michael, and Lisa said. Apparently, the Hufflepuff prefect explained that Danny's eyes glowed green and Professor Masters' eyes turned red. She wondered if such a color had anything to do with the non-verbal, wandless spell the professor used to kill the Boggart. Between Lisa's research and Terry's interview of Melissa Spradt, the small group was partially frustrated and partially intrigued that their efforts left them with more questions than answers.

Mandy realized that no logical conclusions could be made based on their lack of facts. She understood that Terry and her other close friends wanted to give Danny the benefit of the doubt. He was friendly, if distant. But her friends' easy acceptance of the benign nature of a person who appeared to be Dark tainted their objectivity. Mandy had nothing against Danny, _per se_, but no one could deny the possibility that Danny was Dark. While it was also true that the blind assumption that Slytherins are evil was prejudiced and not necessarily correct, there was serious precedent to establish this concept.

Of course, it was just as ridiculous to assume that Harry Potter was Dark because he spoke Parseltongue, but Harry had proven himself over and over by fighting and defeating Voldemort. Danny was an unknowable mystery.

The facts remained open to interpretation. Danny was a Slytherin, which didn't necessarily make him a bad person, though precedent suggested it was more likely.

Michael was right – there were too many extraneous things in Danny's Boggart manifestation to come to any conclusions. Still, there was a _lot_ of death in Danny's fear. It couldn't be that Danny feared for the deaths of his family and supposedly closest friends, as they were already dead. But he _might_ be afraid if he was responsible. Logic dictated that even if she assumed Danny _was_ responsible for their deaths, she had no right to simply assume that Danny intended that result for his nearest and dearest. It would be a specious, inconclusive deduction and she knew it, regardless of the truth of the matter.

Both Draco Malfoy and Harry Potter have special interest in Danny. People knew Draco's father is an arrested, convicted, and sentenced Death Eater. And Harry, of course, is the Boy-Who-Lived, the Chosen One, and the kick-butt instructor of the DA last year. Maybe they are trying to convince Danny to join either side of the war against Voldemort. (She would never _say_ the name, but it was silly to be so afraid that she couldn't _think_ it.)

No one understood the operation Boggart Masters offered, but it sounded like something that had to do with Dementors. A logical thought progression was: if Danny was responsible for the deaths in his fear, and if he was afraid of the Dementor, then Danny was Dark and feared retribution. It was logical, sure, but there were too many variables to know whether the conclusion was sound, even if the logic was fine.

Ernie Macmillan was already situated at a table in the library. Maybe a discussion with someone who did not seem militantly for or against Danny could help to solidify her own thoughts.

"Hi there, Ernie. Is this seat taken?"

Ernie looked up from his own studies. "Not yet." He smiled. The company of a friendly, pretty girl was not something to object to out of hand. "Is there anything special you wanted to talk about?"

Mandy smiled back. "Yes, actually. You are in Care of Magical Creatures with Terry and Danny, right?"

"Indeed." He had _no_ idea where she was going with this.

"I have a theory I'm working on. You know that Terry met with Melissa yesterday, right?"

He nodded. "Melissa was worried that she would be mocked again, but Terry took her seriously."

Mandy looked at him. "Do you notice anything odd or different about Danny?"

Ernie raised his eyebrows. "Other than his incomprehensible Boggart, the interesting relationship he has with his uncle, his allergies to certain potion ingredients, the fact that a fellow prefect saw his eyes glow green, and the fact that he's more congenial than any other Slytherin I've ever met? Only one thing I can think of. On our first day of classes with Hagrid, a Crup had a weird reaction to him. But we discussed that when Peeves listened to him."

Right. "I remember now. We covered Crups last year. Why did you do them again?"

Ernie shrugged. "Honestly, I don't know. But as I said before, the Crup liked Terry and me. Crups are characteristically friendly with wizards. But it didn't look like it knew what to do with Danny. At first, it looked ready to spring and attack, but then it backed away from him and whimpered. Hagrid apologized, though neither Terry nor I understood _what_ Hagrid was apologizing for."

Mandy tapped her chin. "Last year, we learned that Crups are friendly to wizards and attack Muggles. Danny's a wizard – a Slytherin, for Merlin's sake! – so the reaction might…" She looked Ernie in the eyes. "What would you think if I suggested Danny wasn't entirely human?"

Ernie laughed. "That would mess with the whole pureblood atmosphere of Slytherin." Uh-oh. "Wait. Mandy, how many people know of your theory?"

This quick change in his expression startled her. "So far, just Terry, Michael Corner, Lisa Turpin, you, and me. Why?"

"Don't tell anyone else about it besides a professor. Danny is a Slytherin, but he also happens to be a decent fellow." He looked around and was satisfied that no one else was paying attention to their conversation. He leaned in and lowered his voice. "If any _other_ Slytherins think that Danny is less than fully human, or even less than a pureblood, he might be in danger from his Housemates."

Mandy recoiled as if struck. She was so interested in her theory that Danny might be on the road to becoming a Dark wizard, or was partially a Dark creature, she failed to consider that result. For all of her suppositions and brand of logic, even if she was right, there was no need to expose Danny or his secrets to the rest of his House, especially if they didn't figure it out. He _was_ a student and deserved to be treated as such. If it got out that Danny might not be fully human, he would be a pariah in his House.

"Good thinking. Thank you for sharing your insight."

Ernie smiled. Mandy was logical, but he was glad she listened to his reasoning. Danny was a good sort. He was glad to be somewhat helpful to him. "Mandy, as long as you're here; would you like to discuss what we just covered in Transfigurations?"

* * *

Hermione left Arithmancy to head for the advanced potions lab. She didn't have Potions until much later, but she needed to add the Boomslang skin and see what Ron was up to.

On her way down, she saw the Grey Lady. Since Hermione met Danny Phantom, she was determined to be more polite to all of the ghosts. She noticed the general demeanor of the House Ghosts, even the Bloody Baron, and she made sure to greet them. When others noticed, this garnered odd looks from most students, looks of surprise and satisfaction from the ghosts, looks of understanding from Ron and Harry, and broad smiles from Danny. She wasn't sure what made Danny so happy when she was personable with the ghosts, but she was glad of it.

The Grey Lady smiled contentedly, which was an unusual expression for her. Hermione asked, "Grey Lady, it is good to see you so pleased. May I ask what happened?"

"Ah, Miss Granger. Something important to me has been found. In a week or two, it would serve you well to ask Professor Flitwick about it." The Grey Lady nodded and drifted off.

Hermione stared after her. The Grey Lady was never the most talkative of ghosts, so when she said this much about something this personal, it was a pleasant surprise. The cryptic answer made her curious, and she had in mind to ask Professor Flitwick what was going on sometime next week.

This meeting was still in her mind when she got to the dungeon. A handful of her Potions classmates were in the advanced lab. It was bigger than the Potions classroom, and it had more workstations. Many cauldrons in the middle of the room were bubbling. Some Seventh Years worked quietly at the workstations by the near wall. Ron hadn't gotten there yet, to her complete lack of surprise. What did surprise her, after she checked on the lacewings that brewed separately until the crucial moment before adding the Boomslang skin to the larger portion of the potion, was the animated discussion between Harry and Danny two workstations over.

"_What_ did he say?" Harry asked incredulously.

Danny took a breath. He knew why Harry was not assimilating this well. "Professor Snape explained that this was the only book available in the whole school with the specifics for brewing Wolfsbane Potion, and after we _ace_ this potion, you get to keep the book. It occurs to me (and almost certainly occurred to him) that at some point, you might like to help out your friend Mr. Lupin. Or anyone else you know who might need our potion."

Harry started working it out. "If this is the only copy in the school… then this is Snape's copy! He doesn't want to make it for Remus anymore!" Draco and Ernie looked up and at the source of the shout.

Danny frowned. "I don't think that's it. He told me he was ordering himself another copy. Harry, I think… I think the professor wanted to share this with you – not because he's giving up on Remus, but because he knows this type of thing will be meaningful to you." He put his hand on the back of his neck and lowered his voice. "Based on our conversation we had about this, it looks like Professor Snape is officially extending an olive branch."

Harry was gobsmacked. Professor Snape's behavior toward him in class improved dramatically. Actually, both in and out of class, Professor Snape was treating Harry differently than before. He didn't make horrifically snarky comments on his performance anymore. The fact that he overlooked his (and Draco's) spying excursion on Danny and Professor Masters, and actually listened to his reasoning, and was even _reasonable_ about it surprised him. But all of that meant that Professor Snape was treating him fairly for a change. Well, more than fair. That was how a professor was supposed to treat his students.

The professor was still obnoxious to Ron, so the man hadn't undergone a complete personality overhaul. But he treated Harry well, for a change. It was almost as if… dare he think it? It was almost as if the professor treated Harry like one of the Slytherins. And he could tell it wasn't only because Harry worked with Danny or approached him with Draco (He was thinking of Malfoy as 'Draco' now?) to discuss Danny. Professor Snape called him _Harry_. He was not cruel when he told Harry to look to professors more often.

This, however, was different, even beyond all of that. Lending Danny and him the only book in the school was reasonable, if they were to get their assignment done. It was more than reasonable – it was positively kind. The professor could just as easily told them to make a different potion. (With the potion he threatened Ron with available, Harry knew that Snape was truly nice about letting them keep the potion they chose and helping them out.)

Making a gift of the book that was rare and particularly useful was even further beyond that. Danny was right. This blatant act of kindness made it clear that Professor Snape was definitely interested in a far better relationship. This was…

The last time Harry received a gift so precious was when Sirius gave him his Firebolt. Harry gulped. "I think I may need to speak to Professor Snape later, perhaps tomorrow. For now, let's take a look at what we're dealing with…"

Hermione shook her head. Something very out of the ordinary was happening between Professor Snape and Harry. The professor told Harry as much. Still, she could tell that Harry hadn't told her and Ron everything. But Danny knew. She was somewhere between a little hurt and rather curious what odd connection Harry and Danny were forming. It was a good thing, that much she could tell, but now Harry has gotten a bit more mysterious.

* * *

During the Thursday morning break, Vlad visited Professor Dumbledore. When the wizard noticed no sense of urgency or pain, physical or emotional, coming from his Defense Against the Dark Arts professor, he asked Vlad to take a seat. "Care for a lemon drop?" To his surprise and amusement, Vlad took one. Whatever Professor Masters had in mind would be known soon enough.

Professor Dumbledore asked, "How was your class this morning?"

Vlad thought for a moment. "The Second Year Hufflepuffs were a little worried when I told them our next unit would cover giants. Apparently, my latest predecessor had it in for Hagrid (among a few other people), and Cynthia Gale thought I was going to 'be horrible' about him."

"Yes. Dolores Umbridge left a bad taste in the mouths of many in her tenure here." The twinkle left his eyes for a moment. Vlad noticed that unlike other former professors the Headmaster still liked and cared for, Dolores was not referred to as 'professor.'

"Yes, well… I asked Miss Gale if I had a habit of 'being horrible' to or about the many humanoids or partial humans I've mentioned so far. She smiled reluctantly and admitted I had not. We had a much easier time after that."

Professor Dumbledore smiled. "You seem to have a way with children." Vlad raised an incredulous brow. Dumbledore kept his smile and Vlad shrugged.

"In any event, I intend to take the upper-year classes on a 'field trip,' as it were. We'll talk a bit with Hagrid, and then we'll introduce them to Grawp, with all due respect, of course. If the students understand that giants aren't brainless monsters, but are people with family connections, then they might understand that – violent though they have a history of being – giants could, in theory, be reasoned with." Vlad frowned. "That may not be useful in the heat of a battle, but they can't be at war all the time, either."

Professor Dumbledore beamed with pride. "My dear professor, I do believe you will revolutionize the way wizards deal with the world around them. The perspectives, psychology, and understanding you offer is having an impact on the students."

Vlad sardonically huffed, "Who knew that simply giving students the manifest truth could encourage them to form their own judgments, rather than settle for cultural biases they've been fed for who knows how long?" He crossed his arms.

Professor Dumbledore replied ruefully, "Too true, indeed. I wholeheartedly agree with your plan."

Vlad nodded. "Thank you for that." Because he was the president, CEO, and owner of so many companies, it was a long time since Vlad took direction from a superior. He realized the enormity of the compliment from the headmaster and took pride in it.

As long as he was thanking the Headmaster, he thought now was a capital time to mention last night. Vlad sighed. "Thank you for sending Sir Nicholas to me last night. I sincerely needed to discuss a few things. Thank you for noticing my need."

The professor's eyes twinkled kindly. "I'm glad I could be of service."

"Speaking of being of service… I want to be part of the plan to take down Voldemort."

The wizard raised his eyebrows. "Thank you for telling me. I will see what I can come up with as a plan, but right now, the best thing you can do is keep Danny and yourself safe."

Inwardly, Vlad rolled his eyes. "Professor, why aren't Muggle resources employed in this war effort? There is much that might be done, if other people knew about it."

Professor Dumbledore sighed. "I agree, Vlad. There are many resources overlooked by the Ministry and much of Wizarding Society. The reason Muggles, by and large, are not informed or sought after is the Statute of Secrecy of 1689, written and enacted when wizards internationally withdrew from the Muggle World to escape persecution. While much of Muggle Society has changed, International Wizarding Law has not.

"While I would personally use almost any means to defeat Voldemort, I am bound by Wizarding Law. Even though I am on the Wizengamot (a Supreme Court of sorts, if you will), I cannot change the Ministry's position on anything. If I could, much of the travesty which was last school year would have been avoided."

A wry smile came to Dumbledore's lips as he looked Vlad in the eyes. "The reason you and Danny are invited to visit the Wizarding World is two-fold. One – as you know – is to keep you safe from Voldemort and his Death Eaters' machinations. The second is that even though you are Muggles, you are ghosts. Ghosts are beings that are part of the Wizarding World, so even if the Ministry discovered your secret (which it won't, if I have anything to say about it), it would leave you alone."

Vlad smirked. "Huh. Daniel was right. At home, if our secret was known, we would be reviled for being ghosts. (Daniel's ghost identity actually is.) And here, that very fact seems to be one of the few factors protecting us from being Obliviated for our troubles." Vlad decided to ignore the fact that their hybrid status could cause suspicion and trouble for Daniel and himself.

"Danny is very perceptive. From what I have seen and heard of your young charge, he is a treasure." Dumbledore grinned. "Much more so than many parents might say about their own children."

Smiling back, Vlad announced, "I know."

* * *

During the afternoon break, Harry spent time in the Common Room fingering the book Danny gave him on behalf of Professor Snape. This book, all by itself, symbolized a major change. From the day Professor Snape met his gaze at the Welcoming Feast in Harry's First Year, the professor showed him nothing but loathing. Since a week before Snape called him into his office, he stopped being obnoxious, sniping at every last mistake or slight, real or imaginary. Then, that meeting that was very surreal… Professor Snape allowed Harry to rant without penalty, and when the emotion was too much, Professor Snape _hugged_ him, attempting to comfort him. Then he started _giving_ him points. He was becoming reasonable, fair, and kind. Thinking about this gave Harry a headache.

The professor said that he was jealous of a relationship… it was obvious, now, that he was jealous of Professor Masters and Danny. Professor Masters hated Danny's father, so it seemed, but wanted to love his mother, and still wanted Danny. Kind of. (The way Danny described it, the relationship was strained, but after yesterday, with Danny calling Professor Masters 'uncle,' and the professor's obsessive calling on Danny ((apparently, he liked the sound of Danny calling him 'uncle')), there was no question it was getting better.)

Professor Snape let Harry know, in no uncertain terms, that he hated Harry's father. And he wanted to love Harry's mother (which kind of freaked Harry out). Harry saw for himself why that relationship never came to pass. But the professor's relationship to Harry changed, as he promised it would. Just being nice was a major change. Giving Harry this book that held the instructions to help make a potion for Remus, whom Professor Snape made it for faithfully despite his feelings for the man, was a very valuable gift, indeed.

Professor Snape wanted the type of relationship Professor Masters had with Danny. Receiving this book as a gift was a symbol of that. Harry could see that now. But was that new relationship something Harry wanted?

He sat puzzling over this when Colin Creevey bolted through the portrait hole into the Common Room breathlessly. "Harry Potter! Hey there! Alright there, Harry?"

Harry forced himself not to roll his eyes. Excitable fans… If Danny Phantom could be pleasant, Harry could at least try. "Hi, Colin. What can I do for you?"

Colin beamed. "Professor Dumbledore wanted me to give this to you!"

Harry had to smile. "Thanks, Colin."

"Any time, Harry! But I have to get back to a study session in the library. See you later, alright?"

"Alright, Colin. Good luck with your studies." Harry wondered how wrong it was to think of Colin's reactions and compare them with Pigwidgeon's. Colin, very pleased that Harry smiled at him, hurried back out of the Common Room and back to his study session.

Alone again, Harry opened the missive from Professor Dumbledore. He wants to meet again tonight!

In Potions, all students were expected to attend to whatever details their midterm projects required. Harry and Danny might need to be excused from certain classes to attend to their potion, as the other students would be. The other professors were used to this, as Professor Snape did this regularly for his midterm projects for both his Sixth and Seventh Year NEWT classes. (Professor Masters was surprised to hear of it, but he could understand the necessity. In Chemistry, certain things had to be timed appropriately. Not least of which, the accident that rendered him half-ghost and gave him Ecto-Acne involved him being at the wrong place at the wrong time, with at least one seriously wrong ingredient.)

As Harry and Danny sorted, chopped, sliced, and diced, Harry noticed that Professor Snape gave up all pretense of being mean to him. Whenever he met the professor's gaze, there was no longer a harsh sneer or a cold glower. It was a look of curiosity and vague longing.

It was odd… No adult ever longed for his company, especially on a permanent basis, before, besides Sirius. Remus was a great fellow, but he never reached out to Harry beyond a teaching capacity or a friend otherwise. It was great to see him whenever they met, that went without saying. But for someone to actively want him for his permanent company was a new thought.

He shook his head, as if to clear the dottle. He could worry about that later. Now he had to focus on the potion he and Danny were working on.

After dinner, Harry and Danny met unexpectedly by the foot of a staircase. Danny smiled. "Hey there, Harry! Where are you off to?"

"I'm headed to see Professor Dumbledore. We have a special class this evening." Danny nodded. Professor Dumbledore kept many secrets. Danny wondered what business he had with Harry. "And where are you going?"

Danny raised an eyebrow for a second and then shrugged. "The Room of Requirement. That's why I asked you to show it to me – Uncle Vlad and I have our extra Defense Against the Dark Arts sessions there."

Harry cringed. "Of course. How could I forget?" When they reached the third floor, one of the staircases moved. "I guess we part ways here. Have a good night, Danny. I'll see you tomorrow."

"Good night, Harry. Good luck in your special session."

Danny made Harry think. In theory, Harry had lots of friends, like Neville, Luna, Ginny, and other people he's spent time with, but the people he considered special and close were Ron, Hermione, and Danny. He wasn't sure how Danny made it to the short list, as he's only known him for such a short time. Ron was his best mate, his first friend (besides Hagrid), and sometimes they needed to work at it harder than other times, but they always figured themselves out. Hermione was always thoughtful, and she always meant well, but some of her ideas got in the way of her understanding him.

Danny was different. He was one of the few people who didn't judge Harry. He took him for who he was. Danny wasn't jealous of him, and didn't try to make him do what he'd rather not. And Danny was one of the few people who seemed to truly understand where he was coming from. They looked alike, the whole "guardian situation" was similar, and they both loved flying.

Harry wasn't sure what it was, or why it was, but the more he thought about the two of them, the more he saw they had in common. These thoughts were on his mind when he got to the stone gargoyle. "Fizzing Whizbees," he said before it sprang aside and he rode the spiral staircase.

Harry knocked, curious about what would have Professor Dumbledore call him back so soon. He was greeted with a very bright, "Come in!" and was offered a seat and a lemon drop.

Professor Dumbledore's eyes twinkled, but it was obvious to Harry that the headmaster was dealing with several moods at once. "Dear Harry, I promised to tell you everything, and I mean to. Yesterday, a gift was given to me, and you need to know what is going on." Looking around, Harry saw the ring, the locket, and a tiara on a table with spindly legs and a marble tabletop. The professor drew his attention back to the Pensieve on his desk.

"Before I brought you to the Burrow this summer, we stopped at the residence of Horace Slughorn. He was Professor Snape's predecessor as both Potions Master and Head of Slytherin."

Harry's eyes grew wide. "But he seemed a lot nicer!" He clapped a hand over his mouth once he realized what he said.

Professor Dumbledore smiled in amusement. "Indeed. For the most part, life was very kind to Professor Slughorn. Sometimes, how people are treated at impressionable times in life gets reflected in how they treat others. Sometimes, a person can rise above his circumstances and be kind regardless of how they were treated." Was Professor Dumbledore talking about this Slughorn character, or Professor Snape? Or him? This only firmed Harry's resolve to talk to Professor Snape tomorrow. He wasn't sure what they would say, but he _was_ sure that something needed to be said.

"Come. We need to explore Professor Slughorn's memory." Harry fell through the silvery surface.

_Slughorn pulled himself out of his armchair and carried his empty glass over to his desk as the boys gathered around him filed out. Teenaged Voldemort, however, stayed behind. Harry could tell he had dawdled deliberately, wanting to be last in the room with Slughorn._

"_Look sharp, Tom," said Slughorn, turning around and finding him still present. "You don't want to be caught out of bed out of hours, and you are a prefect…"_

"_Sir, I wanted to ask something."_

"_Ask away, m'boy, ask away…"_

"_Sir, I wondered what you know about…about Horcruxes?"_

_Slughorn stared at him, his thick fingers absentmindedly caressing the stem of his wine glass._

"_Project for Defense Against the Dark Arts?"_

But Harry could tell that Slughorn knew perfectly well that this was not schoolwork.

"_Not exactly, sir," said Riddle. "I came across the term while reading and I didn't fully understand it."_

"_No…well… you'd be hard-pushed to find a book at Hogwarts that'll give you details on Horcruxes, Tom, that's very Dark stuff, very Dark indeed," said Slughorn._

"_But you obviously know all about them, sir? I mean, a wizard like you – sorry, I mean, if you can't tell me, obviously – I just knew if anyone could tell me, you could – so I just thought I'd ask…"_

It was very well done, thought Harry, the hesitancy, the casual tone, the careful flattery, none of it overdone. He, Harry had had too much experience of trying to wheedle information out of reluctant people not to recognize a master at work. He could tell that Riddle wanted the information very, very much; perhaps had been working toward this moment for weeks.

"_Well," said Slughorn, not looking at Riddle, but fiddling with the ribbon on top of his box of crystalized pineapple, "well, it can't hurt to give you an overview, of course. Just so that you understand the term. A Horcrux is the word used for an object in which a person has concealed part of their soul."_

"_I don't quite understand how that works, though, sir," said Riddle._

His voice was carefully controlled, but Harry could sense his excitement.

"_Well, you split your soul, you see," said Slughorn, "and hide part of it in an object outside the body. Then, even if one's body is attacked or destroyed, one cannot die, for part of the soul remains earthbound and undamaged. But of course, existence in such a form…"_

Slughorn's face crumpled, and Harry found himself remembering words he had heard nearly two years before: **"I was ripped from my body, I was less than spirit, less than the meanest ghost… but still, I was alive."**

"…_few would want it, Tom, very few. Death would be preferable."_

_But Riddle's hunger was now apparent; his expression was greedy, he could no longer hide his longing._

"_How do you split your soul?"_

"_Well," said Slughorn uncomfortably, "you must understand that the soul is supposed to remain intact and whole. Splitting it is an act of violation, it is against nature."_

"_But how do you do it?"_

"_By an act of evil – the supreme act of evil. By committing murder. Killing rips the soul apart. The wizard intent upon creating a Horcrux would use the damage to his advantage: He would encase the torn portion…"_

"_Encase? But how…"_

"_There is a spell, do not ask me, I don't know!" said Slughorn, shaking his head like an old elephant bothered by mosquitoes. "Do I look as though I have tried it – do I look like a killer?"_

"_No, sir, of course not," said Riddle quickly. "I'm sorry… I didn't mean to offend…"_

_ "Not at all, not at all, not offended," said Slughorn gruffly. "It's natural to feel some curiosity about these things… Wizards of a certain caliber have always been drawn to that aspect of magic…"_

_ "Yes, sir," said Riddle. "What I don't understand, though – just out of curiosity – I mean, would one Horcrux be much use? Can you only split your soul once? Wouldn't it be better, make you stronger, to have your soul in more pieces, I mean for instance, isn't seven the most powerfully magical number, wouldn't seven - ?"_

_ "Merlin's beard, Tom!" yelped Slughorn. "Seven! Isn't it bad enough to think of killing one person? And in any case… bad enough to divide the soul… but to rip it into seven pieces…"_

Slughorn looked deeply troubled now: He was gazing at Riddle as though he had never seen him plainly before, and Harry could tell that he was regretting entering into the conversation at all.

_"Of course," he muttered, "this is all hypothetical, what we're discussing, isn't it? All academic…"_

_ "Yes, sir, of course," said Riddle quickly._

_ "But all the same, Tom… keep it quiet, what I've told – that's to say, what we've discussed. People wouldn't like to think we've been chatting about Horcruxes. It's a banned subject at Hogwarts, you know…Dumbledore's particularly fierce about it…"_

_ "I won't say a word, sir," said Riddle, and he left, but not before Harry had glimpsed his face, which was full of that same wild happiness it had worn when he had first found out he was a wizard, the sort of happiness that did not enhance his handsome features, but made them, somehow, less human…_

"Thank you, Harry," said Dumbledore quietly. "Let us go…"

When Harry landed back on the office floor, Dumbledore was already sitting down behind his desk. Harry sat too, and looked up at the professor. "So Voldemort split his soul into _seven_ pieces and put six of them in different Horcruxes?"

Very tiredly, Professor Dumbledore answered, "So it would seem. That is what he intended." In a much more chipper tone, he said, "But many of them have been found, and at least half of them have been destroyed."

This was certainly good news. "So what were they?"

"Since he took the deepest pride in being a wizard, and was particularly taken by the legends of the Hogwarts' Founders, he sought things from the possessions of the Founders, when he could find them. Others were things that made him proud of his Wizarding heritage."

Harry nodded and waited. Dumbledore took Harry to the spindly table and pointed out each item. "Of the items from the Founders, he took Slytherin's locket, Ravenclaw's diadem, and a goblet belonging to Hufflepuff. The only known artifact to have belonged to Gryffindor is the fabulous sword you used to slay the basilisk your Second Year, and the closest contact Tom had with it was your Second Year."

"But he didn't touch it!"

"Precisely." Professor Dumbledore smiled. "Which brings me to the other… three. There was his diary, which he spelled to be magical when he was only sixteen, a ring with a stone that was a different family heirloom, and his snake, Nagini." Inwardly, the professor sighed. 'There is no way that he's ready to hear that I believe that Harry himself is the final Horcrux. But one thing at a time.'

Harry looked at the items on the table again, and said, "I destroyed the diary with a basilisk fang."

The professor smiled broadly. "And a magnificent job you did, at that! Then there is the ring with the stone…"

"From the Peverell family! Marvolo Gaunt shared that information with Ogden."

"Right you are again." Almost distracted, he said, "Before the end of spring term, remind me of the name Peverell. I believe you and I are overdue for a trip to Godric's Hollow."

Harry goggled. "Isn't that where my parents were…" His words caught in his throat.

The professor nodded. "That is the place of many things which I believe will be meaningful for you."

For Harry, this was almost too much emotion. Professor Snape mentioned wanting to be his guardian, giving him an aspect of life he never had actualized: being wanted by an adult. And now, Professor Dumbledore offered to take him to Godric's Hollow, to perhaps visit his parents' graves, and something else of importance. His eyes were glassy with unshed tears of joy.

Professor Dumbledore slipped out from behind his desk and gave Harry a hug. He loved this boy so much! And he did not know of the intentions of his Potions Master to become Harry's guardian, if Harry chose it. As of last summer, Dumbledore knew how unloved Harry was by the Dursleys and hoped to do something useful by the time the blood wards fell on Harry's 17th birthday.

When Harry stopped trembling, Professor Dumbledore released him, smiling. "And now, back to Horcruxes. You destroyed the diary. I destroyed the ring. (The desire to wear it while the stone was whole was very great, but as I knew it was an item born from great evil, I managed to overcome it. Just barely.)

"And last night's gift… You know that Professor Masters and Danny Fenton have extra lessons in Defense Against the Dark Arts, correct?"

Harry said, "Danny told me. I showed him the Room of Requirement so they could use it for their classes."

Dumbledore's eyes twinkled brightly. "I'm very glad you did. There are any number of reasons to be proud of you for this, but the one I'll mention now is that during last night's lesson, they came upon this." He picked up the Diadem of Ravenclaw and handed it to Harry. The largest stone in the tiara was split. "I'm not sure what they practiced, as Professor Masters is a very private man and keeps his own counsel. But it was a destructive… spell, because Danny said they heard a scream and saw it bleed."

"Like the diary did!"

"Exactly."

"Then that's half of the Horcruxes destroyed. So what about the locket?" Harry got excited – Voldemort was three Horcruxes away from being mortal again! Then he thought about it. "Sir, we found this locket at Sirius's house. It wouldn't open, no matter how much force we used."

Professor Dumbledore raised his eyebrows. He just realized something. He crossed the room and took the Sword of Gryffindor from the wall. "Harry, the locket once belonged to Salazar Slytherin. What does Voldemort have in common with his ancestor?"

The Chamber of Secrets came into Harry's head. "Parseltongue!" Dumbledore smiled. He cleared the other items off of the marble tabletop.

Harry closed his eyes. He would open it, that was certain. But he needed to mentally prepare. The last time Harry encountered Tom Riddle's disembodied soul, it almost killed him. There was the Sword of Gryffindor, and this time Dumbledore was with him.

He opened his eyes, took a breath, and decided he was as ready as he would ever be. "One. Two. Three. _Open._" The last word came as a hiss and a snarl, and the golden doors of the locket swung open wide with a little click. Behind each of the glass panels blinked what appeared to be a living eye.

"Stab it, Harry," Dumbledore murmured.

A voice in clear, cold English called out, "We meet again, Harry Potter. And this time, I have seen your heart, and it is mine."

"Harry, now!" The professor urged.

His instincts told him that Professor Dumbledore was right, but something captivated him. The voice called, "I have seen your dreams, and know all you desire and dread. Always unloved, worshipped from afar, but no one close ever dares. You are dangerous, and death follows wherever you go."

"Harry, it is nothing. Stab it!"

Out of the eyes bloomed two grotesque bubbles that eventually formed into two images: Aunt Petunia and Professor Snape.

"No, Harry…"

The mockery of Aunt Petunia sneered. "What have we always told you? You are an unlovable _freak_, and that's all you will ever be. No one wants you, certainly not me or your uncle."

"I know you never wanted me!" Harry shouted back.

Professor Snape's shade now said, "That's all you will ever be, Potter. A celebrity glory-hound that no one can care for. No one will listen to. No one will ever break through your arrogance and see that you are little more than a pathetic brat."

"No…" Harry whispered.

"You know it. Your friends know it. You are careless with the sacrifice your mother made to protect your life and you willfully risk the lives of those around you. You would never be worthy of anything but scorn and being the tool that you are."

Dumbledore gasped. Harry gripped the sword. "That's not true!" He plunged the sword into the glass of the locket, not once but twice. The locket screamed and smoked as the piece of soul left it. Once it was shattered, Harry dropped the sword and fell to his knees, sobbing loudly.

"Oh, Harry…" Albus dropped to his knees and hugged Harry. "I hope you realize these are meaningless words, and that Voldemort is playing to your worst fears," he said, as he held the broken boy. They remained this way on the floor for several minutes, as Harry continued to cry and be held by his professor.

When Harry calmed down, he looked up at Dumbledore. "At first, I didn't care what Aunt Petunia had to say. I always knew the Dursleys hated me. But Professor Snape… we've been getting along much better since the beginning of October. We…" He remembered that Professor Snape wanted this to stay private, for now. "Let's just say it hurt a lot worse than such a thing ever would have before."

Professor Dumbledore could barely believe his ears. He knew that Severus Snape was a damaged soul, and that he went without love from his father, and was sorely hurt by Lily's death. He understood – but didn't condone – Severus's harsh treatment of Harry; he knew of the depths of pain that caused this course of action. But he also knew of Severus's promise to keep Lily's son safe, even if Severus made Dumbledore swear an oath of secrecy.

Now it seems that Severus and Harry were beginning to reconcile with one another. This could only be for the good. However, if they were truly reconciled, Albus could not – in good, or any other conscience – send Severus back to Voldemort to spy. It would be a valuable loss, but it might be well worth it. He would need to speak to his Potion Master soon.

"Harry, I don't know what is going on with you and Professor Snape, but it sounds like something good is happening. But you need to know that you _are_ loved. You have not been told this anywhere near enough, but it is better now than never. _I_ love you. Your friends love you. And it is clear to anyone who knows you how much you love your friends and anyone you attach yourself to in return. You need to know this. You… need to know how much you are loved."

Harry shifted his legs so that he sat on the floor. This is the first time he could remember anyone telling him that they loved him. He drew his knees up and hugged them. This seemed to be a whole new universe of emotion. Further, for the first time, he didn't feel he was alone. He didn't have to do things by himself. He still wanted to protect people, no question. And the prophecy _did_ say that in the end, it would be him against Voldemort. But now, he could take strength and comfort in knowing there were people who cared. And he felt almost worthy of that… love.

"Thank you, sir."

Professor Dumbledore smiled at Harry again. "Thank _you_, Harry. Because of you, four of the Horcruxes have been completely destroyed. There are two more left. In a week or so, I'll show you a memory of Hufflepuff's goblet, and we shall see about finding it soon. And then there's Nagini… but I think we've had enough excitement for one evening."

Harry and Professor Dumbledore got to their feet. Dumbledore hugged Harry again. "Have a good night, Harry."

22


	28. Chapter 28

Thank you once again to all of my readers, reviewers, and folks who put this fic (and/or me as an author) on their favorite and alert lists. This month, I offer you bonfire-roasted hotdogs and marshmallows.

Disclaimer: I do not own either _Danny Phantom_ or _Harry Potter_.

Chapter 28

After Danny finished his homework and played a game of chess with Draco (Danny was really getting good at this!), Danny headed up to his bed and drew his curtains for privacy. He lit a ball of ectoplasm and made it stay above his head. It was Thursday, and he wanted to have a letter to send to Valerie before Vlad went to London on Saturday.

Morph curled into his lap as he pulled a college-lined spiral notebook from his book bag, balancing it on his legs drawn up. Using a ball-point pen (quills were cool, but besides the one the Weasley twins sent him, all the other quills needed ink pots, and Danny didn't want to deal with that just now), he started to write.

_October 17, 1996_

_Dear Valerie,_

_ I'm sorry it's been so long before I sent my first letter. It's taken a while for me to settle in, get used to the new school, get used to living with Vlad, get used to living in a different country. So what is going on over there? Who is left out of all the people we knew together? What is it like now?_

_ My new school is very different. They think of electronics as a distraction, so there is little to no technology to speak of. (It's Tucker's worst nightmare, minus the desert island and… he told me not to tell about the other thing.) After class, Vlad tutors me in English and math. He says it is practically poetic to study Shakespeare together in the country where he wrote. Maybe over the summer, we'll visit the Globe Theatre, where he performed. (Well – not really, but it was rebuilt to look like the original.) And for the first time ever, I think I'm getting a hold of math. Vlad's a __really__ good teacher._

_ It's kind of weird. I'm starting to think of him like an uncle now. Vlad Masters as my uncle! Who would have thought? Not me, but life happens._

_ I really miss my parents and Jazz, and Sam and Tucker. I'm kind of learning to cope. One of the teachers I'm closer to (we call them 'professors,' here) calls some of what I'm feeling 'survivor's guilt.' At least, I don't blame myself for not being able to stop the terrorists anymore. You were __so__ lucky to not be at work on July 20!_

_ I miss you. We had kumquats with lunch last week and I thought of you. Also, I've had a few lessons in Defense. You are still way better at it than most people I know, but my friend Harry might be able to give you a run for your money. To be fair, though, I never met anyone who was a 9__th__ degree black belt besides you and my mom. Not even Harry._

_ Have a happy Halloween, and I hope to hear from you soon._

_Sincerely,_

_Danny_

Danny looked over the letter. He managed to say just about everything he wanted to say without giving anything away. He was proud of himself. His penmanship wasn't bad, either. Tomorrow, he would have to ask Vlad for an envelope.

* * *

Friday morning, Vlad addressed his Sixth Year class. "Today, we are starting our unit on giants."

"Maybe we can bother Hagrid. Rita Skeeter let everyone know he was a half-giant during the Tri-Wizard Tournament," Pansy muttered.

Vlad was about to snarl about disrespect, but decided this was a teachable moment. "Exactly right, Miss Parkinson. Next week on Wednesday, we are taking a field trip of sorts. We _will_ be visiting Hagrid, asking a few questions about his mother and half-brother. It will be most enlightening. Then we shall meet said half-brother. His name is Grawp."

The class gasped collectively. Vlad raised an eyebrow. "Is there a problem?"

Harry raised his hand. "There's no problem, sir. I just…"

"Speak for yourself, Potter!" cried Blaise. "He's a giant. Don't you know how dangerous they can be?" Most of the class nodded in agreement.

Vlad smirked nastily. "Of course I do. And that is why you'll all be on your best behavior, and you'll treat him with respect. Hagrid's taught his brother English, so you will keep your tongues civil. It wouldn't do to have an enraged giant, hmm?"

With a raised eyebrow, he looked pointedly at Draco. "Oh, and Mr. Malfoy? Don't try to pull that nonsense you did in your Third Year with the hippogriff. Your father isn't available to fix a trial over the supposed misbehavior of a magical being."

Draco turned bright pink at this comment. "Understood, sir."

"Now, what was it you had in mind, Mr. Potter?"

Harry colored a little. "Ron, Hermione, and I met Grawp last year."

Vlad raised both eyebrows. "Interesting. And?"

"He can be very protective of people he's taken a shine to."

"Thank you kindly, Mr. Potter. Five points to your House. This is important to know. All of my Fifth, Sixth, and Seventh Year classes will have a chance to meet Grawp in turn."

Ernie scratched his head. "But Professor, surely we're not all going at the same time!"

Vlad sighed. "No, Mr. Macmillan. Grawp isn't a museum piece to be gawked at. Each of these six classes – the four Fifth Year classes, this class, and the Seventh Years, will meet him during a regularly scheduled Defense Against the Dark Arts class period." Vlad smiled. "Further, those of you in Advanced Potions need not worry. I'm not sure how it's been arranged, but at this time next Wednesday, you will all be able to leave off your Potions midterm projects to go on this field trip."

The faces of any students looking to get out of the meeting next Wednesday fell. Vlad's satisfaction was evident.

Draco, who was still smarting over the last comment, asked, "Why is this so important to you, Professor Masters?"

Vlad stopped for a moment. It was a good question. "Because while giants are not exactly human, they are sentient and can be reasoned with. Their sense of reasoning doesn't match with human logic, unlike most of the 'Dark creatures' we've covered thus far, but they are far from brainless monsters.

"I understand that Voldemort used them in the last war. While knowing such things won't help in the middle of a battle, it does help to realize that, though not precisely human, giants are still _people_ with families."

Draco huffed. "And what's that supposed to do but turn us soft against them?"

Vlad frowned. "Perhaps it will teach you to defend yourself if necessary, and realize that incapacitation would be better than killing one. Or, do you truly fancy a blood feud with such a person?" Draco paled. "Death happens in war. But if it is at all possible (which it might not be, but nonetheless…), it is always better to understand who you are dealing with."

Looking around the classroom, Vlad realized that he had the full attention of the class. Now he was ready to continue.

* * *

In History of Magic, Danny was the last one to class. 'This could be a problem.'

"Good afternoon, Danny," Terry called.

"Hi there, Terry." He started to put his head down.

Lisa asked, "What do you think of your uncle's trip to visit Grawp?"

Danny raised his head. "It sounds like a cool idea. Harry and his best friends already met him, and they seem to get along. Uncle Vlad said they don't have a human-type sentience. I wonder how that works, because Hagrid is just fine." Danny mentally kicked himself. He got himself involved in an animated discussion and wouldn't be able to…

His ghost sense went off. The four Ravenclaws stared at the blue mist escaping from Danny's lips in wonder. "Oh, crud!" he muttered.

Professor Binns entered the room through the chalkboard. "Good afternoon." He noticed the mortified look on his hero's face. "Is there something wrong, Mr. Fenton?"

"Uh…" Danny wasn't sure how to respond.

Michael, glad their plan turned up something interesting and unexpected, said, "I don't know that anything's wrong, Professor. Danny, what was that?"

For as long as he's been a ghost, Danny realized this was the first time someone not in the know paid attention enough to ask. "I, uh…" He would have to come up with something. He wanted to say that the temperature in the room lowered when their ghostly professor entered the classroom, but his brain and his mouth refused to connect.

Mandy studied him. "That happens in _every_ History of Magic class, doesn't it? That's why you hide your head, right?"

Pained, Danny realized these four students caught on to his secret. Before he opened his mouth, Lisa said, "Listen. We saw your eyes turn green in Defense Against the Dark Arts during the Boggart lesson. We've pieced together that you're not entirely human." Danny's eyes wildly darted between all four students. "But we've also figured out that you need to keep your secret. Between the four of us, Ernie Macmillan, and Melissa Spradt, your secret – and we think Professor Masters' secret, too – is safe with us."

Danny groaned and dropped his head. Great. They knew. Well, they almost knew. They knew he was only half-human. They didn't know his other half was ghost. That would work for now. Even if it didn't, he had no choice in the matter. Looking up, he said, "Thanks, guys. That means more to me than you can know."

Professor Binns cleared his throat. "If you have finished interrogating Mr. Fenton, perhaps we can continue…"

Danny whispered, "Thanks."

The professor nodded. "And just in case you get too curious, I would suggest that you _don't_ look into Danny's non-human half, as it might affect his safety. It is an issue the Headmaster and a few professors are aware of, and even _knowing_ more might lead to a breach in security."

The Ravenclaws sat in wide-eyed amazement. The idea of knowing what else Danny is might be a security risk was not something familiar in any sense of the word.

Mandy needed to know, though. "Fair enough. We won't ask what that other half is." Terry, Lisa, and Michael nodded in agreement, and Terry planned to tell the Hufflepuffs in on their theory not to look into it. "But I want to know – is that other half Dark?"

Danny sucked in a breath. His future evil self was possible only because of his choices. His dark side revealed by Freakshow… he was being controlled. Danny answered honestly. "No. It's not inherently Dark. But like anyone else making decisions in life, the potential is there. But no – I'm no Darker than anyone else in this room."

Professor Binns crossed his arms. "I should say not! After some of what you've done, I would think that becoming Dark is impossible for you!"

Danny blushed. "Thanks for the vote of confidence, Professor. I'll do my very best to keep to that expectation. I've made some promises to that effect."

Danny's classmates sat in disbelief. Professor Binns knew Danny's secret, and apparently he also knew of Danny's mysterious past. "But now, let's cover some history, shall we?"

* * *

Potions class was largely uneventful. Danny and Harry had a lot to add with temperature adjustments. Wolfsbane Potion was particularly tricky and it had to be made just so, or it would be poisonous to the werewolf it was supposed to help. Danny measured the aconite very carefully, sprinkling it as the directions dictated while Harry stirred counterclockwise seven times, then clockwise once, and the process was repeated.

Once the aconite was finished being mixed in, the stirring needed to continue. While Harry was busy, Danny looked to Professor Snape. He watched the professor and Harry. It looked like something beautiful and new was about to take place, and Danny was hopeful. Harry looked increasingly nervous as the period wore on, and Professor Snape informed them that their potion was the perfect color.

Danny was as proud of the potion as he was of the two former antagonists in their fledgling relationship. He wasn't sure why, but he kind of felt responsible – they were thinking of looking for a similar relationship to Vlad and himself, and he hoped it worked out.

At the end of class, Danny hung back for a little longer as the class filed out. "You can do this, Harry," he said, patting him on the back before he too left the classroom. Ron and Hermione looked up as they waited for Harry.

Harry closed his eyes and summoned as much of his Gryffindor courage as he could muster and then approached the Potions Master. "Professor?"

Professor Snape looked at him, a little surprised. "What is it, Harry?"

"Can we meet after dinner tonight? I … wanted to talk about something." He licked his lips. Man, this was hard.

Earlier this month, Harry said he would get back to him about the forgiveness and the guardianship. Maybe that was the upcoming conversation unnerving the usually stoic Harry. "After dinner is fine. I will be in my office," Professor Snape said softly.

"Thank you, sir."

At dinner, Hermione asked, "Harry, what was that about?"

Harry answered, "I need to see Professor Snape. We need to talk about a few things."

Ron jerked his head up. "What things?"

Playing with his food with his fork, Harry sighed. "I'd prefer to discuss it after my conversation with him. Then I'll tell you all about it." He looked across the Great Hall and caught Danny's eye. Harry nodded, and Danny smiled and flashed him a 'thumbs-up' sign.

Hermione followed Harry's gaze. "But Danny knows what this is about."

"Yeah."

Ron glowered. "I get that Danny's not a git, yeah? But why can you tell him stuff that _really_ seems important that you can't share with your best mates of over five years?" Hermione winced at Ron's tone, but agreed with him.

Harry ate quietly as he thought of his response. "You guys _are_ my best mates. That's not a question. But Danny has a different perspective than you, and it helps me sort a few things out."

Ron narrowed his eyes. "What? Because he's a Slytherin?"

Harry said gently, "Yeah. That, and he's also an orphan with a weird relationship with his uncle." Ron turned very red in embarrassment and Hermione gasped. "And he has a different perspective on Professor Snape, and he has some useful advice on that front."

Hermione started tearing. "I'm sorry, Harry! I didn't think…"

"Don't worry about it."

Ron gulped. "Yeah, Harry. I'm sorry, too. It's just… we're worried for you. Snape is still a git, but he's being nicer to you. I guess that counts for something."

Harry gave a small smile. "Yeah. Oddly enough, Danny is really the only one I know who has been through similar stuff as I have, and Professor Snape is the one to help him out of it."

Ron and Hermione looked at him. Hermione asked, "Will you explain it after your discussion?"

Harry thought for a moment. "Probably."

* * *

Harry and Danny met again in the Main Hall. "Good luck, Harry."

"Thanks. I'll need it." The dark-haired Gryffindor came to Professor Snape's office, took a breath, and knocked.

"Come in, Harry."

He steeled himself and entered, and took the seat the professor offered him. They sat in silence for a few minutes. Harry thought about this one last time, nodded to himself, and said, "I thought about what we discussed, and I talked to Danny. If I have the right of it, you want a guardian/ward relationship with me just like Professor Masters and Danny."

The professor nodded. "Yes."

Harry raised his eyes. "Why?"

Professor Snape looked down at his desk for a moment to gather his thoughts. Why, indeed? This was a major change from everything the boy had ever known. And, of course, it would obliterate any remnants of their former relationship. It was a perfectly valid question. The answer, while at once simple, would not be easy to give. But Harry deserved no less.

Taking a deep breath, Professor Snape locked eyes with Harry. "Your father and his crew tormented me within an inch of my life. Regardless of this, he loved you passionately and desperately, and would have done and did anything for you. Your mother loved dearly when she gave it. And both of them would have wanted you to be loved and happy. But more to the point, you _deserve_ to be happy and… loved." Merlin, this was hard!

"It's no secret that I've willfully been blind to you before, as you look just like your father. I, and almost every other professor here, have, at some point, blurred the line of reality. They forgot that you are not just the Boy Who Lived, but are simply a boy. I've forgotten that you are not your father, for all that you look like him."

Snape studied Harry for a bit. "In some ways, you _are_ like your father." Harry jerked his head up. "Besides looking like James," Harry held his breath. "You are courageous, and you fight for what you feel is right. Unlike your father, you have fought impossible odds with your very existence. Without a shred of decency from any adult you were supposed to be able to rely on, you have managed to discover the difference between right and wrong, very often choosing what you feel is right rather than what would obviously be far easier."

Harry shifted a bit. He _really_ didn't want to hear about being the Boy Who Lived right now. He rather hoped that the professor would simply like him for himself. He closed his eyes to wait for it, whatever was said next.

Professor Snape realized how close he was getting to 'hero' territory, backed off, and switched tactics. The boy needed to know he had self-worth, far beyond the value of his purpose in this war. "Let me come back to Daniel for a moment." Harry opened his eyes in surprise. "What I'm about to say is confidential, so I trust you will keep what I'm about to say to yourself." Harry nodded vigorously, curious.

"For the past five years or so, our relationship has… hardly been worth mentioning. In the short year and a half, or more now, that Professor Masters and Daniel have known each other, Vlad has done things far worse and potentially more damaging physically and emotionally to Daniel than anything I've ever done to you. However, beyond all reason and comprehension, Daniel has chosen to give the professor another chance. What they have is strained, as some things will take far longer to heal than others, but they are working on it. Some day, what they will have between them will be beautiful beyond all reckoning."

Snape took another breath. "While what Professor Masters did was far more damning – really, don't worry about the details. They won't discuss it, and even I know precious little – it was also over a shorter span of time. Because of my blindness, I have hurt you for far longer. It might be beyond reason and rationality to expect it in any way, shape, or form, but nonetheless I request that you forgive me my sins against you, and ask that you give me a second chance."

Harry sucked in a breath. Based on his conversation with Danny, Harry figured that Professor Snape's reasoning might fall along these lines. However, Professor Snape said that he, Harry, deserved to be loved and happy, without mention of the adoration and adulation he received as a hero. (He could only thank the powers that be for this.) This, more than anything else the man said, helped him form his answer.

"I…" Nothing was ever easy, was it? "I forgive you. I guess I want that chance to be… loved as much as you do. I… it's not going to be easy, and like Professor Masters and Danny, it will be strained and it might take a while. There _has_ been a lot of hurt, but if we work at it, I think we can make this go. Especially, you know, because… well, this is the first time anyone has ever told me they wanted me, besides Sirius." Quietly, Harry said, "I'd like that very much."

Professor Snape held Harry's upper arms gently. Harry practically glowed at the loving touch. Harry was right. Neither ever had anything like this type of love before, and it was glorious to think of having, such as it was.

Harry stirred. "Sir? Does that mean you'll take me in when the blood wards fall on Aunt Petunia's house when I turn seventeen?"

A warm smile lit the professor's face. "Indeed. And earlier, if I can manage it. There are all kinds of paperwork to be finished and filed on the matter."

Professor Snape was serious! Before emotion overwhelmed him, Harry said lightly, "So our relationship will more or less be like Professor Masters and Danny, huh? I don't think I'm ready to call you 'Uncle Severus' yet."

The professor looked at Harry, and for the first time, almost appreciated his cheek. "I can't say that I'm ready for that, either. But perhaps we can work toward it."

* * *

When Harry returned to the Common Room, he felt more content than he had in a long while. The last time he felt anything like this was when Sirius invited him to stay with him, before Pettigrew turned tail and fled. He was going to talk to Danny about this later. But now…

"Hi, Harry." Ginny smiled. For the first time this year, she wasn't sitting with Dean in her free time.

"Hi, Ginny."

Ginny smiled. "You look happy."

Harry said, "I think I might be."

Ginny nodded. Something warm in Harry's chest started to purr when she looked at him that way. He couldn't explain it, so he didn't try. But he smiled when Ginny said, "They're waiting for you by the fire, you know."

For a moment, Harry thought of staying right where he was, with Ginny. But Hermione and Ron _were_ waiting for him. "Okay. I'll see you later, then."

"Fair enough." Wow, where had this feeling come from? Harry decided that Professor Snape's comment about him deserving to be happy and loved went straight to his head. He would have to spend time with Ginny later. If Ron didn't kill him first.

But now, he had a discussion about Professor Snape to attend to. Coming to their regular spot by the fire, Harry saw Ron beating Hermione yet again at chess. "Hi there."

"Harry!" Hermione cried. "How did it go?"

Ron added, "It couldn't have gone too badly. I haven't seen you this happy since you came back from a DA meeting."

Harry smiled. Ron and Hermione really did care. He thought they always did, but now Harry felt he was in a better position to appreciate it. "Professor Snape said…" While the sentence he had in mind was easy enough to say, it would not be received well at all. So he tried again. "You know Danny's weird relationship to Professor Masters?"

Ron and Hermione looked at each other. Ron ventured, "Yeah?"

Harry thought about what to say. He had been told a _lot_ in confidence, but he figured there were a couple of things he _could_ say. "Well, they didn't start that way. Professor Masters was a long-time family friend who took Danny in when… you know." They nodded, and Hermione's eyes glistened. "It's also true that Professor Masters didn't get along with Danny's father." Harry decided that the idea of his professor longing for Danny's mother was too weird to mention. "Still, for whatever reason, they found each other when tragedy hit."

Harry closed his eyes. He could do this. Opening his eyes, Harry said, "Following their example, Professor Snape told me that he wants to be my guardian."

Ron and Hermione sat in shocked silence. Professor Snape _was_ a lot nicer to Harry now, but this was a little too much to be believed. Ron squeaked, "He said _what_?"

Harry braced himself. "He apologized _again_ for being horrible to me, and he… asked me to give him a second chance."

Hermione found her tongue. "That's wonderful, Harry!"

Ron glared. "No, it's _not_ 'wonderful.' With all the unfairness and points taken, and humiliation, and stuff, how could you give him one, Harry?"

Harry felt a little angry, but he recognized that Ron's question was a good one. He frowned for a moment, but then he was calm. "Because, Ron, while some people might like me, Professor Snape is the first adult to ever say that he _wanted_ me, besides Sirius."

Noticing that Ron wanted to protest again, Harry plowed ahead. "This might be hard for you to understand. Especially because I don't talk about the Dursleys much – they're not worth talking about, though they _are_ my only living family. And I use that term lightly." Ron snorted. Harry smiled – this had the effect he was going for.

"Ron, you saw what they did to me before Second Year. They've always hated me. While the feeling was mutual, still… it hurts to know that after my parents died that I was never loved."

Hermione jumped, and said, "Oh, Harry!"

Harry gave a small, crooked smile. "While it will probably take a while before either Professor Snape or I think of each other as family, it's kind of nice knowing that someone cares enough to just… I don't know, be there for me. Don't get me wrong, Ron – your mom is one of the best people in the whole world." Ron blushed and beamed. "She always kinda looked after me when she had the chance, and I'll always be grateful for that. But for someone to actually… be there, like a parent, permanently there for me…"

Harry blushed. "It's pathetic, I know, but he really seemed to care. And I really didn't want to say 'no.' I'm… kinda looking forward…" He stared at the fire.

Hermione's tears spilled over, and she grabbed one of Harry's hands. Ron said, "Harry, mate, that's not pathetic at all. That's… weird, 'cause it's still Snape, who is still a snarky git. But if he… is as good as his word and really cares for you that way, then I guess I'm happy for you."

Harry released the breath he didn't realize he was holding. "Thanks. Danny says that if Professor Snape decides to take care of someone, there's no better man for the job. He also said that Professor Snape is as good as his word, as he said he very well knows, but it might take me some seeing to believe it. Apparently, Danny experienced some of this care first hand." The idea that Professor Masters was formerly abusive to Danny might have something to do with Danny's firsthand knowledge of Professor Snape's care. Danny said so, and now Professor Snape confirmed it.

However, this much of the odd relationship appeared to Harry to fall under the category of 'confidential.' But otherwise… Ah, he had it. "Danny and Professor Masters knew what they were about once they first knew each other. Danny even told us when we first met him that Professor Masters was interested in Danny because of what he is. (I'm still not sure what that means, but obviously, they know.)

"Since I came here, Professor Snape has never really met me. We've been in the same place at the same time, but he's never taken the time to get to know _me_. Instead, he reacted as if I was my father, and apparently, they didn't get along when they were students here. But since he called me to his office and let me rant about how badly he's treated me, it's almost like he met me for the first time."

Hermione nodded. Everyone noticed the different way Professor Snape treated Harry. "It sounds like Professor Snape wants to start over again."

Harry shrugged one shoulder. "Yeah. That's what it looks like. And you know? If we end up anything like Professor Masters and Danny are now, that might really be worth it."

Ron thought about this. "It sounds like you'll be happy. But I wonder… If this works, you will be the ward of the Head of Slytherin. What do you think will happen?"

Harry smiled. "I'm not too worried. Draco and I have an understanding of sorts. And he's a prefect. Many Slytherins will follow his lead." The deeper implications of what this could mean just hit him. "Oh!"

Ron was concerned. "What's wrong?"

Harry spluttered for a moment. "I just… but that's… No way!" He refocused on Ron and Hermione. "When I was in his office earlier this month, Professor Snape actually called Voldemort by his name. He's never done that before. I asked him about it, and he said he'd come back to it, but it never came back up in that conversation. If Professor Snape becomes my guardian, he can't…" Harry looked around the Common Room. No one was near by, but he lowered his voice. "He can't work as a spy for the Order anymore. The children of Death Eaters would see us interact and…" Harry sighed sadly.

Hermione squeezed the hand she held. "Harry, if Professor Snape asked you and you accepted this new relationship, you should remember that the professor is an adult. This is _his_ choice, as much as it is yours. And you know… The idea that he would prefer to be your guardian to working as a spy is a major recommendation. Good luck to you." She got up and hugged Harry.

Harry smiled. Professor Snape offered to be his guardian, Danny recommended Snape's care, and his two best friends seemed okay with this. This can only work for the good.

* * *

Professor Snape sat back in a chair in his private rooms, drinking a cup of tea. Harry had agreed to become his ward. A few things flowed through his mind at this new development. While it wasn't part of the first set of thoughts to enter Snape's mind when he thought of becoming Harry's guardian, it dawned on him now: it was the perfect revenge against James and Sirius. The one child they loved more than life itself would now get along with and hopefully learn to love the man they once despised.

The thought was too delicious to pass up. Of course, this also meant that he might have to spend more time socially with Lupin than he might otherwise care to, for Harry's sake. But out of all four Marauders, Lupin was the least objectionable. It was a small enough sacrifice.

Such were his thoughts when his fireplace lit with green fire. Professor Dumbledore greeted him from the fire. "Severus."

"Professor."

"May I step through? I have a few things to discuss."

"Of course, Headmaster." When Professor Dumbledore entered Professor Snape's room, Severus offered him a seat and a cup of tea. Both were accepted.

"Severus, Wednesday evening, the Diadem of Ravenclaw was found."

Professor Snape sat forward in interest. "Was it?"

Professor Dumbledore nodded. "Indeed. It came up in one of the special training sessions I have with Harry." Snape raised an eyebrow. "Once I finish checking it over to see that there are no Dark spells on it, I intend to put it into circulation, as Lady Ravenclaw intended it to be."

"Good to know. And who will it be available to?" It wouldn't surprise Snape if only Ravenclaws could use an artifact that once belonged to Rowena Ravenclaw, herself.

Professor Dumbledore smiled. "Any student clever enough to ask about it. The Grey Lady insisted on this."

Severus finished his tea and poured himself another cup. "While this is good news, and truly fascinating, I'm sure this isn't the whole reason for your visit, Professor."

"Indeed. During that particular training session with Harry, through no fault of his own, it came to my attention that your relationship with him is changing."

This conversation was inevitable, and Snape was glad it came about this way. "It is. After a great deal of consideration, it occurred to me to think over the many times you've told me to pay attention to who Harry really is. I have started to do so."

The older wizard looked at the younger one carefully. "And?"

Severus put his cup on the saucer. "I realize that you were right about him all along. I have apologized to him at least twice and… I have come to realize that we have a lot more in common than I recognized before." Dumbledore nodded knowingly.

"Masters and Daniel have given me a sense of perspective I've never had before. I… I asked Harry to give _me_ a second chance, and to allow me to become his guardian."

Professor Dumbledore's eyebrows shot up. "Severus! Really? That's… remarkable." He sat back, thinking over the words of his Potions Master.

In _voco sotto_, Snape said, "It worked for Vlad. There's no reason it couldn't work for me." He sat quietly for a few minutes, taking up his tea again.

Professor Dumbledore's blue eyes twinkled madly. "This is an interesting development. Of course, this means I can't send you back as a spy to Voldemort. You are needed far more wherever Harry will be."

Severus smiled. "I did realize this. I'm sure that the children of Death Eaters have already seen the change in my behavior to Harry. In for a Knut…"

Dumbledore chuckled. "Alright. And what has young Harry had to say about this?"

Looking down, almost ashamed, Snape responded, "Like young Daniel, Harry was far more kind than I deserve. He agreed." Dumbledore put a hand on Snape's shoulder, which made the younger wizard look up. "He asked if I would take him in when the blood wards fall on Lily's sister's house, and I said I would indeed. Earlier, if I could manage it. There is paperwork to be done…"

Professor Dumbledore beamed. "There have been many occasions where I've been proud of you, Severus, but none quite as much as this moment. I'll see if I can get Arthur Weasley to give me said papers. I realize it's not his division, but this is extraordinary. Anyone within the Ministry would be able to acquire said papers. But once you fill them out…" He chuckled again. "You will be the envy of half of the Wizarding World, and the demon of the rest of it."

Severus rolled his eyes. "And the boy needs someone to remember that he isn't just the Savior of the Wizarding World, but is a valued human being, regardless of the nonsense the media or the Ministry puts out. This is something poor Harry has lacked since he found his way back to the Wizarding World, with the possible exception of his closest friends, most of their families, the werewolf, and the two half-ghosts."

Albus sat quietly, soberly. There was a serious dimension of Harry's wellbeing he missed. "Indeed." Properly chastened by the youngest member of his faculty, Professor Dumbledore said, "I wish you both well on this endeavor. I give you my blessing, and any assistance you require or request."

This was an unexpected boon. "Thank you, Professor. Thank you very kindly."

15


	29. Chapter 29

Welcome back, one and all! With great thanks to all who read, reviewed, and added this fic (and me) to your assorted lists, I offer you cheesecake of your favorite variety.

I wanted to give a small note to the many who expressed concern with Harry and Ginny's budding relationship. This is NOT a romance fic. Between Ron and Hermione and Harry and Ginny, they have merely acknowledged the fact that they are aware of each other and their feelings towards each other, and not much else. Folks who are not fond of these combinations, please be aware that you blessedly won't see too much of them.

Back to more fun facts: this chapter came mainly as a surprise to me. It started because I thought to indulge a whim of my friend and collaborator, Cynthia. As I set the stage, the characters ran away from me, and took off in a direction I didn't expect. Many of the scenes I actually had in mind will have to wait for a later chapter. I hope you like the development, in any event.

From time to time, I get asked about the numbers that show up at the bottom of some chapters. Sometimes, when a chapter gets uploaded, a bug in the program sometimes produces a little visual feedback, i.e. things I didn't write, but managed to make their way onto the screen. (Or, at least it did at the time it showed up in those chapters.) As such, one of the neat features of the feedback is that it often prints the number of pages each chapter has when I type it in MS Word. I don't intend for it to be there, but if it shows up, I see no need to correct it.

Disclaimer: I do not own _Danny Phantom_, _Harry Potter_, or _Midsummer Night's Dream_.

* * *

Chapter 29

After his math lesson on Friday, Danny said, "Uncle Vlad? Can I have an envelope?"

Vlad looked at Danny. "You wrote the letter. Let me… no. You make the Room call one up for you."

Danny blinked. "But…"

"Daniel, we only came up with the idea of your letter writing last week. I can stop off at a stationery store tomorrow. I still need to get a post office box when I get back to London. Also…" Vlad smirked. "I'm curious to see what kind of an envelope the Room would give you."

Danny shrugged, closed his eyes, and an envelope appeared on his desk. It was made of a cream colored parchment. Vlad's eyes twinkled. "Beautiful! It isn't of a standard business variety, but it is perfect for the personal stationery of my son."

Danny jerked his head. "Your what?"

Vlad stopped and thought of his last words. Blast it! He hoped… "My charge. It is perfectly fitting for one who is known to be in my care."

Was Daniel as careless in listening to him as Maddie had been? Over a year ago, during his 'DALV' plot to get Daniel and Maddie, he ordered some of his ghost monstrosities to kill Jack. Maddie overheard, and he clarified that he prepared flapjacks for them. Maddie, his brilliant love, was easily fooled. Daniel, however… He was nowhere near as clever as his mother or sister, but he was usually far more observant than anyone else in his family. Did he catch Vlad's slip of the tongue this time?

Danny eyed him warily. "Your charge or your son?" Baklava! He caught it.

"Well… is there really a difference?"

That gave Danny pause for thought. Was there a practical difference? This was the question of the hour. He furrowed his brows until he came to a decision. "Yes. How I feel about it."

A half a year ago, Vlad had no problem saying, 'Who cares what you think?' But now… He promised to keep it as a dream in his heart until Daniel changed his mind. "And how _do_ you feel about it?"

Danny hadn't really thought about it. The whole 'Uncle Vlad' thing happened because of his attentiveness to Danny's needs. What would make the difference between making this thing with Vlad an uncle/nephew relationship and a father/son relationship? He wasn't certain, but he was pretty sure they weren't at the father/son stage.

"We can work to that, Vlad. But I don't think I'm ready for that yet."

Vlad frowned. Every cell in his body wanted to grab Danny and force him into submission. But that almost made him lose Daniel permanently. He closed his eyes and pinched the bridge of his nose. Daniel might be ready to think of him as a father when Vlad stopped thinking of Daniel as a prized possession and started thinking of him as a sacred personality. Apparently, Vlad wasn't ready for that, either.

He opened his hope-lit eyes and asked the boy, "Maybe someday?"

Danny was discomfited by Vlad's expression. Whatever Vlad was thinking, Danny couldn't handle being his son right now. "Maybe."

Vlad took in Danny's nervous expression. Pushing too hard would push him away, and Vlad couldn't afford that. This vague not-quite-promise for future development would have to do. "Fair enough. Do you have Valerie's address?"

"Yes, but I'll need the ZIP code for Elmerton."

"Not a problem. I'll give it to you when you're ready. Be sure to write 'U.S.A.' on the line after the ZIP code, and _Par Avion_ anywhere on the front of the envelope."

Danny looked puzzled. "_Par Avion_? What's that for?"

Vlad rolled his eyes. "Air Mail, Daniel."

Danny glared. As if he wasn't familiar with every Latin-based word referring to flight! "I _know_ that! But why do we need to say it in French? This is England. Why not write 'Air Mail' in English?"

Covering his eyes with a hand, Vlad said, "Just do it, Daniel." He would explain the concept of _Lingua Franca_ later. However, Daniel's logic wasn't bad…

* * *

"You will walk silently through the halls until we exit the castle," Vlad instructed. "Then you may speak amongst yourselves until we get to Hagrid's home." He eyed the assembled students before him, glaring pointedly at expected troublemakers. "Understood?"

The class responded by nodding at him. Vlad snapped his fingers and led the class down the stairs and towards the exit. Danny felt like he was walking to the electives in elementary school, but Vlad did seem to have control of the class.

Not wanting to draw the wrath of Professor Masters, especially this early on a Wednesday morning that was impossible to get out of, the Sixth Year DADA class obediently followed Vlad. In the Entrance Hall, Peeves took a walking stick and played a tonal percussion on the House hourglasses. Vlad raised an eyebrow and cleared his throat.

Peeves spun in the air to see who made the noise. "Professor Masters!" he squeaked, and flew at top speed into the Great Hall. Danny smirked, but the other students couldn't do anything but wonder. Once they exited the castle, a few students whispered, but no one was courageous enough to ask the professor about the encounter.

Both Ron and Draco fell in line with Danny. "What just happened?" Draco asked.

Danny's smirk turned into a grin. "Uncle Vlad's reputation precedes him. Let's just say it's better for everyone this way."

Terry, Michael, Lisa, Mandy, and Ernie thought hard about this. They knew that Danny – and by extension, Professor Masters – was not entirely human. Still, it wasn't clear whether what frightened Peeves was that non-human quality or their Wizarding ability. Terry thought again over his conversation with the good professor about Danny, and he remembered the mention of the Auror training in the Spirit Division.

Wait. He would ask Professor Flitwick later if partial humans were permitted to become Aurors. Professor Masters went on and on about anti-werewolf legislation, but were other hybrids and half-humans permitted to work in the Ministry?

Professor Binns made his class promise not to figure out what else Danny and Professor Masters were, but Terry didn't think that asking about a potential job in the Ministry was out of bounds. All it would do is possibly clarify _why_ Peeves respected Danny and was terrified by Professor Masters.

Other students were just curious if Professor Masters' harsh dealings with miscreant students were sufficient to scare a poltergeist. Yet others considered that a wizard powerful enough and willing to kill a Boggart the way Professor Masters did might be able to do something painful to Peeves.

Harry told Danny about the time when Professor Lupin used a spell to force the gum Peeves was using to stopper a lock up Peeves' nose. Danny laughed as they came to a clearing near Hagrid's house.

"Pr'fessor Masters! It's good to see ya with this lot."

Vlad smiled. "It's good to see you, too, Hagrid. Thank you for the opportunity to share some knowledge with my upper classes."

"A right pleasant time we've had, too. This is… Harry!"

Harry blushed for being singled out, but smiled. "Hi, Hagrid."

"And it's good ta see ya twice in a day, Danny!"

Danny smiled shyly. "Hey, Hagrid."

Vlad cleared his throat. "Yes, well… Hagrid, why don't you tell us a bit about giants?"

Hagrid nodded. As much as he wanted to meet and greet the students he developed friendships with, this was a class, even though it didn't feel like it. It _was_ a social call, of sorts, but it was to introduce the students to Grawp. However, that would come later.

Hagrid smiled. "One time, there used to be tribes of giants all over the world, hundreds of 'em roamin' free. Ya see, most giants like their space, and are mostly loners, livin' as a couple and a kid or two. But since the Statute of Secrecy, wizards forced most of 'em onto reservations of sorts. It keeps 'em outta sight from Muggles, ya see."

He frowned. "That's no good for 'em. Without space to roam, hunt, and be free, they turned mean, and started killin' each other off. Out of the hundreds o' tribes there used to be, when I visited the last living tribe in Europe last year (north of Poland, mind), there were about 80 of 'em left, besides Grawpy."

Draco asked, "What were you doing in Eastern Europe last year?" Other students fondly remembered Professor Grubbly-Plank's lessons from the beginning of Fifth Year and murmured their curiosity.

"That, Mr. Malfoy, is not the point of today's lesson, now is it?" Vlad asked. Hagrid grunted with a nod of approval. The purpose of his trip was strictly Order business, and most of the students here had no need to know.

Harry flashed Hagrid an encouraging smile. Hagrid winked and continued. "As a rule, giants aren't too keen on humans, particularly wizards. They weren't happy about bein' forced into colonies, and they don't forget a slight. Oddly enough, they _like_ magic, especially when it's not bein' used against them."

Danny had trouble processing this. "Um, Hagrid?"

The big man smiled. "Yes, Danny?"

"If giants don't… like humans, how did your parents…um…"

"Good question, lad. To be honest, I'm not really sure. Me mum left when I was only three, an' me dad didn't talk about 'er much."

Vlad smiled proudly at Danny, but asked, "What else can you tell us about the remaining tribe of giants, Hagrid?"

Hagrid thought for a moment. "They call the chief of their tribe 'Gurg.' The title's usually held by the biggest, ugliest, laziest, an' meanest of the lot. Since they're not built for socializin', they don' understand finer points o' society. Complex and abstract thoughts are beyond 'em. Durin' me visit, I had ta talk slow and simple. Otherwise they mighta killed me out o' frustration."

He sighed. "For the most part, they're not like us. For the most part, humans try to do what's best for the greater good. In the tribe, they only care about what's best for the Gurg." Pausing for a moment, Hagrid stroked his beard and said, "Huh. I didn't think of it 'til now, but it just dawned on me how similar giants usually are to the followers of You-Know-Who. O' course, _he_ would say what they've done is fer the good o' society, but they're no better'n the giants I visited last year."

Most of the students stared in horror, but what Hagrid said made perfect sense. Death Eaters had no problem torturing or killing people with any number of hexes and curses, and the giants had no problem dismembering anyone who crossed them manually. The result was exactly the same: a painful torture and/or death of their victims, mostly for the pleasure of their bloodthirsty leader.

Anthony asked, "Hagrid, what language do they speak?"

Tilting his head to the side, he answered, "That's another good question. Neither me nor Madame Maxime (the Headmistress of Beauxbatons Academy in France, if you remember, who went with me) could figure it out. It weren't English or French, but there were one or two who knew enough to translate for us. It was enough for me ta learn, among other things, that I got a kid half-brother, Grawp. You'll meet him soon.

"When I found him, he wasn't doin' well – he was small, as giants go, and he kept gettin' picked on an' bullied. Family's important, so when I found him and we finished our visit, I brought 'im home. I've bin teachin' him English, an' what it means to be a family. Together, we've done better than he ever had with Mum. At least I had Dad to learn from for a while."

Vlad crossed his arms as he surveyed his class. Some of the students were dazed by the realization that Hagrid had a family; even if they didn't ask too deeply about Fridwulfa or John Hagrid, Rubeus and Grawp were indeed brothers. The students learned that their school's Keeper of the Grounds and Keys and professor in Care of Magical Creatures – and fellow wizard – had a younger brother who was a giant that was picked on and bullied. Further, Hagrid spent time teaching and civilizing this brother, treating Grawp's brutishness as a full-blooded giant as if it were a developmental disability in a human.

While this spoke more of Hagrid's quality of character than anything, it also spoke well of Grawp, if Hagrid was at all successful. Even though Grawp wasn't at all human, hopefully the students realized that Grawp – and by extension, all giants – is a thinking, feeling being who deserves to be thought of as such. Then, and only then, would students be able to appreciate learning of giants' motivations.

Hagrid eyed the class. "Looks like ya got 25 students here. Best not to overwhelm the lad. Perhaps meetin' him five students at a time… Small groups worked with the Fifth Years, too. Five groups of five would work." He furrowed his brows. "I'm not sure he'll remember 'em all, mind, but I think that'd be best."

The students looked at each other and started moving into groups until Hagrid said, "Let's start with what's familiar. It makes 'im more comfortable. Hmm… For this class, the first group should be a few who met him already – he'll know they're safe, and it'll make him look forward to meetin' more people. Let's start with Harry and Hermione, who met him last year, with Ron, Danny, and Neville. While we're visitin' Grawp, you can make the other groups, Professor. Come with me, now."

As Danny followed Hagrid deeper into the Forbidden Forest, he realized how much Hagrid really cared about his brother. From the beginning of this 'field trip' project, Danny didn't really think about how all of this meeting and greeting would affect the giant they were going to be introduced to. But Hagrid didn't think of him that way – Grawp was just his brother, and Hagrid did his best to keep his kid brother safe. Just like Jazz.

Jazz didn't treat Danny like an unlovable freak, like Spectra said. She loved him and tried to protect him. Sometimes the results were annoying, like when she tried to be _too_ helpful with the Thermos, but she truly always meant well. A flush of affection for Hagrid surged through Danny as he realized how similar Hagrid and Jazz were. Well, kind of.

Danny remembered the first time he saw Grawp. Danny explored the Forbidden Forest in July, in preparation to take a guided tour with the Bloody Baron. Sir Nicholas mentioned the giant spiders and centaurs, and Danny decided to see them for himself. But Grawp was more interesting, even than the centaurs, who had their own community.

Grawp was sixteen feet tall, which was not only bigger than Hagrid, it was bigger than Pariah Dark. Still, he watched Hagrid talking to him. Danny drifted closer, and heard him say, "Hey, Grawpy! I missed ya last night. Yesterday, I introduced Danny to Buckbeak and Tenebrus, and I met Harry, Hermione, an' Ron in Diagon Alley. You remember Harry and Hermy, right?"

The giant's eyes lit up. "Hermy! Where Hermy?"

Hagrid smiled. "Aw, you remembered. Hermy's up at the castle now, Grawp."

"Hermy and Harry… at castle?"

"That's right."

Danny listened for a while. It sounded like Hagrid was talking to either a very slow learner or a very young child. Hagrid was patient as he explained things to Grawp. Danny decided to wait to meet him until Hagrid introduced them, but it might be interesting to meet him, either way.

It was clear to Danny that Hagrid took his responsibilities seriously. He loved the animals he cared for. He really liked Danny, Harry and his friends, and he loved his brother. It was beautiful to behold.

On the way, Neville asked, "Hagrid, you said something about Grawp feeling safe. Why wouldn't he feel safe?"

Hagrid sighed. "Well… it's more like if he knows people, he'll be more ready to meet ya. The centaurs told me how he attacked them…"

Hermione huffed and said, "If the centaurs wouldn't have attacked Harry and me, and then shot Grawp, he wouldn't have hurt anyone!" Ron turned pale, and Harry nodded.

Neville asked, "When was that?"

Harry shivered, but Hermione answered. "When Umbridge forced us into the forest after she caught us in her office."

Neville looked down. "Right." It wasn't one of the most fun moments last year.

Danny thought about this. "Draco told me you showed her a weapon. Did you?"

Hermione turned red and spat, "Malfoy _would_ remember that!" Danny flinched. This was one witch he didn't want to cross. She noticed and soothed, "Not your fault, Danny. No, there was no weapon. It was a ruse. I figured that if she took us to the forest, at least one or more of the creatures living here would object to her presence and save us."

Harry said quietly, "You could have been a bit more diplomatic with that." Hermione blanched.

Danny asked, "Did it work?"

Neither Harry nor Hermione wanted to answer the question. Ron, however, had no problem. Still, he stayed quiet. "Yeah. The centaurs weren't happy with her. The way I heard it, the hag said something nasty about half-breeds and they were insulted. They carted her off somewhere, and they only gave her back because Dumbledore asked them to." He grinned conspiratorially. "No one knows what they did to her, but if you cluck your tongue to sound like hoof-beats…"

"Ron!" Hermione glowered, but the effect was ruined when the other boys laughed in response.

Hagrid smiled. "Well, safety is a good thing to have all around. If he's happy, everyone else'll be safe. Here we are."

The small band stopped in a clearing near a tree. Grawp sat on the ground, still taller than everything around him, except that one tree. He waved a sapling he'd uprooted earlier like a baton, mostly out of range of the people who came to see him.

"Mornin', Grawpy! I've brought more visitors to see ya today."

* * *

On their way back to where the rest of the class was waiting, Harry said, "You know, Hagrid, Grawp's much better this year than last year."

Hagrid beamed. "I know. Between just talkin' and takin' care of 'im, he's getting' the idea of family."

Ron asked, "What do you mean?"

Hagrid shook his head. "Don't worry about it. He meant nothin' by it. He was only beginning to adjust."

Harry sighed. Danny looked questioningly at Hermione, who whispered to him and Neville, "When Hagrid came back last year, he was bruised and bloodied. Grawp was not…gentle with his older brother, even as Hagrid protected him from the other giants. The centaurs warned Hagrid of the futility of trying to tame a giant, but Hagrid is a true Gryffindor and insanely persistent." Neville grinned and Danny looked thoughtful.

Neville told Hagrid, "It's good that Grawp remembered Harry and Hermione."

Hagrid joyfully replied, "He's bin lookin' forward to seein' 'em again since the summer. An' now that he's met a good group, I think he'll like meetin' the rest of the class." His face darkened. "I'm not sure of Malfoy, though."

Ron piped up, "Professor Masters is taking care of it. He already warned Malfoy about 'pulling nonsense' like he did in Third Year with Buckbeak. Somehow, crossing Professor Masters is scarier than upsetting Professor Snape, and that's saying something."

Danny chuckled to himself and muttered, "You have no idea…"

Once they got back to Hagrid's hut, the next group went. This time it was Parvati and Padma Patil, Justin Finch-Fletchley, Hannah Abbot, and Anthony Goldstein. Draco waved Danny closer, as the other students sat in the grass with no discernable order. Harry followed Danny, as did the rest of their group. Draco frowned, but between his new understanding with Harry and Professor Masters' ever-watchful eye, Draco said nothing untoward.

"Danny, besides your group which was handpicked by Hagrid, your uncle arranged us so that at least three Houses would be represented in each group"

Ron snorted. Danny said, "I guess that would help to keep people on their best behavior. I mean, if anyone was disrespectful in a small, varied group, it would reflect badly on their House." He shook his head. "Uncle Vlad and his strategies…"

Draco rolled his eyes, but he saw the sense in Danny's words. It was a pain to deal with, as he would rather have given Hagrid a hard time, especially if he was flanked by Crabbe and Goyle, but Masters knew what they were about. Draco's own group did include Crabbe, but Dean, Seamus, and Ernie would be with them. Goyle's own group would have students from all _four_ Houses: Terry, Michael, Susan, and Lavender. Further, his lovely Pansy would visit Grawp with Blaise, Mandy, Lisa, and Zacharias Smith.

Professor Masters seemed to be far more aware of student interactions than most other teachers. Draco wondered whether this was because his nephew was a student, or because he was from America and not as aware of the general House biases of the Hogwarts system. If Draco thought about it, Masters was just as, if not more, fair than McGonagall, although his punishments were far more vindictive and memorable. Because of Masters' exacting nature, he was more fearsome than Professor Moody, who had it in for anyone after Harry. Draco just decided to work his hardest to get on Professor Masters' good side. This would be tricky, but he hoped it would be doable.

Terry and Ernie found Danny and joined the growing group. Terry asked, "So Danny, what did you think?"

Danny took a moment to collect his thoughts. Terry and Ernie were among those who figured out that Danny was not entirely human. They were also in his Care of Magical Creatures class, and the three of them had an interesting bond with Hagrid. Danny focused on the second idea, because that was much more crowd-friendly.

"I say that Hagrid's done a great job with his brother. It probably wasn't easy for Hagrid to get Grawp used to the human way of dealing with people, but he's done it. Mostly." He looked up. "I'm serious, Draco – don't provoke him." Draco raised his eyebrows. Since Professor Masters' warning, he had no intention to. But with Danny's added warning… Danny might take it personally if Draco did. What was it with Danny and these non-humans?

Danny furrowed his brows. "Hagrid said that the reasoning and thought process of giants is different than that of humans. I've wondered about that since Uncle Vlad mentioned it last Friday."

Terry asked, "How do you mean?"

Rubbing the back of his neck, Danny answered, "Well… since I met Hagrid, I've known he was a good guy. He's a patient teacher and a great friend." Harry, Ron, and Hermione smiled broadly. "So when Uncle Vlad first mentioned that giant logic doesn't work the same way, I was curious how this affected Hagrid.

"When we were coming back to the group, it hit me. Ron told me about some of the more interesting creatures Hagrid likes. Acromantulas, hippogriffs, dragons, a Cerberus, something called Blast-Ended Skrewts…"

"Don't remind me," Draco growled.

Danny continued, "It sounds like _that_ is where the giant-like violence comes in. Hagrid's not violent, but he likes big creatures that are. And he has no problem caring for them, any more than if they were as gentle as kittens."

Ron shook his head. "Let me get this straight. You're saying that Hagrid is nutters for dangerous animals because he's half-giant?"

Danny shrugged. "It's possible."

The audience made up of students from all four Houses stopped. No one really thought to figure out _why_ Hagrid felt as he did for the monsters he loved. If Hagrid sublimated his violent tendencies into caring for these animals, but otherwise was as gentle as the kitten Danny mentioned, that took a LOT more self-control than anyone gave Hagrid credit for. Everyone present (even Draco) thought of Hagrid with a bit more respect.

Ernie studied Danny for a moment. "If that's what Hagrid does, what about you?"

Danny whipped his head around. "What about me?"

Terry smacked Ernie in the back of the head. "Nothing, Danny. However, we might ask a question or two in Care of Magical Creatures. All this talk about Hagrid and creatures might make our class a bit more interesting later." He glared at Ernie. Ernie might be a Hufflepuff, but Terry was sure he had more sense than that.

Ernie blushed. "Sorry, Danny."

Danny looked at Terry and Ernie. He had a clue about what Ernie's question might really be. Still, this was getting too close for comfort. He covered his eyes and shook his head.

Draco and Ernie's group was called next. Danny took a moment and walked away from the group. He would have to talk to Hagrid later about this whole half-breed business. Maybe he would have some suggestions about how to deal with the six students who discovered he was not-quite-human. If Vlad found out, Danny decided he just didn't want to know.

In any event, it cheered Danny to know that his new friends were protective of his secrets. Terry smacked Ernie much like Sam might smack Tucker. But Sir Nicholas was right – the students here in Hogwarts were far more observant than anyone in Casper High. Except for Paulina. She was gorgeous, she was shallow, and she figured out that 'the ghost boy shows up wherever you do.' Despite this observation, Paulina was about as bright as Dash. Terry is from a House that is _devoted_ to brilliance and cleverness. How Ernie got involved, he wasn't sure. But Danny could tell he meant well.

Oy. Now what? Danny found Buckbeak's pen, bowed in greeting, and stroked his feathers. He didn't know what to do if his secrets were made public. For now, his plan was to talk to Hagrid. He might need to talk to Professor Snape or even Vlad (which he was dreading) later, but one step at a time.

Hermione asked Terry, "What was Ernie on about?"

He looked at her, Harry, and Ron. Terry needed to say something. "We found out something private about Danny and Professor Masters. Danny wouldn't appreciate us talking about it. Professor Masters would _really_ be unhappy if we discussed it."

Professor Masters' displeasure flipped a switch that even Professor Snape could not. Perhaps it was because the students respected him; Professor Masters was fair to a fault. Maybe it was that Danny would be unhappy if his secrets were known; after all, Danny didn't know that Harry, Ron, Hermione, and Draco knew that he was afraid of turning Dark, and they weren't about to tell Danny's secret.

It was frustrating, because Hermione would _love_ to know more about Danny, but unlike Harry and Draco's discussion of Danny's private moments, a discussion with Terry about him would not accomplish anything for their American friend's benefit and would only be an invasion of his heavily guarded privacy. She sighed and said, "Understood, Terry."

Vlad noticed the contemplative faces of the students who finished visiting with Grawp. This was good – it means they were thinking. He might give them points for that.

This moment out of a classroom setting gave Vlad a chance to watch student interaction in its most pure form (within reason). While they waited for their group to be called, they milled about as they chose. He watched Draco wave over Danny, and the group he was with went with him. The arrogant blond was not happy, but Draco made eye contact with Vlad, and Draco's annoyed look melted into resignation.

Daniel seemed to be the center of attention. Fascinating. At home, he was practically invisible, except for his closest friends. Here… well, he knew that Daniel was charming, but no one warmed up to him in the quasi-romantic teenage fashion. Instead, they looked interested in what he had to say. Mr. Boot and Mr. Macmillan joined the growing group. What could Daniel say that was so captivating? He might ask Daniel later.

Daniel whirled towards Ernie, and Terry smacked the Hufflepuff. This looked interesting. After Hagrid came back to return the current group and Vlad deployed Malfoy's group, Daniel broke away to spend time alone with the hippogriff. Right now, the boy was safe, so there was no need to be concerned, but they would certainly have a conversation about this before their classes this evening. Maybe he would have Daniel meet him for office hours. The afternoon break would serve nicely.

The other students spoke quietly amongst themselves. They seemed to behave. Vlad would get a full report from Hagrid later. So far, his plan looked to be successful.

* * *

Danny came to Care of Magical Creatures with the same enthusiasm as a condemned man headed to his sentence. Terry still glared at Ernie, who was very red, but too proud to apologize again. Hagrid noticed the three ill at ease.

"Boys, what seems to be the problem?"

Danny raised his eyes. With a resigned sigh, he said, "Terry, Ernie, and my History class figured out that I'm not fully human." Both of the other students stared at him with wide eyes. "What? Professor Binns told you that some professors know my secret."

Hagrid flashed a grin. "Well, that was right clever of 'em." Then he frowned. "But yer not ta talk about it. It's Danny's secret."

Ernie was more persistent than Terry expected. "But after meeting Grawp this morning, I had a couple of questions."

Hagrid was annoyed, but looked at Danny. He was the one most affected. Hagrid would take his cue from Danny.

Danny rubbed the back of his neck. "This is the first time anyone's discovered my secret…well, part of it, anyway, without me having my life in immediate danger." 'Well… besides my sister and my best friends,' he thought to himself. And the professors. He wasn't sure where Vlad fit in the scheme of things. He cared about Danny now, but there were times… "This is kinda new ground."

He was a hero, and his professor wouldn't let them dissect him. He could do this. Maybe. "How about this… you can ask what you want, and I'll answer questions that I'm comfortable answering. And I won't answer anything that would be a security risk." He looked to Hagrid.

Hagrid said, "That's fair enough. But ya better tell Pr'fessor Masters about this later. He'll…"

"But Uncle Vlad will kill me!" Unlike anyone else here, he's seen Vlad in a towering rage.

Hagrid put a gentle hand on Danny's shoulder. "I highly doubt that. 'Sides, after they ask their questions, you get to ask as many questions as ya like about how they figured it out. I'm sure yer uncle would be glad to know such things."

Terry and Ernie began to look nervous. This conversation would get back to Professor Masters?

Hagrid asked, "Do ya still want to ask your questions?"

Ernie steeled himself. "Yes. I don't mean to harm you, Danny. But I still want to know a few things." Terry stared. He was never one to shy away from learning something new, especially about the mysterious Slytherin. Still, as curious as he was, he wasn't sure this information was worth Professor Masters' ire.

Terry, worried for Ernie's sense of self-preservation, asked, "Are you sure?"

Ernie rolled his eyes. "Yes, I'm sure. Danny, I thought about what you said about…" He had to word this in a way that wouldn't embarrass Danny in front of Hagrid. "Well… your observation this morning made me think. How does _your_ non-human half affect your human self?"

"Besides the need to keep secrets?" Danny asked darkly. Ernie winced and nodded. "My senses are heightened. I can hear things and see things more sharply than…" Was he really about to say this? What would Jazz say? He swallowed. "An average human. There's more to it than that, but…"

Terry decided that if Ernie could ask a question, so could he. After all, if Professor Masters was going to be notified in any event, it should be worth both of their whiles. "What is that blue mist?" Both Hagrid and Ernie looked curious, as neither had seen this phenomenon.

Danny ran his hands through his hair. "It's my ghost sense. I can tell when," he refused to say _other_, "ghosts are near."

"So that's why…"

"Yes." Danny didn't want more known than he could possibly help. He rubbed his temples. "Is there anything else?"

Ernie shook his head. Terry looked thoughtful. "I've got one more question. Professor Masters said something about you becoming an Auror in the Spirit Division of the Ministry. Is that what you are working to become?"

Danny smiled. This was close to a normal question: what did he want to be when he grew up? "No, although I've gotten good at stopping and capturing renegade ghosts." That's how he got to _be_ a hero. "I _really_ want to become an astronaut."

Hagrid smiled. Danny acquitted himself nicely. "Good job, Danny! But that's enough. Now I'm sure you've got questions."

Terry gulped. He thought of Danny's eyes. Then he realized that Danny was as brave as Harry Potter, the quintessential Gryffindor, for telling them _this_ much, when it was clear how desperately Danny _didn't_ want to talk about his non-human side. If Danny could answer questions like that, surely he could do the same. It was the least he could do.

* * *

Danny knocked on the door. He didn't know who wanted this conversation more.

Vlad said, "Come in, Daniel." Danny sighed and took a seat. Vlad studied him for a moment. Daniel was attentive, expectant. He looked simultaneously as though he wanted to say something and that he would rather not. His boy intrigued him. "I realize this is not our usual time, but I needed to discuss this morning's class with you."

Danny had many thoughts about this morning's class. "I like the idea of the Thank You letter to Hagrid and Grawp. The part where we have to say what we learned is kind of hokey, though. I see your point, but… Is there a way to write it so it doesn't sound cheesy?"

Vlad grinned. "Indeed. Unlike when you were trying to convince people not to join Voldemort, you would have to explain… hmm. Have you never taken a field trip to explore a different culture before?"

Danny gave Vlad a sardonic look. "We went to a museum to study ancient Egypt. Does that sphinx I mentioned ring a bell? A mummy ghost from the exhibit tried (and actually succeeded for a bit) to corrupt Tucker. Hotep-Ra and his staff…" He shivered. "In that one day, all of us got more exposure to ancient Egypt than any archeologist would want to know."

Vlad planted a hand over his face for a moment. "Daniel, I'm referring to a _living_ culture."

"No." After the adventure with the Ghost Catcher the first time Danny and Tucker met Desiree, they were too embarrassed to tell Sam about Tucker's wish and stint with ghost powers. But when Danny used it to separate his two halves, "fun human" and "hero ghost," she decided it was time to look into Native American dream catchers to see if there was any correlation with how or why they worked. (Wait. How come the Ghost Catcher separation didn't turn him evil, but the modified Ghost Gauntlets did? Or did it have more to do with unabated grief and dealing with Vlad? This was _definitely_ a discussion for a different day.)

Still… After Danny looked stuff up online, Sam wanted to visit the nearest Native American reservation. It sounded like a cool idea, until his parents mentioned hunting for ghosts near a sacred burial site. Danny, Sam, and Tucker summarily decided the idea was no longer cool, and visiting the huge meteor crater in Arizona would be just as educational and would not violate the sanctity of the spirit world in someone else's culture. Danny's father was depressed for days, but Maddie distracted him with some other invention they could find parts for in Arizona.

Vlad sighed. He muttered, "You're in eleventh grade, and I can't believe you haven't…" Shaking his head, Vlad said, "Look. In this type of thank you note, you take as much as you remember learning and you show you understood the experience by comparing and contrasting it in some way with your own culture or experience. Done correctly, such a thing could easily be over ten pages long. I only assigned a minimum of two feet."

Vlad sneered, "Let's see if your Housemates can write letters expressing gratitude without mortally offending Hagrid and Grawp." Resting a hand on his chin, he smirked. "Now that I think about it, I'm almost looking forward. I have _such_ plans for a punitive secondary assignment."

Danny recognized that gleam in Vlad's eyes and decided that he _really_ didn't want to know, and he hoped for the sake of his Housemates that he didn't have to find out.

Vlad liked Danny, and even hoped to love him some day, but old thought patterns are hard to change, and the older half-ghost felt an obscene thrill of pleasure seeing Danny shiver with discomfort. But this wasn't his reason for calling Daniel to his office.

"Daniel, after your visit with Grawp, I noticed you were temporarily in a spotlight of sorts, but something happened and you walked away. What happened?"

Danny wasn't sure if he should get angry with Vlad for noticing every last detail or if he should be pleased that Vlad cared. "You were spying on me?"

Vlad smirked again. "Since you've known me, when have I not?" Danny growled, which made the billionaire chuckle. "But more to the point, I did my job supervising the class, making sure no one got too far out of line." His face became grim. "You became agitated, and spent time with that… thing so you could cool down. What happened to get you upset?"

Danny felt trapped. How much did Vlad already know? He pursed his lips as he tried to figure out what to say. Telling Vlad was part of his intention, since he started thinking about it and Hagrid mentioned that he should tell his guardian about their revelation. But Vlad was… back to being Vlad.

He realized there was nothing to gain by dithering, and maybe Vlad could help him deal with it if he explained. Besides, he probably already knew. "Six students figured out that we're only half-human."

Vlad was temporarily speechless. Whatever he expected Daniel to say, that wasn't it. Danny might have laughed at Vlad's expression if he wasn't so worried.

Alright. Who knew, and who did he have to kill to make sure their secret stayed secret? "When did this happen? How did this happen? How much do they know?" Danny hadn't seen Vlad get this mad since Hagrid revealed that _he_ knew they were half-ghosts. The last thing they needed was for the villainous ghost to kill his classmates in a murderous rage. Could Danny talk him down from this?

"First, they don't know what the other half is. Both Professor Binns and Hagrid told them not to try to figure it out for safety reasons." He looked into Vlad's eyes. "_My_ safety." Vlad rolled his eyes.

"Second, they've picked up on clues all year. Well… since the beginning of September. Also…" Danny lowered his voice, knowing that this bit was Danny and Vlad's fault, and not likely to make his guardian happy. "Since our first fight here, when Melissa Spradt saw our eyes in their ghostly colors, some students got curious, not least of all, Melissa."

Vlad drummed his fingers on his desk, internally counting to ten in at least four different languages a few times until he felt the anger starting to dissipate. After all, that fight was his own fault. "Apparently, the students at Hogwarts are more clever than students in Casper High."

Danny shrugged. He knew that already. "Yeah. That, and they are more willing to believe in things that are partially human. It's part of how their world works. At home, it took Walker's massive invasion for most people to realize that ghosts are real."

Damage control. Vlad decided that if he found out who knew and how reliable they were, he might not need to kill anyone. For now. "So which students have made the wonderful discovery that we are only partially human?"

Danny eyed Vlad. He started to calm down, but that never stopped him from trying to kill his father before. "I'm not going to tell you, if you plan on hurting them." It was better to have Vlad angry with _him_ rather than them. While getting beaten up by the older half-ghost wasn't fun, he lived through it, and probably could again, if necessary. He wasn't sure the same could be said for his classmates.

Vlad rolled his eyes. Daniel was playing the hero again. This was something he promised himself to encourage in his charge after he painstakingly expressed his worst fears. "No, Daniel. I don't intend to do anything to them. They are students, and my responsibility to protect." Oh, almond brownies, he as good as promised, despite his better judgment! Now, he'd have to stick to that in order to keep Daniel's trust. He drummed his fingers harder.

Vlad sighed, leaving his fingers alone. "I gather that Miss Spradt is one of the six."

Danny raised his eyebrows. Vlad looked like he was serious about not hurting anyone. "Yeah. There's Melissa, the four Ravenclaw students in my History of Magic class, and Ernie Macmillan."

Vlad smiled. "Hmm… Your friend Mr. Boot had asked about you. He was concerned about you when you had a darker mood swing. He's a good friend to have. If he convinces your history classmates of the logistics in not telling our secret, they are good. Mr. Macmillan likes you, and it would probably be a matter of personal pride as well as House pride to be loyal enough not to tell anyone. Further, both he and Miss Spradt are prefects. I wonder how that plays into this."

Danny looked uncertain. "Yeah, well… Professor Snape says that lots of students are good at 'ferreting out' mysteries. And because we're new and no one knows our background, _we_ are this year's mysteries. Right now, these six have come the closest to figuring out what exactly we are. Everyone in our Defense class saw that you were _part_ of my greatest fear, so it isn't a great leap for them to figure out that we didn't always get along. I'm not sure if anyone's guessed…well, that I'm a Muggle. They have no reason to think that you are. At the very least, no one _at all_ has figured out that Danny _Phantom_ is the same as Danny _Fenton_."

Vlad sighed again. He was used to people simply taking him for what he seemed to be. Now, just because they were new, they were under suspicion for being different, or at least other than how they presented themselves. "Well, thank heavens for small favors. So how is your paper on 'Midsummer Night's Dream' coming?"

Danny smiled. The conversation moved away from the disturbing topics. "I finished the outline. It's hard for me to believe that people like Puck."

An amused grin crossed Vlad's lips. "Oh, what fools these mortals be!"

Danny rolled his eyes. "Yeah, yeah. Not impressed. But I think I've got a handle on the characters."

"We shall see, now won't we? I look forward to reading it later. Friday, right?"

"Yeah."

Vlad nodded. "Very good. Thank you for coming. Now, I do believe you have Astronomy. See you this evening."

* * *

It was late in October, but Draco decided to start thinking about Christmas. He remembered that when he spoke to Danny about the wedding in America, Danny got upset. Regardless of the specific reason, Draco understood that this would be the first year Danny would be without his family, besides his uncle. If he could arrange things, maybe Danny (and Professor Masters) might like to spend Christmas with his family.

This was also going to be the first Christmas without his father. He wanted to curse Harry, but his heart wasn't in it, and his father _was_ a Death Eater. During his prolonged detention with Professor Masters, Draco asked about the Nazis, the ignorance of whom so upset Danny. Draco was beyond horrified to learn of the death of millions of innocents at their hands. Professor Masters explained the concepts of genocide and 'ethnic cleansing,' and this whole 'master race' thing didn't sound different than the pureblood superiority thing.

And yesterday, Hagrid compared the Death Eaters to the giants. The message was further brought home for Draco. This time, he was sure the assigned letter he would write would satisfy Professor Masters. He smiled as he thought about Danny and his letter. Even though the assignment was only two feet, Danny took it as a personal challenge to write at least ten. Professor Masters must have said something…

How had Danny known that the Dark Lord potentially offered Draco a 'chance to redeem his family,' or anything else for that matter? He said that Professor Masters mentioned something about how the Dark Lord might get new followers. How did Professor Masters know these things? Maybe it came from knowing about history. Still, it was unnerving to know that Danny guessed that much about him.

Shaking off his feeling, it was up to him to check with his mother about holiday plans. Let's see…

_Dear Mother,_

_ I hope you are well. Thank you for the last package. My friends and I enjoyed everything you sent. It gives that touch of making here home. I miss that more this year than ever._

_ The Veritaserum I'm brewing with Blaise is coming along nicely. After all the legal niceties have been followed, I wonder if Professor Snape will let us keep any of it to use._

Draco thought, 'Right now, my own relationship with Harry is changing. I wonder what is going on with him and Professor Snape. THAT is one major change, but I don't think I could describe it without going into my own relationship… Harry's going to be the death of me! But Harry's working with Danny. Hmm…'

_ This year, our Defense Against the Dark Arts instructor brought his nephew, who is the newest addition to my year in Slytherin House. He is an interesting person. Even though he's in Slytherin, the professors (besides Professor Snape and his uncle) genuinely like him. You can tell they don't favor him because of his uncle. His own personality inspires loyalty, though he would never think about it if you asked him._

_ Danny Fenton and his uncle, Professor Vlad Masters, are from America. Last summer, Danny became an orphan, and his only living family is his uncle. This will be his first Christmas without his family, and I wanted to know if we could have Danny and his uncle over for at least that part of the holiday. I know we are going to America for the wedding, but since we are only going for the second week of the holidays, I thought it might be good to bring my new friend (and his uncle) home for the holiday._

_ I miss you and I hope to hear from you soon._

_Love always,_

_Draco_

* * *

Friday was a good day. Danny's letter was twelve feet long. (Ha! He knew he could do it!) Hermione's was longer, but that was to be expected. For the first time in History of Magic, he sat up and didn't worry when his ghost sense went off, and after a few expressions of wonderment at it, they were able to go straight to the lesson. The Wolfsbane Potion was doing well, and it should be ready by Halloween.

That reminded him… what is Halloween like, here? It was one thing at home to create a haunted mansion (reminding himself to _never_ make bets he would detest making book on. Dash's underwear still haunted his nightmares, although not often. Anymore…). But 'dressing up like a witch' has a very different meaning, here. He dressed like a wizard every day. He should pay Myrtle a visit after classes with Vlad.

Classes with Vlad were pretty good, too. Since they found the Diadem of Ravenclaw (and no one found the need to explain _why_ it screamed and bled to him or Vlad), there were no further unusual incidents while Danny practiced using his Ghostly Wail. At this point, he could use it for different lengths of time and at different strengths without needing to turn human to recuperate. Vlad wanted to see if he could get a bit more powerful. Maybe some time next week, they would move on to a different power. Vlad had a neat trick that Danny wanted to learn: he could catch Danny's ectoblast, infuse it with his own ecto-energy, and throw it back at Danny (or anywhere else he pleased).

In English, Danny was happy that the essay didn't have to have anywhere as much connectivity as his letter in Defense Against the Dark Arts. It was one page, single-spaced on college ruled lined paper, written with a ballpoint pen. It felt like a normal English essay. The fact that he wrote it for Vlad didn't bother him any more. Mr. Lancer always wanted him to appreciate the literature, using critical thinking. Vlad managed to enforce critical thinking, but the lessons were so personalized that there was no reason Danny couldn't get what Vlad explained.

Danny managed to accomplish whatever Vlad made him do in math, too. It still wasn't his favorite subject, but even then, Vlad managed to make it interesting. One time, Vlad showed Danny the payroll for VladCo. The dollar amounts were in the millions, if not billions. And then, he told Danny to think of the distances between known stars and planets. All of a sudden, the concept of the mathematics involved became relevant. Danny understood the concepts, and now it felt more important. This was the magic of Vlad as an educator.

After Danny came back to the Common Room, he greeted Draco and pals, but headed to his room for an early evening. It didn't happen often, but even on a weekend, a person couldn't be 'on' all the time, either. Sometimes, he actually did have nights when he went to sleep early. Tonight, however, he just needed an excuse to be out of circulation while he paid Myrtle a visit.

He changed into his pajamas before he turned ghost and teleported outside of Myrtle's bathroom and knocked.

She poked her head out the door. "Who is it? Danny!" She hugged him. Danny opened his eyes wide as he returned it.

"Hey there, Myrtle."

Myrtle released him and smoothed out her robes. "It's been a while. What brings you here?" She was bursting with pleasure and she had no concentration to be as formal as she wanted to be.

Danny smiled. It was good to be able to have someone with whom to speak without worrying about secrets being revealed. "I wanted to ask you a question. Afterwards, we can just hang out, if you like."

"Can we play ball again?"

"Sure. But for now, can we go to the Great Hall?" Danny was curious about the nightscape in the Great Hall. Professor Snape mentioned it, and he was too distracted when he came to the last Ghost Council to notice it.

"Absolutely! And there's plenty of room to play, there."

Myrtle was very sweet. Together, they drifted in. There were far fewer candles than there were during mealtime, so it was easier to view the facsimile of the nighttime sky. It was amazing to behold. After an appreciative sigh at the sight above him, Danny floated between the Ravenclaw and Hufflepuff tables. "Myrtle, what is Halloween like here? You know I'm a Muggle. I can tell you what my Halloweens were like before."

"Danny… I was a Muggle-born. Your Halloweens probably weren't too different than mine."

He smirked. "True. But my parents were ghost hunters. It made Trick-or-Treating an adventure for the kids who came to my house." Myrtle giggled. That would have been different. "But before I get into that, what is Halloween like, here?"

Myrtle looked almost as proud as she did when she told the tale of how she died. "Most of the day is a normal class day. But at dinner, it is a real feast. There are streamers everywhere. Hagrid brings in a whole bunch of bats and displays huge pumpkins. Of course, some of them are used by the house-elves to make more pumpkin juice, pies, and all kinds of things. They bring in all kinds of entertainment. One year, a crew of skeletons was invited to juggle and perform acrobatics. A few years ago, the ghosts got together to stage a reenactment of Sir Nicholas's botched beheading."

Danny started. "What?"

Myrtle shrugged. "It happened before the Statute of Secrecy, and the story deals with palace intrigue, and someone got jealous of him, and blamed something or other on him because he was a wizard. They took away his wand and his other weapons, so he had no way to protect himself. Professor Dumbledore calls it 'a cautionary tale,' but I know that Muggles aren't necessarily bad. My family wasn't. I think it's more of… what I used to think of as a 'ghost story'."

It took Danny a bit to center himself. He realized that 'ghost stories' for Muggles outside of Amity Park would be different than his own experiences. Scary stories might have been more interesting if his parents didn't take them as seriously as they did. Danny smiled. He probably had as much experience with ghosts (kind of) as wizards who spent a long time in the Wizarding World.

Still, Danny could appreciate the spooky stories Sam liked and was generally into as a Goth. After all, Sam knew about the Fright Knight and all kinds of other things long before Danny had a clue about the backgrounds of individual ghosts.

Danny laughed. "I think 'ghost stories' meant something different for me growing up than it might have been for you. Whenever my parents heard of a ghost sighting, they would travel far and wide to find the ghost to see if they could capture it and study it. But then again, where I'm from, ghosts do different things than they do here in the Wizarding World."

Myrtle considered this seriously. "If your parents met me, would they try to hurt me?"

Danny thought about this. "No. I don't think so. While it's true that you are made up of ectoplasm like I am in ghost form, you have no physical substance. They might have been able to capture you, but you don't have the capability of being tangible, so they would have had great difficulty doing anything.

"Me, on the other hand… I became their favorite target. Then again, my natural state is tangible. They had lots of tools and weapons to keep a ghost from turning intangible, but that only has real meaning if a ghost can be tangible to start with. I think."

Myrtle stared. "But why would they target _you_? You're a hero!"

Giving a half-smile, Danny said, "My parents considered all ghosts evil. Most of the ghosts who come to Amity Park were, so they had a lot to substantiate that claim. The idea that there could be tangible ghosts who were not 'spectral malefactors' was just not a concept they understood." He thought for a second before continuing. "You know, before the Ghost King incident, I was Public Ghost Enemy Number One for a while. (Between Walker and Plasmius, my reputation was shot.) After returning Amity Park to the Real World, the news said I had a 64 percent approval rating. Or something like that."

She considered Danny gravely for a while. "I guess the fact that they didn't like you but you kept doing the right thing only made you a greater hero."

Danny blushed. "I guess. Here… let's play catch!" Myrtle clapped her hands, and Danny inwardly sighed with relief. He successfully distracted her.


	30. Chapter 30

I want to thank everyone once again for reading and reviewing, and putting this (and me) on your favorites and alert lists. Truly! This week is my brother's birthday (he'll be 22), so I want to give everyone a piece of cake to go with their cookies and chocolate milk.

Many people asked about this, so I figured that it was only fitting to answer the question publicly. Vlad's comment on _Lingua Franca_ stumped lots of readers.

My experience with international travel is that in Europe (and oddly enough, Israel), the general language amongst people who deal with international mail, security, and other such things is French. Why French, of all languages? Perhaps it is a carry-over from a time when all nobility spoke French regardless of their native language, or country of origin. Because of this general leaning towards French, the concept of a universally known international language became known as _Lingua Franca_, or "the French Language."

As an international traveler and businessman, Vlad would know of this. However, in England, it may not be as necessary, because as Danny said, it makes little sense that the people wouldn't be able to figure out a note for 'Air Mail' in English. (And, in business involving the Internet, English is the new _Lingua Franca_.)

This chapter will have major spoilers for "Midsummer Night's Dream." If you haven't read this Shakespearean play, I highly recommend it. (Well… Besides the fact that I'm a general fan of Shakespeare, this play is light and entertaining. I've seen a stage production, and it really is a lot of fun.)

The description Danny gives to the interesting atmospheric conditions is directly inspired by Steven Spielberg's _The Goonies_. (Fun fact – the screenplay based on Spielberg's book was written by Chris Columbus, the fellow who directed the first two _Harry Potter_ movies.) Mikey (the main character) describes interesting October days in a similar fashion. The idea was Spielberg's, but the words in this scene are mine.

Disclaimer: I do not own _Danny Phantom_ or _Harry Potter_. I also don't own _Midsummer Night's Dream_, _The Goonies_, or _Monty Python and the Holy Grail_.

I DO, however, own Danny's essay on _Midsummer Night's Dream_, lock, stock, and barrel – I believe it was last September when I wrote it, and it was one page long on college-rule lined paper, but it was in pencil.

Chapter 30

Vlad came back from London grinning. There were a few deals he negotiated over the phone that would expand the employee base of Axion Labs by 200 percent – the most impressive involved opening a new branch in Minnesota. Production rates would soar exponentially, sales would have an atmospheric rise, and all of it was done legally and legitimately. Daniel was having a positive influence on him, he was sure of it.

He would have to schedule a trip to America to see the new plant and start a positive media campaign for 'Danny Phantom.' The name 'Inviso-Bill' annoyed him worse than it bothered Daniel. More importantly, the negative press started with Vlad so it made sense that Vlad ended it. He might reprise the idea of asking Daniel's advice: he needed to think outside the box on this one. Vlad had some ideas, but if Daniel told him the latest issues he faced with the Guys in White and… If he came at it from Daniel's perspective, he would have a much better idea of how to attack the problem.

He sighed. It was far easier to start a smear campaign than it was to end it, especially when the original essay was so successful. There was no way to put the Jinn back in the bottle. There were several fronts he had to counter that took on lives of their own: the Guys in White, the media in general, Valerie Grey. Vlad ran a hand over his face. He could start the effort, but to countermand everything he'd done would take years, and even then, there was no guarantee for success.

When should he begin? The next scheduled trip to America was November 5. Election Day, of course! It was a Presidential Election year, and the incumbent President ran a much better campaign than his primary opponent. No Senate seats were up in Wisconsin. While that Tuesday sounded good in theory, it would be of no use – it was a school day, and if he had any hope of getting to bed at a decent hour, he would have to use one of his afternoon office hours to go home and vote. Vlad already informed Professor Dumbledore, and they agreed that one hour would be sufficient, even if the lines for the polls were long.

Maybe he could deal with the media that Saturday, November 9. He would find out first hand who won, and he could… he would have to make a day of it. No, he would need time to organize a press conference. These things were far more easily done when you didn't live in a castle with no cell phone reception or use of electronics for miles! Well, he would start the ball rolling on November 9.

For now, it was infinitely easier and more useful to focus on matters far closer to home. All six of his field trips for his upper classes to meet Grawp were great successes. Hagrid reported no unusual incidents requiring disciplinary action, and every student turned in letters of decent length. He hadn't started reading them yet; however, he noted that Daniel took his comment about the properly done letter being over ten pages as a challenge. Daniel handed him a scroll of twelve feet. Vlad was impressed.

Before he settled in for some long (and hopefully amusing, as such an assignment promised to be) reading, Vlad picked up Daniel's short essay on 'Midsummer Night's Dream.' It was only one page. While reading Daniel's papers gave him great insight into how the boy's mind worked, it was always a surprise. The boy had a unique perspective and a wry sense of humor. Vlad wondered if Daniel had fewer distractions at home if he might have pulled better grades for Mr. Lancer's class.

_What a Fool that Fairy Be!_

_ In Shakespeare's __Midsummer Night's Dream__, of all the characters in the love rectangle, Puck is the one who deserves to be blamed. Lysander and Hermia loved each other, even though her father wanted her to marry Demetrius. Demetrius agreed with Hermia's father, and Helena who loved Demetrius was left out. Oberon, king of the fairies, wanted to fix the problem by changing Demetrius's mind, and then everyone would be happy. Puck, Oberon's messenger, is the one who made the foolish mistake._

_ Before Puck's mistake, both Lysander and Demetrius loved the same girl: Hermia. After Puck's mistake, Lysander and Demetrius again loved the same girl. This time, it was Helena. None of the human men involved took what the girls wanted into account. Oberon, the fairy king, is the only one who seemed to care enough to make Hermia happy by having Demetrius leave her alone and Helena happy by having Demetrius fall in love with her. Puck was supposed to be the messenger and agent to make this happen._

_ It's true that Oberon's instructions could have been more clear. He told Puck to put the love potion on the man in the woods in Athenian clothes. Puck dutifully put the love potion on the Athenian man, but the wrong one._

_ Puck took a sadistic pleasure in all the pain he caused. Hermia was upset because neither man loved her anymore. Helena was upset because she was sure that both men mocked her, and she thought her best friend was in on it. Both men were jealous and threatened to kill each other for the love of a girl. If Puck would have waited a few minutes longer before he began, he would have seen his proper target, and everyone would have been spared the emotional pain. Puck thought the pain he caused to the humans involved was amusing. Oberon, his king, was not amused._

_ In the end, Puck fixed his mistake, and no one else was aware that the problem existed. Still, there never would have been a problem if Puck would have done his job properly. He mocked the people he messed up, claiming, "O, what fools these mortals be!" The only fool here was Puck._

Tears rolled down Vlad's cheeks as he read and reread the essay. The simple character review cut to the heart of the matter. 'None of the human men involved took what the girls wanted into account.' Clearly, he was referring to Demetrius and Hermia's father. But it just as easily could have spoken about him.

Maddie was married to Jack Fenton for close to twenty years. She had a very loving husband and two beautiful children. At what point did _Vlad_ ever take what she wanted into account? The very first time he met Daniel (or even saw either Maddie or Jack since the accident), Maddie was more concerned that Jack was left outside than she was of becoming reacquainted. In Colorado, there was no humanity or anything resembling civilization for miles, and rather than accept his amorous passes and the invitation to stay in his hunting chalet, she preferred to 'rough it' in the woods and stay true to her husband. (How said husband managed to stay alive while the competent ghost hunters were in a different state was beyond him.)

Even during the Ghost King crisis, when he stayed with the Fentons while he pursued the Ring of Rage, the Ecto-Skeleton, and Maddie, he only disappointed her by not helping to rescue Jack from the unfinished 'pants.' And while the million dollar bounty on Daniel was not specifically an attempt to get Maddie again, as Sir Nicholas explained, how could he do away with Jack, imprison Daniel, and expect Maddie to not be hurt?

Two men loved the same woman, and like Demetrius, he never, ever took Maddie's feelings, wants, and desires into account. He carefully put Daniel's essay on an end table, and then covered his face with his hands, sobbing.

If only he would have recognized Maddie's great love for Jack, he could have had practically everything he wanted. He could have had easy access to Maddie's shining countenance of love, even if only as a friend. Jack was an idiot, but he had to admit, even if only to himself, that there never existed a truer, more devoted friend. Vlad ignored him for twenty years, openly ridiculed him, insulted his intelligence, and even made passes at his wife. But Jack still treated him like a brother, giving him the perfect, platonic type of love only to be found between David son of Jesse and Jonathan son of Saul – it was epic, worthy of the Bible, and it was freely and unconditionally given to him. And Vlad scorned it as if it was beneath his notice.

And the children! If Vlad would have been a man, would have acknowledged Maddie and her love for Jack, the children would have been regular visitors to his home. He could truly have been a devoted uncle to Jasmine and Daniel. By the time Jasmine spent any time alone with him, she despised him as her brother's arch-enemy. He could have been there. Jasmine would have…

And Daniel! Great sobs wracked his frame. If only Vlad acknowledged Maddie's wishes, he could have been Daniel's mentor from the first moment they met. They would have grown close and closer, as they shared powers, secrets, trust. Love would have been a foregone conclusion. Because of his own stupidity, blindness, and greed, even with the boy in his custody, Daniel did not trust him.

Vlad could have had everything. But because of his decisions, he had nothing. He cried even harder.

* * *

After checking on his potion's progression with Harry, Danny decided to go outside and enjoy the late October afternoon. It was warmer than he expected, for this time and location. The sky was slate gray, and the air was pregnant; it was going to rain later. There was just something about this atmospheric condition in October that put him in the frame of mind that the air itself was expecting something (besides the rain) to happen.

Danny came back from a lovely visit with Hagrid, where they had a long, overdue discussion about hybrids and how they fit in Wizarding society. Hagrid was flattered when Danny compared him to Jazz, and Hagrid hugged him. If it wasn't for his ghost strength, he wasn't sure how his ribs would have come out of this intact, but then again, it wasn't too different than being hugged by his father. They talked about that, too.

Hagrid really _was_ a great friend. As much as Danny liked Harry, Draco, or even Terry, Hagrid was someone who knew just about everything about him and was available for a chat. With a rueful smile as he walked back towards the castle, Danny realized that at home, there _were_ no adults he could talk to who would understand him. He loved his parents, but there was no way he could just talk about his thoughts and worries about being a half-ghost.

Mr. Lancer… Danny wondered what Mr. Lancer would say. He smiled as he imagined it. '_Legend of Sleepy Hollow_! I have a ghost as a student. Who would have thought of it?' There is no question that if he would have told a teacher – which he wouldn't – the only one he would vaguely consider was Mr. Lancer. He wasn't sure why. It wasn't the day to day things, because the teacher favored the 'A-list' crowd. It was… It was…

It was the fact that Mr. Lancer noticed things. Students joined or dropped social groups all the time, though there were a few constants. Mr. Lancer noticed, during that brief week or so that Paulina dated him (although she was being overshadowed by Kitty), Danny's change in social status, temporary though it was. He took the time to tutor him when Danny failed the test on 19th Century poetry. He not only tutored him, _the man drove him home from the video arcade_. This was a man who cared.

And even when Gregor – or Elliot – first came to Amity Park, out of all the teens hanging out at the Nasty Burger, Mr. Lancer introduced the new kid to Danny, Sam, and Tucker. Maybe Mr. Lancer saw something special. Maybe… He sighed. Maybe Danny could have told Mr. Lancer.

Now, Danny had quite a few adults to talk to. Professor Snape specifically told him he was available at any time for any reason. Hagrid was a calming presence and also made himself available. Professor Flitwick and Professor Sprout were nice enough, and they knew him and about him, but they just didn't have that connection. Danny thought he should have introduced himself to Firenze, but he just never made the time to meet him.

In a different time, in a different place, he would have shrugged, dismissing the idea casually, saying, "I'm only fifteen. I don't really care." Somehow, though, as he hid from Voldemort and built his skills so he could fight and help defeat him and his Death Eaters, collecting as many allies as he could seemed a lot more important. Maybe he would visit Firenze tomorrow.

Professor Dumbledore was a mysterious man. He looked and acted like a kindly grandfather, if you passed him. But as a headmaster, he was on top of things far better than Principal Ishiyama ever was. Principal Ishiyama never really seemed to care that personally about certain problems. She was certainly there when they skipped school because of Circus Gothica. (He growled. He stopped the heist, but he still got in trouble! Well… Freakshow controlled him and when he told the crowd to embrace the dark side, letting their 'true selves' be known, Danny made an idiot of himself. It wasn't his fault, really, but how was he going to explain that?) She really didn't seem interested in _why_ they misbehaved, but she only cared that they were properly punished.

Professor Dumbledore wanted to know _everything_. He seemed to know everything, and whatever he didn't already know, he wanted to. True, Danny didn't see a lot of the Headmaster, but the professor understood that he was in the middle of a war, and the students in his care could just as easily choose either side. Still… As good as a man as he was, and however powerful a wizard as he was, he was a very busy man. Harry had special classes with him, but… Danny got the feeling that not everybody could get that close to him unless he felt they needed to be. Danny shrugged.

And then there was Vlad. A week ago yesterday, Vlad called him 'son.' He's wanted to do that since the day he met Danny. Based on how their relationship seemed to be, Danny decided then that he wasn't ready for the emotional commitment of being Vlad's son. Still… The last few conversations he had with Vlad and thoughts he had about him filled his head as he got to the Great Hall for dinner.

Danny glanced at the Head table to look for Vlad, but he wasn't there. Danny frowned. Whenever Vlad went to London, he always told Danny he would be back by dinnertime. Maybe something held him up.

After dinner, he headed to the Room of Requirement. It wasn't open. That meant Vlad wasn't there yet. That was weird, because Vlad was always there first. Besides punctuality, Vlad liked to control all aspects of the lesson. If he was there first, he set the tone. Danny waited, but after ten minutes, he got concerned.

Danny went to Vlad's office. Maybe he got caught up in marking papers. The letters were handed in yesterday, and he remembered the unholy gleam in Vlad's eyes when he mentioned that 'punitive secondary assignment.' Danny shivered and knocked on the door. There was no light coming from under the door, and no sounds came from within.

There was only one more place Danny imagined where Vlad might be. If he wasn't there, he would have to talk to Professor Snape or Professor Dumbledore. They would need to find him!

Danny climbed the stairs to Ravenclaw Tower, as the walk up the stairs gave him time to think. Was Vlad okay? He _never_ missed a Powers Training lesson. He was about to knock when he heard an unfamiliar sound. He tried to place it, but he never heard it before.

Knocking on the door, he called, "Uncle Vlad?" The sound continued. He wasn't sure, but it didn't sound right. Looking around him, he saw that no eyes were on him. He turned invisible and phased into the room. He was entirely unprepared for the sight he beheld.

Vlad sat in an armchair, weeping loudly. The bits of Vlad's face Danny could see from behind the man's hands were very red, as if he was at this for a while. Danny stood, stunned for a moment. This was an emotion he was entirely unused to pairing with this man. Glee, anger, arrogance, pride, happiness, guilt, and even remorse were all familiar emotions. But this bitter sorrow was a new one. Vlad's done some nasty things over the course of his life, but no one deserved to be _this_ desperately unhappy.

Becoming visible, Danny sidled up to the broken man. "Uncle Vlad?" He was too far lost in his emotions to hear Danny. Danny put a tentative hand on his shoulder. Vlad stopped shaking, but kept crying. It seemed weird, but it felt like the right thing to do: Danny hugged Vlad. It was the first time that he initiated such a thing.

The love-starved man seemed to wake up. "Oh, Daniel!" He pulled the small teen onto his lap and embraced him tightly.

Danny was mortified, but stayed where he was. 'Vlad needs to be comforted more than I need my dignity. I'll figure this out soon enough,' he thought.

Many long minutes passed before either of them moved. Vlad relaxed his grip, but still held Danny firmly, as if he would disappear at any moment. He did it before. Vlad caught his breath. "Daniel, I never… I never…"

Danny relaxed his hug, too. He murmured, "What is it, Uncle?"

Vlad registered that Danny asked a question. That meant he wouldn't go away. He tried to center himself. "I never took your mother's feelings into account. I'm worse than Demetrius."

Oh. That was an interesting effect. His paper…whoa. "But…"

"I've done terrible things. I've lost everything…"

"Uncle Vlad…"

"How hard would it have been to realize that your mother loved your father so very much?"

"Uncle Vlad…" Still held tightly by Vlad, he had no ability to gesture.

"And Jack… how many ways have I spurned that man's friendship?"

Danny wasn't sure at what point he recognized that interrupting Vlad's sorrowful ramble was futile. He just listened.

"Your sister was a genius, and could have helped both of us to deal with issues being a half-ghost presented. And you! We could have… but I…" Vlad sighed and just held Danny, sobbing softly again.

"Uncle Vlad, I…"

"It was only because I didn't respect your mother, and her choice. And I forced _you_ to choose between me and your father. I… we could have been far closer if I hadn't…" He gave up. "All I ever wanted was to be loved."

How did one respond to that? Danny couldn't very well say that 'everything is alright,' because it wasn't. Vlad just voiced every question, every objection Danny ever had for Vlad's treatment of himself and his family. He wasn't sure what it was, but something in his essay flipped a switch in Vlad's head, and he got it. Vlad finally understood what he had done, and how wrong he had been. So now what?

Danny struggled to pull away, but it was useless until he said quietly but firmly, "Vlad." Something in his tone of voice finally reached the man, who allowed him to pull away far enough to see his face. "Look – they are gone, and it's _not your fault_, any more than it is mine. I guess… I guess I need to be loved, too. We've got… we're working on it, but we'll get there."

Desperate longing shone in Vlad's eyes. "Do you really think so?"

"You need me, and I need you. It's probably only a matter of time, but…"

Vlad clutched him again. "You've comforted me, Daniel. You've comforted me."

Danny could feel relief radiating from the man in waves. But he wasn't going to tell anyone about this, ever. At least, he didn't think so. Danny sighed into Vlad's shoulder. He wasn't going anywhere for a while. He wasn't sure he wanted to.

* * *

Danny left Vlad's rooms in a bit of a daze, still feeling blown away by the older half-ghost's breakdown. In the summer, Sir Nicholas told him that Danny's ability to comfort Vlad helped to define him. At the time, he couldn't believe it. Vlad was always cool, composed, in control. But now…

Danny had never seen Vlad this vulnerable before. Not even on October 1. But here, now, Vlad didn't want anything. He just… was. Maybe this, more than anything, changed something in Danny. Now it wasn't a matter of safety or being wanted. Vlad, the man who had everything, actually needed something. Vlad needed him.

His thoughts were interrupted by the sound of footsteps. Looking down the hall towards the stairs, he saw a girl he didn't know. She had straggly, long, dirty-blonde hair and large eyes. As she neared, he noticed her wand tucked behind her ear the way he sometimes saw other people put a pencil there. She wore her backpack over one shoulder, and she held a magazine with a moving photo on the cover. (Danny had yet to get used to that. The portraits were one thing, but wizard photos were like videos on paper.) In large letters on the top of the page, he read the title, _The Quibbler_.

She said, "Hi there. What brings you here?" Danny was not sure what to say yet. "You're Danny Fenton, right?" Danny nodded. He didn't know who she was, so how did she know him? Wait – he was the new Sixth Year, and he looked like Harry Potter, one of the most famous wizards he's heard of. (Poor guy – he just wants to be normal, just like Danny did.) He was more out of it than he realized. But she looked friendly, and her tone was warm.

Danny sighed. She asked, "Is everything alright? You look rather upset."

How did he answer this question? It was simple enough, but the emotions he was dealing with were too complicated for him to articulate, especially to someone he didn't know. "I'm not sure yet. Have we met?"

The girl smiled. "No, we haven't met. I've seen you around, though. People have mentioned the foreign exchange student quite a bit. I'm Luna Lovegood."

Danny heard that name before. He wasn't sure where, but he thought he remembered it in conjunction with Harry's name. They were friends. Danny returned her smile. "Nice to meet you, Luna." Even her name struck a warm place in his heart: 'luna' meant 'moon' in Latin. Her wide eyes made him think of the moon, which reflected in them from the window.

Luna's expression was a bit dreamy, but her next comment dispelled the idea that she was unaware. "So, what brings you to Ravenclaw Tower? Only Ravenclaws ever come here."

Danny glanced behind him at Vlad's door. "I normally have lessons with my uncle, Professor Masters, in the evening after dinner. He wasn't in our usual classroom, so I went to look for him. He was… upset." Danny looked down, a little embarrassed.

Luna seemed unusually serene. "Yes, I think I heard Professor Masters earlier when I came to drop off my books before dinner. He seemed to be crying. The last time I heard a man cry like that was when Daddy cried when my mother died. Your uncle must miss your family very much."

Danny felt oddly comfortable in Luna's presence. "He does. And Uncle Vlad has a few regrets."

Luna nodded. "I understand how that can happen." She tilted her head. "How big was your family?"

Danny answered, "There were my parents, my older sister Jazz, and me. I'm not sure if you're also asking about my Aunt Alicia, and more recently, my Uncle Vlad." Danny surprised himself. He didn't know what it was, but something about Luna made him feel compelled to talk. He hadn't even mentioned Aunt Alicia by name to Harry! Trying to get a hold of this conversation, he asked, "What about your family?"

Luna smiled. "Thank you for asking. For as long as I can remember, it was only my parents and me. And since my mother's accident when I was nine, it's only Daddy and me. Were your parents involved with ghosts?"

Danny's head jerked. "What?" Luna might be disarming, but he hadn't completely lost himself.

Luna answered reasonably, "Well, I was in the library when you had Peeves stop bothering the students. Not all the professors can make Peeves mind, so it makes sense that if you can stop his mischief at such a young age, your parents must have taught you skills to make wayward ghosts mind."

Danny was in a quandary. Professor Snape told him not to speak about what his parents did, but without any prompting, Luna seemed to figure it out well enough. He decided that if she figured out this much, there was no harm in answering her honestly. Her reasoning was spot on – were all Ravenclaws this good? Or just the ones of his acquaintance? If everyone was this good, his secrets were in serious trouble. "My parents studied ghosts, and made a lot of inventions to stop and capture 'wayward ghosts,' as you called them."

He shook his head, as if to clear the cobwebs. "What does your father do?"

She smiled again. "My father is the editor-in-chief of _The Quibbler_. Many stories in it would never be seen in other publications. Last year, Daddy's paper carried an exclusive interview with Harry Potter on He-Who-Must-Not-Be-Named's return. The other papers stayed with the Ministry's line, denying Harry's story, because they didn't want to believe it. But why would Harry say something like that unless it was true? And now, even the Ministry has been forced to see the truth in Harry's words."

Maybe it was Luna's sincerity, or her serenity, but Danny decided he liked talking to Luna. "How do you know Harry?"

"Oh! Harry is my friend. He taught the DA last year, and that is where I met the friends I have. He, and Ron, Hermione, Neville, Ginny, and I fought the Death Eaters in the Ministry at the end of last school year." Danny's respect for Luna jumped several levels.

"But Danny, it's getting late. You should probably head back to your dorm before curfew."

Right. Of course. "Thank you for reminding me. I hope to see you more often."

"I hope to see you, too. Good night." Danny watched her walk past Vlad's door to a staircase that led a flight or two farther up.

As Danny started down the stairs, he thought about this encounter. Luna was nothing if not hypnotic. Paulina was gorgeous. Valerie was a very strong personality. Sam was both of those, and a devoted best friend. He didn't know his thoughts on the mysterious, captivating Luna Lovegood, but he wanted to get to know her. It took the rest of the trek to his Common Room to figure out why, and even then, he still wasn't sure. But he was sure that he wanted to know her better.

* * *

Narcissa Malfoy looked at the letter her son sent. Draco befriended the nephew of the Defense Against the Dark Arts instructor and wanted to invite both uncle and nephew home for Christmas. It was a noble gesture, but not the wisest of moves when the Dark Lord has set up shop in your home.

"So, Cissy, what has your little prince written this time?" Bellatrix asked her.

"Draco's made a new friend."

Bellatrix tipped back her head and laughed. "Is it anyone we know?"

Narcissa furrowed her brow. "Not as of yet. He wants to bring home his new Dark Arts professor and his nephew for the holidays. The names aren't any I've heard. The uncle is a Masters and the nephew is a Fenton."

Bella sneered. "You don't need the entire family tree of the oldest houses to know that neither of those names is familiar in Pureblood records. And why a nephew and uncle? Where is the rest of their family?"

Lady Malfoy didn't know of the Dark Lord's latest project. She just knew there was one, and she wasn't sure what made her sister's crazed, wild eyes gleam like that. "They are from the States, and the boy is recently an orphan."

Bellatrix tensed. "A new orphan from America is Draco's new friend? What city is he from? What does he look like?" She snatched the letter from her sister.

Frustrated, Narcissa huffed. "I don't know yet. Why is this so important?"

The Death Eater extraordinaire said, "There is a boy, rumored to look like Potter, who managed to live through the Killing Curse in a raid on a completely Muggle town. There were no special life-saving spells, no prophecies… there is no logical reason this boy lived. Our Lord wants to know how this was possible. The only way to learn the secret of his longevity is to find him and get it from him.

"Danny Fenton… I'll check with our American contingent, and see if they have a name. For your part, Cissy, you would do well to extend that invitation."

* * *

After Monday's Defense Against the Dark Arts class, Danny found himself pleasantly surrounded by Harry and his closer friends and Draco and his closer friends. They all had time to get to Charms. Why couldn't he have been this popular at home?

Draco said, "Amazing thing – your uncle didn't take off any points from Slytherin, this time."

Danny shrugged – he still didn't care. "Maybe it's because no one wrote letters that would have insulted Hagrid and Grawp. You have to admit that the werewolf thing was your own fault." Draco turned pink.

Ron said, "This time, your letter was almost as long as Hermione's, Danny."

"Uncle Vlad and I had a chat. He told me what a 'proper' letter looked like, so…" He shrugged again.

Goyle crowed, "You earned us twenty points again. Is he favoring you, or is your stuff that good?"

Hermione huffed. She didn't forget that Crabbe and Goyle held her and Ron hostage for a time. "You would know that if you actually looked at his work."

This was getting a bit much. "Thanks, guys. But really, Uncle Vlad just…"

Draco interrupted. "All this talk about House points reminds me. Danny, are you coming to the Quidditch game this Saturday? November 2 is the first game of the season."

Danny said, "Sure!" It would be the first real game of the ever-talked about Quidditch he would see.

Draco drawled silkily, "And you'll sit in the Slytherin section, rooting for your own team, of course."

Before Danny opened his mouth, Ron said, "Or he'll probably sit near the friends who taught him HOW to play this summer."

Danny thought, 'So much for "never teaming up with _any_ Slytherin for any reason." I guess even Ron can learn and grow.'

Harry covered his eyes. "It doesn't matter. You're friends with everyone here."

Danny thought back to when he was chosen by Dora to pick the beauty queen of Casper High. While it guaranteed dates for him and Tucker for as long as the contest was on, it also made the majority of the female population decide to try to claw out their eyes when they didn't win. Harry was mostly right – none of the six friends (well… with him, not necessarily each other) would give him too hard a time. Still, that said nothing for the rest of the Slytherin Quidditch team (which still made him nervous) or guys like Cormac McLaggen who didn't necessarily employ logic when considering an excuse to wail on a little guy.

With all of this in mind, Danny asked, "Can I get back to you on this?"

Hermione said, "Whatever you like, Danny. It's only Quidditch." Four of the five guys looked scandalized, but Harry recognized the hunted look in Danny's eyes. He imagined he wore the same expression during the Tri-Wizard Tournament.

Deciding that Danny spent enough time looking like a deer caught in headlights, Hermione grabbed his hand, dragging him. "Come on, let's get to Charms." Danny was grateful for the reprieve.

For the rest of the day, Danny was both amused and bemused that his classmates tried to sway him to hang out with either the Slytherins or the Gryffindors, come game time. It further intrigued him that the Hufflepuffs and Ravenclaws were just as interested in the outcome, offering their suggestions. Danny found this insanely surreal.

Tuesday night, he decided to talk to Sir Nicholas about this. Danny found Sir Nicholas arguing with the Bloody Baron. "No, Baron, we dealt with that in June, and it was to no avail. We are just as unlikely to come to a resolution this time, so there is no point in bringing it up tomorrow."

He noticed Danny from the corner of his eye. "We'll continue this later, Baron," he said in an undertone. "Good evening, Danny! We were just discussing the agenda for tomorrow's Council meeting. What brings you here this fine evening?"

Danny shook his head. Where should he begin? "I have a bit of a dilemma."

Both House Ghosts turned somber. "What is the trouble, Danny?" the Baron asked.

Blushing, Danny said quickly, "It's nothing important, really. I just don't know what to do."

The two older ghosts shared an understanding glance. Sir Nicholas said, "Alright. We're here for you, whatever it may be. Anything at all." The Baron nodded. "What seems to be the trouble?"

Danny sighed. "The first Quidditch match is this Saturday, and people from our House want me to sit with them."

"Of course," said the Baron.

"But I'm friends with Harry, who taught me everything about the game, and other friends from Gryffindor want me to be with them."

Sir Nicholas smiled. "Of course."

"So what should I do?"

The older ghosts were amused. "Whatever you like. It's only a game," Sir Nicholas chuckled.

Danny furrowed his brows. "I'm not sure about that. I mean, true – it's only a game. But I get the feeling that this is a test of loyalties, or something and… I don't know. I'm not used to people making this much fuss over my human form."

"I'm sure Harry thanks you. He can't stand too much attention, and this year, your newness and mystery seem to deflect attention from him onto you."

"Lucky me," Danny said sourly.

Sir Nicholas saw the tension in their hero, and asked gently, "Danny, what do _you_ want to do?"

With a grimace, Danny said, "I'd like to be in both places at once. I can do that now, you know. But that would be a dead give-away, now wouldn't it?"

Sir Nicholas patted him on the back. "Indeed, it would. (I'd like to see that sometime.) In any event, whatever you choose will be fine. No one will hold it against you, either way."

The Baron narrowed his eyes. "You're only saying that because he likes you better for advice."

Sir Nicholas folded his arms. "Baron…"

Danny was flabbergasted. "Wait, wait, wait. Are you guys _fighting_ over me?" He knew of their gentle rivalry, but this was ridiculous.

Sir Nicholas and the Bloody Baron looked at him and blushed opaque silver. They turned back to each other, figuring out what to say next. The Baron said almost imperiously, "Of course not. We're just concerned for you, wanting what's best for you."

Sir Nicholas looked smug. "That much is certain."

The Baron glared at him. "We will discuss this later, Sir Nick."

"Of course we will." Turning back to Danny, Sir Nicholas asked, "Is there anything else? We are here for you, regardless, but it is getting late."

Danny looked between them. He felt happy and loved, but was no further along in his decision. "No. Thanks anyway."

The Baron remembered something. "You are coming to the Ghost Council tomorrow, right?"

A smile worked its way back to Danny's lips. "Yup. After my classes with Uncle Vlad and before Astronomy."

Both older ghosts smiled. Sir Nicholas said, "Very good. Have a good night, Danny."

* * *

During the next day, Danny noticed nothing unusual. He thought of October 30 as Mischief Night. He never did anything, and no one was brave enough to prank Fenton Works, but Danny often saw toilet paper, egg stains, and shaving cream in bizarre places around the neighborhood the following day.

Apparently, this was either not a part of the Wizarding World, or British culture, or part of Hogwarts, as no one said anything about this all day. The buzz of the students was about the upcoming Quidditch match. He walked between classes invisibly, literally, in order to hear what people were saying. (Danny didn't do this before in Hogwarts, but he was curious about what the students had to say without his presence.)

He wasn't sure if he was more disturbed or amused to hear that bets were placed on where 'Harry Potter's Slytherin friend,' or 'the foreign exchange student,' or the people his year suggested Danny might sit. Since when did people make such a fuss over him? After last night's conversation with Sir Nicholas and the Bloody Baron, Danny supposed that this was the normal attention level focused on Harry, probably with as little cause.

When he shared his English midterm with Terry, Terry explained the major fuss people make over Harry. Danny mentioned that in America, he hadn't heard of Harry's title 'Chosen One,' and Terry explained Harry's story, fame, and lots else besides. Poor Harry! The guy couldn't catch a break. Except…

Danny seemed to have provided a little relief. Because Professor Snape wanted something like Danny had with Vlad, Harry no longer had problems with 'the snarky git of the dungeons.' (The scuttlebutt hadn't entirely left Harry, though it was amazing what you hear when no one thinks you're there.) But the general day-to-day gossip seemed to have shifted from Harry to Danny. Joy.

Danny decided to share his newfound observations with Vlad. Vlad asked him why he turned invisible, and he said that he needed a break from all the attention. Vlad was amused, but refrained from stating how very much like him that would be.

Well… Danny turned invisible because he was curious and to save himself from undue attention. Vlad would often turn invisible to learn corporate secrets and gain insider information he had no right to. Vlad mused, like adopted father, like adopted son. Now they just needed the adoption part. That would have to come later.

* * *

After lessons with Vlad, Danny claimed to visit the library before Astronomy and headed to the Great Hall. Many of the almost familiar voices called his name. He smiled at them. It was still weird to know that ghosts he didn't know actively liked him. He knew to expect it this month, but it was still weird.

The House Ghosts seemed to sit on a panel, and the others had no discernible order. Sir Nicholas looked official. Danny couldn't figure out why he led the Council, as three of the House Ghosts were former nobles, and the other two seemed to be of a higher rank and had predeceased him by at least 500 years. Maybe he was just better at public speaking.

Sir Nicholas greeted him brightly. "Danny! Thank you for coming." He gestured for Danny to take a closer space in the air to the panel. Danny shrugged and waved at Myrtle on his way over. When Danny was where the panel preferred him to be, Sir Nicholas cleared his throat. "We have two major topics of ghostly importance to discuss this month." The Baron gave a disgruntled scowl, and when the Grey Lady clucked her tongue, the Baron sighed and resignedly looked more agreeable. The Fat Friar merely shook his head at their antics.

Sir Nicholas said, "The first is the invasion of the physically corporeal ghost." To surprised murmurs, he continued, "The Baron was the first on the scene to correct the situation. Please report what happened."

The Bloody Baron cleared his throat. "I was summoned by the house-elves on October 16. A blue ghost, later identified as 'the Box Ghost,' possessed any number of boxes of produce. Hundreds of Galleons of food were spoiled and wasted – the final inventory is with the elves, Hagrid, and the Headmaster.

"This ghost was far more powerful than Peeves. My greatest efforts were useless in the face of such a foe. I used the only resource I had left at my disposal: young Danny Phantom's fortuitous presence with us. I dispatched Peeves to request Danny's aid, and within two minutes of Danny's arrival, the Box Ghost departed."

More murmuring and open looks of awe were cast in Danny's direction. He blushed. "What? It was only the Box Ghost."

Sir Nicholas addressed him. "Danny, it sounds like you already know of him. Could you please describe this… ghost in greater detail?"

Danny furrowed his brow. "Sure. At home, he's one of the most annoying of the ghosts I've had to face. Compared to some of the villainous ghosts I've had to deal with, the Box Ghost is more of a nuisance at best. But an annoyingly persistent nuisance. I'm not sure how he does it, but he forces his way out of the Ghost Zone more frequently than, as my mother would say, any other ectoplasmic malefactor."

Thinking for a moment, he said, "I guess being here in Hogwarts has given me some perspective. Without Skulker constantly hunting me, Technus or Ember trying to take over the world one plot at a time, or Spectra functioning like, Dementors, I think you call them? I've had a chance to realize what damage the Box Ghost could cause in my absence. I never stopped to think about it, because the property damage he costs is probably comparatively low. I'm sure it's more complicated and more expensive to fix buildings and really complex and large pieces of technology than it is to replace anything stored in boxes.

"Because he can't blast as dangerously as other ghosts, he is a lot less of a threat. But now that I'm thinking about it, that only really has meaning if you can stop him. (At home, I average that at least three times a week.)" Some horrified mutterings ran through the Great Hall.

Danny sighed. "I get the feeling that if Plasmius didn't forbid further molestation of Amity Park (the aftermath of the Death Eaters was quite enough without ghost involvement), the Box Ghost never would have found his way here. I'm sorry about that. I…"

The Fat Friar put up a hand. "Danny, the Box Ghost attack at Hogwarts was no more your fault than was the Death Eater attack at Amity Park. Which is to say, not at all."

Danny wasn't convinced, but he had something else on his mind. "How did he get here, anyway? Sir Nicholas mentioned something about a 'magically enhanced portal.' What is that?"

The Fat Friar was on a roll. "While your parents and Plasmius have permanent Portals in your various homes, natural portals appear all the time. They open from anywhere in the world in time and space and lead to the Ghost Zone. They can lead to anywhere _else_ in time and space. Frequently, they open for limited amounts of time before disappearing indefinitely.

"Here at Hogwarts, there is a natural portal from here to the Ghost Zone, but it has been magically enhanced, such that it's been there for hundreds of years."

Danny perked up. "Where is it?"

The Friar smiled. "It is not far from the Hufflepuff Common Room. But it is inside the wall."

"But wouldn't it have been discovered?"

"No, Danny. When I say it is inside the wall, I don't mean that it was merely _on_ the wall, as the one in your home is purported to be. Hogwarts' portal can only be accessed while gliding _through_ the wall."

Danny beamed. "Awesome! That means that no one can accidentally fall in." Thinking of his father with the Fenton Fisher, he added, "Or pull something out."

Sir Nicholas blinked. "That is exactly what Plasmius said about it, when I showed it to him."

"Oh." Right. How else did Vlad visit the Ghostwriter and the Far Frozen? That also explained how he got to America and back so quickly. To himself, he muttered, "If I wasn't a 'C' student, I'd have figured that out over a month ago." He rolled his eyes at his own lack of insight. "Thanks for explaining."

Sir Nicholas nodded and asked, "Are there other questions or comments?" Receiving no response, he continued. "Moving to the second topic… It is more personal. The Diadem of Ravenclaw has been recovered." The chatter among the assemblage was louder than before. "Yes, yes. It was a wonderful discovery. Lady, do you care to report?"

The Grey Lady blushed opaque silver, and said, "No, Sir Nicholas. However, it was found most recently by Danny and Plasmius, and after Headmaster Dumbledore finishes checking it, removing from it lasting Dark spells – it was in the hands of Tom Riddle…" This garnered a round of gasps and a look of confusion from Danny.

"It will be made available to students from any and all Houses. The Headmaster promised to tell me when he finished. I will pass the word to you, Sir Nicholas, Baron, and Friar, and you (as will I) tell your respective Heads of House. And, of course, I'll tell you, Danny, directly. After all, you found it."

Danny sighed. "Thanks, Lady Helena. I have a question. Who's Tom Riddle?"

Sir Nicholas answered quickly, "That was the born name of You-Know-Who. Tom Marvolo Riddle. I believe he was named for his father, but his middle name was his grandfather's."

The Bloody Baron's expression became stony. "He is the last living descendant of Salazar Slytherin. It is most unfortunate that the line of the Founder of a House with such potential for greatness has ended with such great evil." Looking carefully at Danny, he said, "It is my greatest hope that others in our House will follow your example, choosing to do what is right when what is easy may fall more readily into one's agenda."

Danny shrugged one shoulder uneasily. "Thanks, Baron."

Sir Nicholas took back the floor. "Danny, how and where did you find the Diadem?"

Danny ran a hand through his white hair, blowing a breath that ruffled his bangs. "Uncle Vlad had me start practicing my Ghostly Wail…" This brought murmurs of awe and admiration. Dismayed, Danny said, "Please don't. Of my many powers, I'm not really thrilled with this one. It is the most devastating, sure, but… That much destruction shouldn't be applauded. It is important for me to control it, but using it would have to be a last resort."

There was almost frantic discussion over this last comment. Danny rolled his eyes and looked to the House Ghosts. Sir Nicholas said, "That is a very mature take on what you can and should do. We are very proud of you, and how you are choosing to handle this."

A bit more comfortable, Danny said, "Thanks, Sir Nicholas. All of you." The room got quiet, and Danny realized that they were waiting to hear the rest of the story. "So, anyway, I was practicing. It was in the Room of Requirement, in its Room of Hidden Things mode. I had just started, and I heard a pained shriek. At this, I stopped to rescue whoever was hurt." The crowd nodded silently, intently. "When I couldn't find a body, I was… it hurt, knowing I couldn't save him. But it wasn't a person or even a creature that screamed. The Diadem of Ravenclaw bled, and Uncle Vlad deduced that if the inanimate object could bleed, it made sense that it was also the source of the scream." The murmurs were back, appreciative that no mortal was injured.

"It was too weird – even with everything we've seen as ghosts, or in the Wizarding World, and we brought it to Professor Dumbledore."

"Thank you, Danny," the Grey Lady said. "Thank you once again for bringing my mother's Diadem into soon-to-be usage. I want you to be the first to wear it. Perhaps, after an hour, you would no longer think of yourself as… what was it you said? A 'C' student."

Danny blushed again. "Thank you, Lady Helena." Dude, it was cool to be this loved by people besides his family and his best friends, and not just from people who wanted him for their cause. "I have a question, though. What would make an object like that scream in pain and bleed?"

All of the House Ghosts looked at each other, to see if any had an answer. None of the younger ghosts had a clue. Sir Nicholas at last said, "Danny, I'm afraid that none of us here know the answer. I imagine it was the result of some Dark magic perpetrated by You-Know-Who, but I couldn't begin to fathom what it would be."

The Baron said, "I have an idea of what it could have been. But if the Headmaster chooses to keep this secret, I would have to beg your forgiveness, young Phantom. I also have an idea of why he would choose to keep it secret, and if it is what I think it is, the fewer who know, the better for the safety of any and all involved."

Danny sighed. He was very curious, but he understood the concept of keeping secrets for safety reasons. With a hint of resignation, Danny muttered, "I understand. Thanks anyway."

Sir Nicholas asked again, "Are there any other questions or comments?" None of the general talk came to light as an actual question, comment, or statement meant for the ghost public. "Very good. Is there anything else that should be brought to the Council's attention?"

Danny said, "I don't know that it needs the whole Council, but what is planned for tomorrow?"

Smiling broadly, Sir Nicholas answered, "This time, Danny, you have to be counted among the students rather than the ghosts. It is meant to be a surprise, this year as all others. I hope you will find it entertaining."

Many ghosts chuckled. Danny bit back the comment he wanted to make. Sir Nicholas was right – Danny was an anomaly. He was both a ghost and a student at the same time. Such a situation was unprecedented, and it was up to the House Ghosts (and Vlad) to help him find that balance.

Danny sighed again. "Thanks, everyone. It was an honor to be invited back to your Council."

Sir Nicholas smiled graciously. "Not at all. It is you who have honored us with your presence."

Blushing, Danny said, "Yeah, well… I'm off for Astronomy. I guess I'll see you tomorrow at the feast, right?"

The former knight nodded. "Indeed. Have a good class!" With a chorus of fond farewells, Danny took off for the Astronomy Tower.

* * *

The next day, the students temporarily seemed to forget about Quidditch. The general buzz was conjecture about the night's entertainment. Would they bring someone in again? Or would the ghosts do another reenactment? There were all kinds of guesses, but the Halloween feast entertainment seemed to be one of the better kept secrets of the school. Even Myrtle refused to discuss it with Danny. These people took Halloween seriously.

Danny remembered – frankly, so did the people in Casper High. In his sophomore year, Mr. Lancer had Danny and Dash decorate two rooms in the 'haunted mansion.' Ironically, that year was the only year the haunted mansion was actually haunted. Sam mentioned the Fright Knight, and Danny used that knowledge to decorate the room with that theme. She was right – he did steal the idea wholesale, and the decorations were… well, they weren't as lame as she said. Maybe he could have made the room do stuff with a little ghostly possession (to be fair, he wasn't great at it, yet), or invisible touches on the shoulders of the unsuspecting public.

But no – he had to prove himself by stealing the Fright Knight's sword. How lame was he? Danny, a real live ghost (well… whatever), couldn't even scare people _on purpose_. He sighed. If he went along with his own plan, to keep the room decorated in Fright Knight paraphernalia and invisibly freak people out, he could have done something worthwhile. It still might not have been as cool as Dash's 'Spa of Pain,' but at least he wouldn't have to claim he cheated with his mother's Ecto-Foamer. Wait – in this time line, it was the Fenton Foamer. Arg! Stupid alternate time lines!

The Fright Knight was the Spirit of Halloween. Danny wondered what the Wizarding World would make of him. In any event, Danny was thankful he didn't have to find out. At least… If the Box Ghost and the Ghostwriter passed along the information that he and Vlad were here, even if the Knight of Terror managed to get loose, he probably wouldn't annoy them. He hoped.

As Myrtle said, it was a normal school day. At dinner, true to her word, there were streamers everywhere, and live bats alternately flew overhead and hung from the rafters. (They must be invisible, or they would have messed up the whole visual of the sky effect.) Record-breaking sized pumpkins (or they would be if they weren't helped along with magic) floated around the Hall amidst the candles, beneath and around the bats. Danny felt a pang as he thought of Sam's favorite candy: licorice flavored gummy bats. And, of course, Tucker's plastic pumpkin filled with Halloween candy saved the day as a place to store the Soul Shredder. He really missed Sam and Tucker.

He looked across the Hall and saw Harry. For a moment, Danny saw Harry with a sad, vacant expression. Halloween was the anniversary of his parents' death. But the look was replaced by mirth at Ron's antics. It was weird all around. It was also the anniversary of Sir Nicholas's death. What a day.

Draco called, "Danny, you okay?"

Danny smiled. "Yeah. I was just thinking of Halloween last year. I miss Sam and Tucker. That's all." That seemed to satisfy the blond. "So what has the feast been like? I can tell that the fun stuff has yet to come."

Draco threw back his head and laughed. "Never a dull one, here. In First Year, the feast was interrupted when Professor Quirrell stormed in, announcing that a troll was in the dungeon. The prefects of the other Houses led the students to their Common Rooms. However, seeing that the troll was in the dungeon, the Slytherins couldn't very well go back until the troll thing was settled. We continued the feast here, with our prefects, while the professors dealt with the troll. We're still unsure of how – after the ordeal – Gryffindor landed an extra five points." Danny shook his head. He might have to ask Harry if he knew about that.

"In Second Year, a troupe of dancing skeletons performed while the Weird Sisters played."

Danny thought, 'The Weird Sisters? Like from _Macbeth_? Or like Twisted Sister? Either way, the answer would refer to something Muggle, and Draco wouldn't know.'

"Third Year was something else – the ghosts glided in formation, and then performed a reenactment of Nearly Headless Nick's botched beheading. Stupid Muggles!" Danny was glad that Myrtle prepared him for that announcement, or he would have reacted badly. But as far as Draco's comment about Muggles was concerned… For once, Danny agreed with Draco. According to Myrtle, there was some palace intrigue, which could mean anything from the love of a lady to a petty jealousy among nobility, and only the Muggle bias against wizards seemed to be the sticking point. Stupid prejudice! Well… At least Danny understood that Draco's hatred for all things Muggle wasn't entirely baseless.

"Fourth Year was the Tri-Wizard Tournament. Only the three greatest schools in Europe were invited to join. Did you hear about it in the States?"

Danny shrugged and answered honestly. "I'm afraid not."

Draco nodded. "Well, the representatives from the other schools, Durmstrang and Beauxbatons, came the night before Halloween. You know, Father wanted to send me to Durmstrang, where Dark Arts are taught, not just defense against them. But Mother insisted that I go to their _alma mater_." He sighed. "It was probably for the best.

"The students from Durmstrang ate with us in Slytherin but slept in their ship. The students from Beauxbatons ate and dormed with Ravenclaw."

Danny screwed up his face. "Their ship? How would that get here? The lake is landlocked!"

Draco shrugged. "It was seriously complex magic. I don't know how they did it, but it was beautiful to watch. On Halloween, the schools' champions were announced. For Durmstrang, it was Viktor Krum, who – at that time - was also the youngest professional Quidditch player in modern times. He's Seeker for the Bulgarian national team."

"But he was still a student!" Danny protested.

Draco narrowed his eyes. "Fame gets you all _kinds_ of things." He shot a glare across the Hall. Harry was oblivious. "Anyway, the Beauxbatons champion was Fleur Delacour. She was part Veela." Danny noticed Draco's wistful expression. Huh. A partial human Draco didn't dismiss out of hand. "Veelas…wow." Danny really wanted to know what Veelas were.

Shaking himself out of his reverie, Draco continued. "The REAL Hogwarts champion was Cedric Diggory. He was from Hufflepuff, but he did a creditable job on behalf of Hogwarts."

Danny shook his head. Harry, Ron, and Hermione told him about the Tri-Wizard Tournament in the summer, but he wanted to get Draco's take on it. "The _real_ champion? Was there a fake champion?"

Draco practically growled. "Of COURSE there was. Potter! The age limit was set, and no students younger than seventeen could participate. But no. Harry was fourteen, and obviously his fame got him involved. So he was _also_ competing. Headmaster Karkaroff and Headmistress Maxime were furious that Hogwarts had _two_ champions." Draco sneered. "Hufflepuff finally got a shot at notoriety, but Potter, as always, had to steal the limelight." He somehow didn't think Danny would appreciate the pins that switched from 'Support Cedric Diggory – the REAL Hogwarts Champion' to 'Potter Stinks!'

Danny frowned. "Draco, that's not fair. Harry _hates_ fame and extra attention. He was probably terrified, Gryffindor or no. He was three years younger than everyone else competing, and three years behind them in studies. He couldn't have wanted that."

"Didn't stop him from competing and winning, though, did it?"

Danny gave him a sidelong glance. "What?"

Rolling his eyes, Draco said, "Yeah. Apparently, Harry and Cedric tied for the win. But Diggory ended up dead, and Potter came back with a cockamamie story about the Dark Lord being reborn, and named Death Eaters present." He stared off. "Who knew he was actually right?"

Danny said, "Wait. What do you mean 'Potter came back?' Where did he go?"

Draco shifted uncomfortably. "The trophy was a Portkey, and Cedric and Harry disappeared for a while. When they came back, Harry wouldn't let go of Diggory's body. Dumbledore practically had to pry him off."

"That means Harry watched Cedric die. That's horrible."

Draco looked over at the Gryffindors again. He hadn't thought of it quite that way. "Yeah, well… Last year, nothing interesting happened at Halloween. Umbridge sucked all the life and fun out of the year, except for Quidditch. And the Inquisitorial Squad…" He stared off again, with a fond smile gracing his lips.

Despite the friendship they built, Danny remembered why he was wary of Draco. There was something predatory in the way he thought about Harry. It was dark, if not evil. "Draco, you said that you and Harry had an understanding."

Draco jerked his head. "We do. I still can't stand him, but we are civil to each other. Mostly."

Danny rolled his eyes, but before he could respond, Professor Dumbledore stood up. "Good evening, and happy Halloween. I'm sure you have enjoyed the sumptuous meal thus far. Let me call your attention to this evening's performance. The ghosts of Hogwarts have graciously put together a presentation and reenactment of 'The Strange Case of Wendelin the Weird'."

Danny whispered, "Wendelin the Weird?"

Draco almost giggled. "Yeah. We covered her in Third Year history. She used a Freezing Charm that neutralized fire. Apparently, when it is done right, the fire that might otherwise burn a witch or wizard tickles the witch or wizard using the charm. She liked the sensation so much, she got herself burned at the stake no fewer than 47 times."

"Ouch."

"As I said, stupid Muggles. But she liked it, and used different guises so she could experience it over and over again."

Danny winced. "Did she weigh the same as a duck, too?"

Draco shook his head. "Huh?"

"Never mind."

* * *

Friday was back to what passed for normal, but Quidditch was again the main conversation of the students. Danny overheard Harry and Ron discuss possible strategies based on their newly formed team. Draco, Crabbe, and Goyle didn't spend time discussing strategy, explaining that being so public with such things just wasn't the Slytherin way.

By the afternoon break, Danny decided one last time to get advice on his quandary. He felt embarrassed, but the tension around him was thick. At least Harry and Draco agreed to leave him alone, though both privately hoped he would choose their team.

He knocked on the door. "Come in." Professor Snape was surprised when Danny opened the door. "Daniel! Please take a seat."

"Uh, Professor? You said we could come to you about _anything_…" Danny blushed.

Severus nodded. "That's right. What's on your mind?"

Danny fidgeted. "It's about Quidditch."

The professor studied Danny a moment. "It's only a game, Daniel."

Heaving a frustrated sigh, Danny complained, "Maybe, but this fuss everyone's making over me is making me nuts!"

Professor Snape regarded Danny seriously. "Daniel, surely there must have been sporting events at your other school. What did you do then?"

Danny looked askance. "First of all, the entire school only had one team in each sport. The Casper High Ravens played teams from _other_ schools. Then, it was easy – I just sat anywhere near people from my own school. Second," His blush deepened. "My friends and I weren't popular. As notorious as my ghost form was, my human form was mostly ignored. Except as a target for bullies. But they were usually the guys on the field."

Snape sighed. He understood where Danny was coming from. A thought came to him. "Have bullies been a problem for you, here?"

Danny answered honestly. "Not really. But there is that one Seventh Year that looks like he'd be overjoyed to find me alone." He shivered.

Professor Snape noticed Daniel's choice of words. The boy did not give a hint to his possible tormentor's name or House. Impressive. But he had to know. "Is it anyone in our House?"

"No." Thank Merlin for small favors. He knew the fellows on the Slytherin Quidditch team. They were picked based on size and skill, and as their Head of House, Professor Snape let them know they were _not_ to bother younger, smaller students in their House. He reminded them that as players, they were easily replaced, and as students, they were subject to his severe displeasure. If they had issues with students in other Houses… he dealt with that on a case by case basis. If they were caught.

Daniel might be in Sixth Year, but he was still the size of a Third Year. Even Harry, who Snape discovered was underfed for most of his existence, managed to gain some height over the summer. Daniel, who was loved and indulged by his family, remained as short as Harry was in his Third Year. He might ask Masters later whether becoming a half-ghost stunted growth, or if Daniel just hadn't hit his growth spurt yet. Masters himself was tall, but he didn't come into his 'procedure' until he was in his twenties.

Regardless, the Head of House's musings over Daniel's health was nothing to trouble the already self-conscious teen with. Sharing his concerns with the boy's guardian, however, was a different matter entirely.

Hmm… When Severus had trouble with the Marauders, he had no problem whatsoever naming names, especially as it was a team effort against him. There was no love lost between them, and giving a name, or even a House, would give the punishing authority a useful target (in theory). But as far as Daniel was concerned, vengeance was not on his program.

Of course it wasn't. Daniel might be a small fellow, but he also had the capability of soundly destroying any human he chose. He never would – he made that clear – but…

Among the students, even size was not necessarily an indication of power, which made magic the great equalizer, as long as individuals fought as individuals and not as gangs. But Daniel's sheer power as a half-ghost and his iron-clad self-control at once put him above schoolyard scraps, even if it meant getting painfully tousled once in a while, as he did at home.

Daniel's worst fear fell back into focus. Unlike Voldemort, who, as powerful as he was, required his followers to secure his power and victory, Daniel was capable of great devastation by himself. Over the summer, he witnessed what the boy could do with his Ghostly Wail. One seriously undersized fifteen-year-old destroyed hundreds of trees at a great distance. And he was still developing those powers. At the parent/teacher's conference, Vlad said that he would train Daniel with that Wail. Not withstanding, it just dawned on him that as of late, he had _no idea_ what Daniel and Masters worked on in private. If either ghost decided to take control of society… Severus shuddered.

Danny was worried. "Sir? Is everything okay?"

The boy, whose powers were fantastic but still relatively raw, was sitting before him, concerned with the silly social pressures of which group to sit with at a school game. Daniel was friends with people in all four Houses, and his closest friends were the bitterest rivals from the most persistent rival Houses, Gryffindor and Slytherin. The social power Danny commanded was truly beyond the boy's reckoning. He just wanted to not annoy the friends he might _not_ choose. Snape was at once amazed with the boy, and in awe of his own responsibility of helping him make choices for the boy's own good, as well as for the good of the light.

And the boy in question currently asked him something. "Yes, Daniel. Everything is alright."

"About the Quidditch thing… what do you think I should do?"

Yes. What should he do? "Daniel, you have friends on both teams. Whatever you choose will be fine."

Danny crossed his arms and he huffed. "That's what Sir Nicholas and the Bloody Baron said. It's probably true, but I'm no farther along in my decision than I was Monday."

Professor Snape smiled gently. "Whatever you choose, you will be fine. Truly."

Danny sighed and slumped his shoulders. "Thanks anyway."

Putting an arm around his shoulder, Snape said, "Not to worry. Come, we have Potions."

"Which reminds me… How did Harry and I do?"

The professor smiled. "Thanks to the both of you, Lupin will be perfectly safe this month. Very well done. Both of you get full marks." Both Slytherins had a light step as they made their way to the Potions lab.

* * *

Saturday morning, Ron was nervous. He sat in the Common Room, not ready to go to face the Great Hall. Harry and Hermione found him staring at the fire.

Harry asked, "What's wrong, Ron?"

Ron, who looked up to see Harry and Hermione, stared back down at the fire. "I don't know. I'm just… last year, I wasn't any good until that last game, and who knows how I'll do this year?"

Harry shook his head. "Ron, you've done great at practice. Why would you worry now?"

Ron shrugged. "I don't know. I wish I had some extra luck."

Harry remembered that Ron wanted to switch the Polyjuice Potion for Felix Felicis. Harry started working himself into righteous indignation, but Hermione responded first. She hugged Ron and kissed him lightly on the cheek. "_That's_ for good luck."

Both boys stopped, jolted by surprise. Ron found his tongue and said, "Really! I… could use that. Thanks!"

Hermione giggled. "You will do fine. Now get downstairs to breakfast – you know you need to eat before the game." She flounced out of the Common Room leaving a still very shocked Ron and Harry.

Ron touched a hand to the cheek where Hermione kissed him. "I think I'm the luckiest bloke alive."

Harry smiled. "Ready? Let's get something to eat."

* * *

At the Slytherin table, the Quidditch team members ate with a will. Danny was a little concerned that Goyle, Crabbe and Draco had forgotten he needed to eat, too, until Draco speared a stack of pancakes and a pile of sausages and put them on Danny's plate. "Sorry, Danny. The defensive players need to keep up their strength, and well… it's just better this way."

"Thanks." As he ate, Danny realized that he never thought of Dash's eating habits on weekend game days, and besides Draco, every player on their House team was far bigger than Dash, Kwan, or any student from Casper High, really.

A snap of fingers brought Danny's attention to Urquhart. "Men! To the locker room!" Passing Danny, he said, "See you in the stands, Fenton." Then he led the team out of the Great Hall. Across the Hall, Harry collected his team. It didn't seem as strict in discipline, but then again, the Gryffindors usually had more of a light-hearted air than Slytherins, in general.

Once the teams had cleared the Hall, Pansy tapped Danny's shoulder. "If you're finished, grab your cloak and scarf and head for the pitch. Slytherin versus Gryffindor is the most intense game of the year." Looking at him critically, she said, "If you were anyone else, I would warn you that the best seats would be taken if you don't hurry. As it is, you'll be given the best seat. But hurry anyway."

Danny decided on Monday that the high pressure of social groups might somehow be lessened if he stayed as neutral as possible. Over the week, he thought of wearing his jacket with the NASA emblem to the game, but realized that would only cause _more_ attention to be focused on him. Once again, Danny was seriously grateful for Vlad's largesse during their shopping trip in July. In the end, Danny chose a plain black cloak (making him resemble his favorite professor) and a black and gray scarf. It looked like it could have been a House scarf, but for the neutral colors.

Once he got to the Quidditch pitch, Danny sucked in his breath. A full three- quarters of the student body wore red and gold in solidarity with Gryffindor. He stood, slightly dazed, as two students approached him.

Blaise Zabini grabbed his arm. "Come on, Danny. Our House is waiting for you."

Dean Thomas grabbed his other arm. "And your other friends are waiting for you elsewhere. Come with me."

Danny closed his eyes. He was dreading this moment, and physically trapped between the two, he had to make some type of choice.

"Gentlemen." Danny's eyes snapped open, and all three spun to see who addressed them. Vlad smirked briefly. 'Nicely played, Daniel,' he thought. 'If you don't know how to choose, _don't_ choose. The chess lessons have taught him something.'

"Daniel, I do believe that since I've become your guardian, this is the first sporting event we will have attended together. Is it not?" Danny nodded, understanding dawning on him. "Then I would prefer if you joined me in the Teachers' Box. Shall we?" Relief flooded through Danny, who nodded again, gratefully.

Dean and Blaise looked at each other. Whatever either of them said, Professor Masters had the superior claim. They each clapped Danny on the back, saying, "Enjoy the game."

Vlad steered Danny to the stairs leading to the Teachers' Box, thinking that it was worth getting Daniel used to Royalty Boxes and VIP boxes, as whatever event they would attend, that is where they would always be. (Unless, of course, Daniel preferred Dugout Seats in baseball, but that was another matter for a different day.)

Situated in the Teachers' Box, Danny sat between Vlad and Professor Snape. The only two living human members of faculty missing were Professor McGonagall, who oversaw the announcer, and Madam Hooch, who refereed. A few professors raised an eyebrow at Danny's presence, but Vlad snaked a possessive arm around his ward. No one said a word against Danny's unusual placement.

As the teams entered the pitch to tumultuous applause, a full-throated lion's roar rang through the pitch. Both Vlad and Danny were startled. Vlad cried, "What in blazes…?"

Professor Flitwick smirked, "Ah, that would be Miss Lovegood's hat, worn in support of Gryffindor. It is a lovely bit of spellwork, earning her both extra credit in Charms and quite a few House points for Ravenclaw last year."

Vlad put a hand to his forehead. Honestly, it was no worse than foghorns at football games, but a lion's roar? Sure, it was Gryffindor's mascot, but that was too realistic sounding for comfort. He supposed Filius had a point.

Harry and Urquhart approached Madam Hooch and shook hands. The Snitch and Bludgers were released. Madam Hooch threw the Quaffle in the air, and the teams took to the air.

Ignoring Zacharias Smith's inane anti-Gryffindor 'commentary,' Professor Snape leaned closer to Danny, but explained to both Danny and Vlad, "The greatest action will follow the Quaffle's movement – the red ball. Notice how the six of them chase it. They will attempt to put the Quaffle through the hoops. Each time that happens, ten points are scored." A great cheer went up as Ron made a save.

"The black iron balls are Bludgers – note how the Beaters, the players with bats, redirect the Bludgers at other, strategically placed players." They watched the progression of the game, as one of the Gryffindor Beaters, Coote, aimed a Bludger at Miles Bletchly, the Slytherin Keeper. Bletchly dashed sideways to avoid it, and Gryffindor scored, to great cheers and another lion's roar.

"It appears that Mr. Weasley is doing a better job than your Mr. Bletchly, Professor," Vlad commented. Snape took the insult the comment was meant to be, and was about to reply when Harry dove spectacularly. Draco followed closely, and both dodged a well-aimed Bludger. Both Seekers gesticulated their frustration, but continued Seeking on their own.

"Both Mr. Potter and Mr. Malfoy are notably skilled Seekers. Mr. Potter has only ever lost one game, but he _was_ distracted by a Dementor. Mr. Malfoy has been undefeated in finding the Snitch, except against Potter." Vlad nodded appreciatively.

Danny said, "I saw that they were both distracted by that Bludger. But the Snitch is right there. Why don't they go after it?"

Vlad nodded again, but Professor Snape saw nothing when he tried to follow Danny's gaze.

Pinching the bridge of his nose for a second, Snape digested what Danny just said. With a greedy grin, he said, "That, Daniel, is why you've been made Reserve Seeker. Well spotted." Vlad nearly glowed with pride.

Danny looked between Vlad and Professor Snape, and swallowed. "Thanks, sir." Turning back to the game, he could see the practically tangible excitement as he watched the back and forth, the feinting, the dodging, the scoring, and the saving.

After a particularly difficult save, students started singing.

"_Weasley is our king!_

_Weasley is our king!_

_He didn't let the Quaffle in – _

_Weasley is our king!"_

Ron conducted the last few lines from his place in front of the Gryffindor goals. Danny asked, "What's that about?"

Professor Snape covered his face with a hand. "Ask them later."

Very shortly after that, Harry caught the Snitch, and the game was over. The crowd went wild, and the commentator's podium was destroyed.

Professor Snape rolled his eyes. "I do believe Mr. Smith offended Miss Weasley one too many times. Daniel, you will probably be invited to the Gryffindor victory party, but… Considering the final score, 250-0, Mr. Urquhart will most probably request your services for Slytherin's next game." He looked behind them at Professor Flitwick and Professor Sprout, and then leaned close and lowered his voice. "I see no reason to abstain from using an unfair advantage if it was acquired legitimately and its use is legal." Vlad and Severus looked each other in the eye, and both nodded in complete agreement.

Danny sighed. He wasn't sure which was worse – when Vlad and Professor Snape were angry or pleased with each other.

31


	31. Chapter 31

Welcome back, and thanks again! It has now been one year since I started publishing this fic, and as of this writing, this fic has had 479 reviews, 29,338 hits, was placed in 7 different communities, is on 101 favorite fic lists, and is on 128 alert lists. I'm not sure how much of it was due to this story, but as of this writing, I've been put on 25 favorite author lists, and 24 author alert lists.

I thank you all for your continued reading and continual support. I wish I could give you something more than fun suggestions, but that's all I have to give, besides another chapter. Today I'm handing out slices of cake (for the fic's publishing birthday) and sparklers.

Disclaimer: I do not own _Danny Phantom_, _Harry Potter_, or _Through the Looking Glass_.

I DO own the name of Freakshow's book but feel free to use it. (Just let people know where you got it.)

Chapter 31

After the game, the crowd headed back to the Common Rooms for their various celebrations or wound-licking commiseration. Danny was indeed invited to the Gryffindor victory party. It was the first in a long while – a Slytherin student was invited to a party in Gryffindor Tower. Even Draco seemed to be gracious about it.

Danny asked, "Ginny, what's the deal about 'Weasley Is Our King?' I asked Professor Snape about it, but he told me to ask someone here."

She giggled. "Last year, Ron tried out for Keeper. He was okay at practice, but the Slytherins gave him a hard time, as usual." She rolled her eyes. Looking back at Danny, she said, "Present company excepted."

Danny sighed. "Yeah, I figured."

"So they made up a stupid song to insult him, and it shook his confidence. But at the end of the last game last season, Ron did such a fantastic job that the Gryffindors co-opted it, and changed the words so it's only in his praise."

"Nice." Danny spied Cormac McLaggen on the other side of the room. The Seventh Year looked perfectly content in his team's glory and the party in general.

Ginny noticed Danny's nervous gaze and distracted him. "You know, Harry got on the team in his First Year. He was the youngest Seeker in over a hundred years."

Danny looked over to Harry, who was surrounded by the crowd, ensconced by fans. "Very cool." He noticed her watching Harry with a proud smile. "You like him, don't you?"

Taken by surprise by such a frank question, Ginny answered, "Who doesn't?"

Danny fixed her with a stare. "I mean you _like_ like him."

She shrugged. "Yes. Since Harry's First Year."

Her curt answers made Danny realize a topic change was in order. "I notice he doesn't mind this type of a crowd."

Ginny rounded on him. "What are you saying?" she demanded, hands on hips.

"Nothing," he said quickly. He managed to push her defense button. Well, Slytherins usually gave Gryffindors (Harry and his friends more than others) grief, so he knew he had to show that his comments were not in that vein. "It was just an observation. He usually doesn't like crowds and fuss, and I thought it was interesting that this was different."

She narrowed her eyes. 'Great,' thought Danny, 'she's either being a protective girlfriend, or she views me as a threat.' Then he remembered that Sam was just like that. When Danny's secret was exposed at the Dumpty Humpty concert during the 'Reality Gauntlet' incident, Danny panicked. Sam and Tucker grabbed chairs to fend off the crowd. The fact that the 'A-list' bunch decided to help him was a nice, unlooked-for bonus, but Sam and Tucker weren't taking any chances. Between Ron, Hermione, and Ginny, Harry was one lucky guy.

Danny locked earnest eyes with Ginny's mistrustful glare. "Harry is truly fortunate to have you as a girlfriend."

Ginny's eyebrows shot up. Was she Harry's girlfriend? She wanted to be, and he seemed interested in her attention. However, she wasn't certain about this yet, and she thought she was less transparent than Ron was. Ah, well. She was a Weasley and proud of it.

Danny continued, "I also know what it's like to finally get attention for something you feel you deserve. It's totally cool. I was just surprised at how much he reminds me… of me." Danny muttered, "Now I think I get it when Uncle Vlad says I remind him… Arg!"

Ginny giggled again. She didn't really know the other dark-haired teen. From what she could tell, his attitude was very different from his Housemates. He was sweet, and might make a girl happy when they found each other. "Come on. Let's see if we can get Harry away from his adoring fans long enough to let him eat something."

* * *

When the game was over, the faculty headed to the Great Hall for a late lunch. Sitting next to Professor McGonagall, Vlad asked, "Game day seems to have disrupted the schedule. Are the students coming back for dinner?"

Until the meal, Professor McGonagall was busy trying to rein in Zacharias Smith (he wouldn't do for commentator – he was every bit as biased as Lee Jordan, but at least Jordan did a creditable job announcing the game. However many prompts he needed, he did actually get the job done, unlike Smith), so she had to hear from Albus and Filius about Vlad's overarching possessiveness of his 'nephew.' She may have a word with the elder half-ghost before the next game. But about his question…

"No. The students are likely to carry on for quite some time. I've had to put an end to the festivities at two in the morning on a few occasions."

"Hmm." Vlad frowned in thought. He still had to collect Daniel for their Powers Training session. "Professor, I still need to head to London today – to pick up mail, make some calls, that kind of thing. Is there anything I can get for you when I go?"

Minerva studied him a moment as she came up with an answer. 'He's charming, when he has a mind to be. Severus doesn't trust him, but respects him. There are few characters Severus willingly respects. There's no harm in answering him positively,' she decided.

"Yes, actually. There is a book in Flourish and Blotts that I've been meaning to buy. After we finish here, I'll get you the money, along with all the particulars."

Vlad shook his head. "No, Professor. I'll not have it. I'll take the information, but really. I meant to…"

"We'll see."

He sighed heavily and shrugged his shoulders. "Very well, Madam." It wasn't as if he was unused to being rejected by a lady he fancied.

Once the plates disappeared, Professor McGonagall conjured a piece of parchment and a quill, listing the book, the author, and the edition she was interested in.

Vlad perked up. "I will have it for you before I collect Daniel from the Gryffindor party at seven."

She said, "That is a perfect time for me to put in an appearance at that party."

"Very good. Then I'll see you there."

She watched him leave the Hall. Shaking her head in amusement, she thought, 'He is _very_ charming, indeed. Even if I _were_ interested, he seems to have no inkling of the fact that I'm old enough to be his grandmother.'

* * *

After Danny's evening with Vlad, Draco greeted him. It wasn't cold, but it wasn't warm, either. Danny sighed. "Look, Draco – I _knew_ this was going to happen. There's a reason I didn't want to choose where to go. I figured that wherever I went, someone else would be unhappy. And you proved my point – I went to the party, and now you're unhappy." Maybe it would be worth it to make a habit to sit with Vlad at every game.

"No – Danny, it's not like that," Draco lied. "It's… You do know that you're probably the first Slytherin to enter Gryffindor Tower since the first war with You-Know-Who, right?"

"Okay." Danny gestured with a hand for Draco to continue.

Draco thought for a bit. Was there a reason to be upset with Danny other than the fact that Danny chose to celebrate with Gryffindor rather than to commiserate with the Slytherins? And to be perfectly honest, it wasn't so much celebrating with the Gryffindors as much as it was hanging out with Harry, one of Danny's close friends.

An amusing thought just hit him. Urquhart remarked that Danny would play next game; his eagle eye would be necessary for the definitive win. What would it be like to have Potter rooting for Slytherin? The thought tickled him so much, a broad smile took over his face. "Nothing's wrong. All is well."

Danny threw him a disbelieving glance. "If you say so." Disconcerted, Danny made his way to the bedroom. Vlad brought back a letter from Valerie. Closing the curtains around his bed, he lit a ball of ectoplasm to read by.

_October 24, 1996_

_Dear Danny,_

_ It was good to hear from you. They think of electronics as a distraction, huh? That is kind of weird, so close to the year 2000. But you mentioned Tucker – thinking about him, I see your school's point._

_ The terrorist attack took out almost everybody. The few you knew who made it are a weird bunch. Kwan, Mikey, Nathan (ugh! He's like the proverbial cockroach after nuclear holocaust.), and a few band nerds and chess geeks. It is so weird – the school is only a shell of itself. Mr. Faluca is here, as well as Principal Ishiyama. Mrs. Tetslaff is never going away – ever. As disturbing as that is, it is also kind of comforting._

_ It makes no sense – no group or organization has taken credit for the terrorist attack. You hear what goes on in Ireland and Israel, and even Timothy McVeigh, but no one knows who attacked Amity Park or why. That kind of creates __more__ panic, because without knowing who did it or what their motives were, it could just as easily happen again. We just hope and pray that it won't._

_ There is something else that is really odd. Even with your parents gone, there have been no ghost attacks. Even that ghost boy, Phantom, who made a nuisance of himself, is gone. I was going to say that he terrorized the town, but having been the victim of real terrorists… it just doesn't seem as bad anymore._

_ Principal Ishiyama set up a few grief counselors to talk to any student whenever we need to. They are infinitely better than Ms. Spectra was. They actually help. You aren't the only one dealing with 'survivor's guilt.' Part of me feels like if I was there, I could have done something to help. But they keep telling me that no matter how talented I am, there was no way I could have done anything._

_ Defense is always something useful to know. I'm glad you are learning it. Your friend Harry could give me a run for my money, huh? What is he like? Where did he learn it? I'm curious._

_ How is Mr. Masters? He is an interesting man. It must be cool to have a world renown billionaire as an uncle! I'm glad to hear that you're getting along. I remember that he seemed to like you._

_ Halloween is interesting. Mrs. Tetslaff is still running the Haunted Mansion. She says that the return to normal activities will help us adjust and return to normal (or what passes for normal around here)._

_ I miss you a lot. You know, the reason we broke up had nothing to do with you – I just have other obligations. You are really cute, and I hope you find someone worthy of you._

_ I hope you also have a Happy Halloween, and I look forward to the next time you write._

_Sincerely,_

_Valerie_

It was good to hear from Valerie. It was interesting. Apparently, the Death Eaters had little rhyme and no reason in their target selection. Kwan, Mikey, Nathan… maybe they were better at hiding. Kwan was a surprise. He usually wasn't far from either Dash or Star, but he managed to survive, and the others didn't.

Valerie's assessment of Nathan amused him. Valerie is a pretty girl, and Nathan doesn't seem to be able to take 'no' for an answer. However, he's not aggressive enough to do more than pine. Valerie is worth having if she decided to reciprocate, though.

The students who seemed to have more staying power (or, alternatively, were ignored) were the band nerds and chess geeks. Interesting. The meek shall inherit? Danny shrugged. They must feel almost as lousy as he does. Worse, maybe, because they have to wander the same halls with the other students missing.

Mr. Faluca, Mrs. Tetslaff, and Principal Ishiyama made it. Good for them.

No one seemed to know who committed this horror. With a rueful grimace, Danny remembered that the IRA, Hamas, Hizbolla, al-Qaeda, and other terrorist groups were never shy about taking credit for their work. Part of the terror was understanding _why_ they did what they did.

But as Professor Snape said, the Death Eaters will never be known to the Muggle World. Interestingly enough, that creates even more panic, as Valerie said. Danny's eyes hardened as he studied the letter. He would do his darnedest to take Voldemort and his Death Eaters down.

Danny smiled – apparently, the ghosts were taking Vlad's orders seriously, and seemed to leave Amity Park alone. He sighed in annoyance. Valerie still viewed him as the enemy. Maybe it was just as well that she broke up with him. He really liked her. She was still smart, pretty, funny, strong, and a deadly shot (good thing he was faster than she was). But for the first time in his life, Danny was getting positive reinforcement from adults on his ghost half. He liked being accepted for who he was – in both forms. As much as he liked Valerie, he was beginning to appreciate that when he found someone, she needed to appreciate _all_ of him. Like Sam did.

Danny sighed again. He wondered what Sam did with that ring. Not that he could have given it to anyone else, really. Dad had Sam's name engraved in it. That didn't stop him from trying to give it to Valerie… He shrugged. Maybe Vlad would help him out.

Danny would have to tell Vlad that Valerie asked about him. She was right – whatever else there was to say about the man, he was interesting. Vlad gave Valerie her first set of ghost hunting gear. He also encouraged her to hunt Danny. Danny bristled for a bit. Drat that man!

Interesting… he didn't think of Vlad as a Froot-Loop anymore. Often.

* * *

Tuesday evening, before they started their Powers Training session, Danny asked, "So how did it go?"

Vlad was impressed. Considering Danny's attitude the last time he left for America, Vlad was pleasantly surprised that Danny's inquiry held no negative undertones.

"It went well, with all things considered. Bob Dole would not have been my first choice, but besides the moron Clinton and the raving lunatic Perot, he was the only real option. No one knew what time I intended to show up, so I didn't have to worry about the media or exit polls. Thank heavens for small favors."

Danny smiled. Politics was a topic that never dawned on him to bring up with Vlad. For someone who had such disregard for law and order, it amused Danny to see how civic-minded Vlad was. But then again, Vlad kept a squeaky-clean profile, so attention to legal detail would be important. Vlad did say, 'You need to know what the rules are before you break them.'

Wait. Vlad was drawn to power. Voting might be one in the tide of several million, but it was a bid for power every American citizen over the age of 18 had the opportunity to take advantage of. Of _course_ Vlad would take it. What was more, it was perfectly legal and legitimate. Maybe it wasn't as surprising as it might have been.

Danny said, "I'm glad you had an easy time of it."

Vlad closed his eyes in pleasure. Danny had no idea how long Vlad wanted to hear that sentence from Danny's lips. "Indeed. Speaking about an easier time, I will start organizing a press conference this Saturday, so that when we get back to America, _you_ will have an easier time. The conference will target your two main problem areas, as I see them: the Guys in White, and the media at large. After I make the initial rounds of phone calls, we can discuss the details of how they've been harassing you, and see if we can get them to stop." Vlad furrowed his brows. "The situation with Miss Grey will require special finesse, and I'll try to deal with that a different day."

All thoughts of telling Vlad about Valerie's letter left him for the moment. Danny stared at Vlad. He was sure he couldn't have heard the man correctly. "What? Why would you do that?"

Vlad raised an incredulous eyebrow. He imagined that Daniel would be surprised at his magnanimity, but the boy could have at least attempted to appear to be thankful. "If you haven't deduced that on your own, I'll leave it up to your imagination to figure it out."

Honestly – he wanted to be Daniel's adoptive father. What father would allow his son to have a villainous reputation when firstly, such a reputation was falsely earned, and second, one has enough power and influence to make such a stain go away, even if it was rightfully earned? Well… if it was possible to make it go away, he would do it.

However, Vlad realized that Danny had seriously valid reasons for doubting his motives on this. Now was not the time to convince the child of this. They had classes to get on with.

* * *

Wednesday morning, Draco's owl made its morning delivery, and after giving it a strip of bacon, he took the missive from its leg. He looked it over and he beamed. Danny couldn't remember the last time he had seen the expression of simple but radiant joy on this friend's face.

"What is it?" Danny asked.

Draco smiled at him before he schooled his features into a slightly more neutral expression. "Danny, I'd like to invite you and your uncle to my house for the first week of Christmas break. I asked my mother for permission, and she says that she would be as glad to have you as I'll be."

Danny smiled back. It would be nice to spend Christmas with friends, now that he didn't really hate the holiday anymore. With a pang, he remembered he wouldn't have Sam and Tucker.

Then he remembered his general situation.

He also remembered that Draco's father was a Death Eater, one of the people he and Vlad were studiously trying to avoid. He also remembered that Mr. Malfoy was in prison, but what was the rest of Draco's family like? He sighed. Why was life so complicated?

Danny's smile broke, but it was still there. Kind of. "Thanks for offering, Draco. However…" How was he going to explain this? It was one thing to say that his strict uncle wouldn't let him go to Hogsmeade. It would be quite another to explain that he didn't expect to leave Hogwarts in the foreseeable future. "I think Uncle Vlad has plans." There. That should do it.

"What kinds of plans?" Draco didn't try to hide the fact that he was hurt. He knew his friend lost his whole family and his closest friends. Where else would he be going?

Danny saw the pain in Draco's eyes. He answered honestly. "Look – Uncle Vlad only became my guardian in July. We weren't particularly close until then. I really don't know what _his_ plans are. I'll ask, but I'm not too hopeful. Either way, I do totally appreciate the offer."

Draco stopped frowning, as he was slightly mollified. It wasn't him Danny was rejecting, but an invitation he might not be able to take him up on. And despite the little information he squeezed out of Danny about said dark-haired friend, Draco had nothing at all on his professor, other than the facts that he was strict, strong, fair, and seriously cared for his nephew. And he was extremely well off. The wand Professor Masters got Danny that was only attuned to them spoke of great wealth.

"Try and ask him anyway. You never know about these things."

Draco tried to get him to do something Danny said he probably couldn't, like his getting Danny to try out for Quidditch. With an attempt to manipulate the situation to attain his goal, it was positively Slytherin of Draco. Danny smiled at Draco's unintended transparency. "Will do."

* * *

Professor Snape shook his head and rolled his eyes as he contemplated the last two detentions he issued this late night patrol shift. Those two Seventh Year Hufflepuffs were in an otherwise unused classroom expressing the fact that they were hormonally challenged. Sweet Merlin, if they would choose to be _that_ expressive, they should at least have the wit to use a Silencing Charm! Not that such a thing would have prevented him from finding them, but really… He had plans for them to spend next evening together under his watchful eye in detention. The ingredients they would prepare would be at least as disgusting as their little display. It might not teach them dignity or decorum, but at the least it _would_ teach them to be more discreet.

And they protested that it was all in the name of love. They wouldn't know love if it smacked them in the nose. No, their… performance was nothing more than unadulterated lust. Real love involved respect. Real love involved trust. Real love looked a lot like that which he and his beloved Lily had for each other. Until he lost that trust and respect. The professor sighed.

But Lily's son Harry required a different sort of love (at this age, at any rate). This brought Severus to think of Vlad and Daniel. They knew each other for a little more than a year and a half, or perhaps closer to two years now, and they seemed to know each other fairly well. After five and a half years, Severus realized he didn't know Harry at all. Sure, he was brave, and reckless, but no one ever taught him to value his own life. The boy put himself in untold danger year after year: to protect the Philosopher's Stone, to rescue Ginevra Weasley, to rescue Ron from Black, Fourth Year wasn't his fault, and last year to protect Harry's beloved mutt.

Besides Harry's obvious hero complex and various reports from other professors that he seems to be likable (and the fact that Harry is fast friends with his current favorite student), the professor didn't know anything useful about the boy. How _would_ he get to know Harry better?

He thought for a bit as he finished his rounds. What would Albus say? Besides the Hecate forsaken twinkle in his eyes to show his pleasure at the two of them getting along, Dumbledore's tone would hold no amusement, as he realized the seriousness of his inquiry. 'Take time to get to know him,' he said, many times. But how does one go about such a thing?

Snape stopped where he stood and covered his eyes. "Merlin help me! I'm going to have to ask Vlad himself!" There was nothing for it. In one month, Vlad and Daniel's relationship changed from abusive (as it was when Daniel reported it) to something not far from the actual parent/child relationship Vlad sought.

He sneered at himself. He thought of Masters as Vlad now? Well, that wasn't so surprising. The information Severus now sought was not as a professional, nor even as a guardian on his ward's behalf, but as a man trying to be worthy enough to earn the title 'father.'

The next day, the fretful wizard met Vlad in the staff room. Vlad read a book and took notes on Dementors, although they seemed to be on a lesson plan slated for next term. He asked, "Professor, might I have a word?"

Looking up, Vlad noticed the pensive look on the Potions Master's face. Such an expression caught his attention immediately. "Of course. How can I help you?"

Snape looked down for a moment, pressed his lips together in concentration, and said, "I would like an appointment to speak with you. It might take some time."

"What is this about?"

"It concerns a private matter." Vlad's mind went into hyper drive – the intensely private man before him wanted an occasion to express something personal, and he was the one chosen for this event. He was intrigued beyond measure.

"Certainly. Would you like to meet in your office or mine?"

"The Room of Requirement, actually. Remembering how you set it for the parent/teacher conference, I thought that might be the type of setting I'm looking for. There is no need for the grandiose opulence, but a private, warm place of comfort would be useful."

Vlad raised an elegant eyebrow. "Indeed." By this point, they were the only ones left in the staff room. "Tonight, after Daniel's classes are through, I'll have him teleport to his Common Room door to protect your privacy," he said, putting a finger to his chin.

Severus was surprised at the man's consideration. "I thank you for your discretion."

Vlad carelessly waved a hand. "Not at all. I'll see you at dinner, Professor."

* * *

It was Thursday evening, and Vlad told Danny that they would work on his Ghostly Wail until Monday, when Vlad would teach him how to catch another ghost's ecto-energy, add to it, and redirect it elsewhere. They started _Much Ado About Nothing_, and Danny was amused by the teasing between Beatrice and Benedick. Danny understood the concepts Vlad taught in math, but he doubted it would ever be his favorite subject.

After Danny shouldered his backpack, Vlad asked, "Daniel, when was the last time you teleported?"

Putting a hand on the back of his neck, Danny admitted, "I don't remember. It's been a while. Maybe when I overshadowed Goyle?"

Giving a knowing nod, Vlad said, "Then it's been long enough. I want you to teleport to the door of your Common Room. This skill requires practice to maintain accuracy."

"Okay. G'night, Uncle Vlad."

Vlad hugged Danny. "Good night, little badger." With that, Danny evaporated in a green mist. "Now, it's time to see what Snape wants." He exited the room and leaned against the wall with his arms crossed.

The good professor was prompt. With furrowed brows, Snape said, "I thank you again for your time." Professor Snape walked back and forth three times, and when they entered, there were two comfortable chintz armchairs near a crackling fireplace, and a table of cherry wood with a tea set between them. Vlad looked taken aback at the tea service. "The elves sent it up." Vlad nodded.

Once both were seated and poured themselves cups, the Slytherin began. "Vlad, how have you gotten to know Daniel so well in such a short time?"

Raising an eyebrow, he answered, "I sent minions to test him and spy on him regularly, and had a particularly vengeful pawn record their battles, in addition to my own encounters with him. I also have the money and wherewithal to get just about anything I want, both legitimately and illicitly, including access to school records, and anything else that seems pertinent at the moment. I have known of his strengths, weaknesses, hopes, and fears for a long time."

A silent fury boiled Snape's blood at the mention of the man's treachery against a teenager. Vlad watched his expression of rage in amusement. "But somehow, I get the feeling that wasn't the answer you were looking for. Were you looking to ask a personal question about you or me, Severus?"

A tight-lipped Severus glared balefully at the half-ghost for a few seconds before recalling his purpose. "I have recently acquired a ward of my own. We've had… an antagonistic relationship thus far. Considering the fact that I've taught him for five and a half years, and have access to all of his records," He refused to add, 'And press releases.' "I know quite a bit about him. But that doesn't mean that I actually know _him_."

Vlad abandoned his smirk. "Ah. _That's_ what you're after." He sighed. "When Daniel showed up on my doorstep in July, I had the same problem. But you see, since I met him, it was my plan to teach him something close to my heart: the usage of a half-ghost's powers. This requires time and effort, and careful planning.

"Since we got here, with very few exceptions, we've spent three hours a day every day in each other's company. From July until August 31, we spent time on Powers Training, and then we spent time talking of all kinds of things: what I did growing up, what he did growing up, the rules of chess, some of his experiences with ghosts, various perspectives of our less dramatic encounters, how I dealt with my earlier experiences of coming into my powers, shoes and ships, of sealing wax, of cabbages and kings." He quirked his lips. "Although we never really spoke of politics until two days ago, and even then, it wasn't the lengthiest conversation – we had other things to cover."

Professor Snape murmured, "Three hours a day…"

Vlad continued, "Indeed. While learning about magic is probably fascinating for him, that says nothing for what he'll need to know once this problem with Voldemort is solved. So, I teach him math and English, Muggle subjects that will be of the utmost importance once we leave here, but also providing him with critical thinking skills, which are useful in any situation. Since the start of the school year, it also doesn't hurt to sequester him from the other students during what might otherwise be free time. You know what they say about 'loose lips…' And I get him to myself for those three hours."

Severus started thinking out loud. "Three hours… Well, my ward has no secrets to hide. He's also built a social life for himself, so three hours a night would be excessive. That much time would never work. Perhaps I could restart Occlumency lessons, and find some time over the weekend…"

"It sounds like you've planned a nice start. Good luck with that." Finishing his cup of tea, Vlad said, "Oh, and Professor? Would you be able to come to one of our Power Training sessions next week? Perhaps Wednesday or Thursday?"

Perking up with curiosity, Snape said, "Certainly. What for?"

"It's for a new experiment. I want to get Daniel familiar with the skill, and your assistance would help to round it out immeasurably… if it works. If it doesn't, then we will know better, hmm?"

Severus smiled. "Indeed." He had the feeling he would pay for some of the spells he had Daniel perform during their overshadowing experiment. Of course, it would all be done in the name of helping Daniel. But whatever would happen would be interesting. That much was certain.

* * *

Saturday evening, after Danny and Vlad finished their Powers Training session, Vlad praised the boy, but his eyes weren't in it. Noticing his guardian's agitation, Danny asked, "Uncle Vlad? What's wrong?"

With the same targeted yet primal fury that filled him when he considered that the city of Green Bay refused to sell him the Packers, Vlad spat, "That idiot Clinton was reelected! If it weren't for the Republican majority in the House and the Senate, my taxes would be raised astronomically!"

Danny looked thoughtful. "I didn't pay too much attention to these things at home, but I heard that he only wanted to raise taxes on the top…" He stopped himself. "Right. I got you."

Vlad rolled his eyes. As important as politics were to him, he could see why Danny might not care. Being a teenager was no excuse. Having quite enough distractions such as saving the town on a regular basis _was _a valid excuse. He sighed inwardly. Further, it wasn't the boy's fault the moron won.

"Yes. Well… While I was in London, I made a few calls. I'm putting together that press conference I told you about on Tuesday."

Danny raised his eyebrows. "You're serious, aren't you?"

"What do you think? Of _course_ I'm serious!" Honestly – would it hurt the boy to show a little gratitude? "I have a few media outlets 'in my pocket,' as it were, but you are going to have to share with me some of the more recent specifics so I can pull together the most effective selection of television and radio stations and newspapers to start with."

Danny blinked. This couldn't be real! Vlad stopped at nothing to make him look bad in the press at home, but now… This was a bit beyond him.

Sighing in exasperation, Vlad said, "Daniel, after my first trip to the States from here, you mentioned the Guys in White, and how they won't leave you alone. Tell me about that."

Danny wasn't sure how to respond. In general, Vlad was doing a much better job of being decent to him. The man might hug him a lot more frequently now, but it still rankled the teenager to have to admit anything that smacked of being a weakness to him. But then again, he already told Vlad about his worst fear. This couldn't be worse than that. More to the point, Vlad was offering to ameliorate the situation. Danny nodded to himself and took a breath.

"Towards the end of the last school year, they decided to go after me with more of a will than they have since you put them on my trail, but not quite as much as… different reality – you won't have remembered it. Never mind."

Vlad raised an eyebrow in question, but Danny ignored him and continued. "They now have technology that can make them invisible and intangible, as well as jetpacks to make them fly." Almost to himself, he said, "Their aim still stinks, but they're getting better."

Danny thought about telling Vlad about the fact that they got Skulker's battle suit right before they went after Danny, but he changed his mind. Skulker gave him a hard way to go, but Danny beat him almost every time. (Except for that time when Jazz tried to be too helpful and ran away to Vlad…)

"Last time, they got close. They noticed a picture of me in ghost form on Tucker's PDA, and they interrogated everyone close to me. They threatened Mr. Lancer, and they tried to interrogate me. However, it slowly dawned on them that Fenton has black hair, while Phantom has white hair. Then, they attacked a kid, Gregor – well, that's what Elliot called himself – because he had white hair, and Sam told me he had eyes the same shade of green I have in my ghost form."

Vlad sat back to contemplate what he just heard. The first bit that caught his attention was the mention of an alternate reality. What on earth has Daniel been through? His worst fear was based on an alternate time line. The boy actually met Clockwork! And now, he just casually mentioned having participated in an alternate reality.

Who or what could cause such a thing? The Ghostwriter was careful with his manipulation of the world. Or, he did if he knew what was good for him. But more to the point, he was an author. He would want his work visible, even if the fact that he was behind it was hidden. Desiree could do something like that, but why would she, unless someone wished it? The way Daniel described it, it would have been a seriously carefully thought out wish. Then there was the theoretical 'Reality Gauntlet' in Frederich Isak Showenhower's book _Ghostly Possession and Possession of Ghosts: Facts and Artifacts that Give Control to Either Ghosts or Humans Over the Other_. There was no proof that such a thing as the 'Reality Gauntlet' existed, but it might explain a few things if it did. Maybe.

That was all well and good, and something Vlad might think about when there were less pressing issues to deal with. Or if such things _became_ pressing issues. But the matter at hand involved the Guys in White, who were more competent than when he first hired them. Honey covered dough balls! And the federal government was footing the bill (he would ignore that for now) to get increasingly more invasive into Daniel's life. He clenched his fists, but left his arms on the armrests of his chair. There was no need to upset the boy.

"That complicates matters, but I'll see what I can do." What could he do? Besides issuing a release to the press, he could call the GiW headquarters to inform them the bounty is cancelled. Butter biscuits, he should have thought of that months ago! Ah, well… And there was no guarantee that would call off the attack dogs, particularly Operatives O and K. He would follow their progress via phone calls and Internet cafés (or quick jaunts back to one of his labs at home, where he would use his infinitely superior technology).

If this failed to get results, he could always invade their headquarters and destroy all the information on Daniel. That might be difficult and dangerous, but doable; these were merely bureaucratic morons he had to fool.

It felt good to have a devious, highly illegal, and completely untraceable plot afoot! He did _so_ love a challenge.

"From what I've seen thus far, Daniel, the local media in Amity Park is still largely in your favor. You have been given credit for the lack of ghost molestation." Of course, there are also voices that say he was the cause of the ghost infestation, but they were the minority opinion.

Danny perked up. "Really?"

Vlad rolled his eyes again. "Yes, Daniel, really. In our former habit patterns (and by rights), I would make a hurtful, sarcastic remark about your taking credit for my work." Danny was about to object indignantly, but Vlad raised a hand. "However. Considering your complete media blackout since July 22, the media's opinion is obviously not your fault. Regardless, it is a fiction that I have every intention of encouraging, once I pull the press conference I've been talking about together."

Danny blinked. In a very low tone, he asked, "You would do that? For me?"

Vlad saw the gratitude he was looking for before in Daniel's eyes. Gently, he answered, "Yes, Daniel. For you."

Looking down, Danny said, "I… can't thank you enough. I…"

"Don't worry about it." Ah, so _that_ is what it feels like to do the right thing. "You are worth it." It was completely sincere, but he couldn't let show how profoundly touched he was by Daniel's expression.

"The difficult nut to crack in this will be Miss Grey. It's true that I threw gasoline on the proverbial flames of hatred, but she started her fire of personal animus against you on her own. I'll see if I can put in a good word, but I think it may be a lost cause."

Danny sighed. "I figured as much. At least she didn't blame me for the Death Eater attack." He ran a hand through his hair before continuing. "She sent you regards in her letter and asked about you."

Vlad smiled in surprise. "Did she? How sweet of her. How is she doing?"

"Well, she seems to have survivor's guilt, too."

"It's a common malady in decent folk, but none so much as heroic folk."

Not knowing how to respond to that, Danny just ignored it. "Professor Snape was right. As far as the people of Amity Park are concerned, an unidentified terrorist organization pulled off the attack, and more people are worried 'cause they don't know who did it and why."

Vlad nodded. "Given what we know, that much wasn't unexpected."

It was Danny's turn to sit back and think. Vlad was really working to fix his situation with the Guys in White and the media. True, it was mostly Vlad's fault that he had these problems to start with, but changing the situation sounded like an awful lot of work. And the man was willing to do it. All for him. It showed that he really did care. Danny would need time to digest this.

He still wasn't sure if he could share his feelings about Valerie with him, though. Seriously – he wasn't ready to share that information with his father. Of course, that didn't stop his father from having that totally embarrassing conversation, but at least they had it over ice cream. That kind of softened the blow, sweetened the situation. He wouldn't exactly say that it made the conversation easier, but it was a deliciously pleasant, if ineffective, distraction.

However, he and Vlad were getting _much_ closer. It wasn't that Vlad was being manipulative. (Well, maybe he was. But Danny couldn't see how this was bad. Much. Anymore.) It was about Vlad demonstrating how much he really cared for him. He still wasn't sure they were ready for the father/son thing, but they _were_ getting closer. He smiled shyly at the older half-ghost. Vlad raised his eyebrows and smiled back.

Danny announced, "You know, Draco invited us to come to his house for the first week of Christmas break."

"And?" It looked like Daniel was not finished expressing his thoughts. Vlad decided he was getting better at this, and waited.

"I told him that I didn't think it was doable, as I didn't know your plans. It was mostly the truth." He slumped morosely in his chair.

"Daniel?"

Danny shrugged. "I don't know your plans, but it looks like I'm stuck here until further notice. I'll ask Harry what Christmas here is like. I imagine he spent a few of them here." He looked up. "I hope you enjoy it, wherever you go." He cast his gaze back down.

Vlad wasn't prepared for the profound sadness Danny exuded. And the boy seemed to think… well, that was a situation that needed to be cleared up posthaste. He got up and crouched before Danny, lifted his chin with a finger, and said, "Daniel, I do indeed have plans. But you are an integral part of those plans." He hugged the glum teen, and held him for a few minutes. "This will be our first Christmas together, and I have every intention to make it as happy as I can. For both of us." Holding Danny's shoulders at arm's length, he said, "I have a few surprises in mind for the Christmas season. I hope you'll enjoy them."

Tears came to Danny's eyes. "Thanks, Vlad," he whispered. They hugged again.


	32. Chapter 32

Hey there, and thank you once again. Readers, reviewers, and list placement make my day, and I really thank you all. I offer you all cookies and milk.

For the record, there was an interesting moment when I wanted to include a reference to "Men in Black," but the movie didn't come out until 1997, and this story is in 1996. It happens. There will be extra doughnuts for anyone who figures out where that might have gone.

Disclaimer: I don't own _Danny Phantom_, _Harry Potter_, or Salvador Dali's painting "Melted Clocks."

Chapter 32

Sunday evening, Ginny sidled over to the fireplace. Ron had beaten Hermione twice at chess, and now they were relaxing – Hermione read something, and Ron had an arm slung over her shoulder.

Ginny met Harry's gaze, glanced at her brother's goofy expression, and rolled her eyes. Harry grinned. Ginny sighed. "What's the deal with your friend Danny?"

Cocking his head to the side, he asked, "What do you mean?"

She said, "He told me that you remind him of himself."

"Yeah, well… We have a lot of things in common. It's not that surprising."

Ginny sat up straight. "Like what? Besides the fact that you look like each other."

Harry sighed. He discussed Danny quite a bit with Ron, Hermione, and oddly enough, Draco. He knew that Terry Boot and Ernie Macmillan seemed to know something about Danny. But he's never discussed him with Ginny.

"Well… before we get there, you have to promise to keep this quiet. He's a very private fellow, and it wouldn't do to…"

Ginny touched his shoulder. "Don't worry, Harry. I promise not to tell. He just… Notices things about you. Like you don't usually like crowds, but Quidditch fans are different. Like that."

A weird smile quirked Harry's lips. "I would imagine so. Maybe he had a similar experience at home. I can't think how, but the similarities have almost ceased to surprise me. For one thing, he was orphaned by Death Eaters."

"No!" Ginny covered her mouth.

"Yeah. And his uncle – well, his guardian didn't always get along with his father. The relationship between Danny and Professor Masters inspired Professor Snape to be _my_ guardian."

Ginny started in surprise. "I knew Professor Snape was treating you differently – everyone knows – but your _guardian?_"

"Yeah. He said something about finishing paperwork. And…" He rested his chin in his hands, getting back on topic. "Danny likes Hagrid. He's good to Buckbeak, and he can see Thestrals. There's more to it than that." He grinned. "Oh – and he's brilliant on a broom. We played Quidditch in our spare time over the summer. It's almost like he lives in the air."

Ginny giggled. Everything always came back to Quidditch. Maybe it was genetically hardwired into wizard teens. She noticed Harry's smile as his mind drifted to other thoughts, perhaps about Danny.

She looked at him squarely. "Do you trust him?"

Harry frowned. "Yeah. Why?"

"You only met him this year. And… You don't easily trust people."

Harry picked up a paperweight from the table and fingered it idly. "This summer, when we met him and tutored him, he just… I don't know. He tries so hard. It's almost like he has to prove himself. Not to us – he blew us away with his knowledge in Astronomy, and he's really well versed in Muggle Studies, especially for a Slytherin. It's something else." He looked down at the paperweight.

Ginny stared at him. "He's into Muggle Studies? But…"

"He's from America. Maybe wizards are different there." For all Harry knew, they really could be.

There was something else on Ginny's mind, but putting it into words eluded her. She didn't see Harry and Danny together often, but she did notice that they exchanged glances across the Great Hall, and Ron often looked unhappy afterwards. She was about to ask him about it, but Harry said, "He has a 'saving people' thing. He has a good heart. But like I said before, he seems to have a need to keep things private. Over the summer, he lost a good number of people he loves, and stuff seems to be too hard to talk about. There's just something about him… He's honest and open about his feelings."

"Like you, Harry."

"I guess." Harry was open about his feelings? That was news to him. But if Ginny said so, who was he to argue?

Ginny touched his arm. "He seems to be sweet. But there's something… I don't know. I get the feeling that he isn't what he seems to be."

Harry thought about that. Danny was genuine when it came to matters of the heart. He was afraid of turning Dark, but that didn't make much sense. Danny's Defense skills and Charms skills didn't seem to add up to the pressure Danny worried about when Harry and Draco overheard him. Danny expressed pure terror about becoming Dark, and Professor Masters, who was brutally honest, didn't tell him not to worry about it because Danny lacked the skill. The good professor acknowledged that Danny had the power, but that the professor could overpower him if necessary.

Then there was the Defense Room that looked like… it looked like a lab of some sort. It was part gymnasium, part shooting gallery, and part obstacle course. Then, there were things that honestly made no sense. What would Danny need with a Muggle speed gun?

"Maybe Danny _is_ hiding something. But you know? Regardless of that, he _is_ a decent fellow. He doesn't want anyone to be hurt. I'm not sure why he is so worried, but whatever is bothering him, it's a big deal to him." He lowered his voice. "You know, I understand that. I know what it feels like to feel responsible…" Harry wasn't ready to explain how he felt responsible for Cedric and Sirius's deaths. He didn't know what Danny could have done to stop the Death Eaters, but Harry knew Danny felt responsible.

Ginny gripped his arm. "You _know_ you weren't to blame for Sirius's death."

Harry ran his fingers over the smooth stone of the paperweight. "If it weren't for my lack of judgment, none of us would have been in the Ministry that night."

"Harry…"

"I don't know. I just…" How could he explain the odd feeling he had that if he explained his views on the matter to Danny, the other dark-haired boy would understand? It wasn't logical, but it was a feeling.

At that point, Ron looked over and saw Ginny holding Harry's arm and Harry staring disconsolately at the dragon's egg paperweight. "Why so glum, mate?"

Ginny said, "Harry was just getting to that!"

The siblings bickering saved Harry from trying to explain feelings he didn't understand.

* * *

Monday evening, Danny walked back from his evening lessons with Vlad when the Grey Lady sought him out. "Danny! I must speak with you."

Looking around, Danny noticed that they were alone as he descended the stairs. "What's going on, Lady Helena?"

"Professor Dumbledore has made it official – my mother's diadem is ready to be worn! You must see Professor Flitwick tomorrow. I will tell him shortly, but I wanted you to be the first to know." She hugged Danny. "The other House Ghosts await my message. The Headmaster called us all into his office to hear the news, but as I expressed at the Council, I wanted you to be the first student to know. And now, you know even before the Heads of House. Now that you know, I shall tell the others. Then, I'll be off to tell Professor Flitwick."

Danny smiled at the Grey Lady. She never seemed to get this excited, but this was important to her. "Thanks, Lady. Should I…"

"Oh, no. You need to see the good professor tomorrow. The Heads of House will tell the other students when they are ready. But you are free to encourage anyone you wish next week or any time thereafter."

Danny wasn't sure what the big deal was about telling his friends about this sooner, but this formality and propriety meant a lot to Lady Helena. "Okay. Can I tell Uncle Vlad?"

She stopped to think for a moment. No one paused to give Plasmius any consideration on this, or many ghostly matters. He was a powerful ghost, and a cruel, wicked man. She knew of many of his exploits over the past twenty years. But since July, he more or less did an admirable job as Danny's guardian. While she didn't trust Plasmius, she respected him. It also didn't hurt that he was a very good teacher. She sighed.

"Yes, it would be fine for you to tell your uncle." She held Danny's shoulders at arm's length. "Thank you again, Danny. It means so much to me that you found it."

Danny grinned. "I'm glad I was able to help."

"Now off with you! Don't be late for curfew. I'm off to see Professor Flitwick – after I stop into the Great Hall to inform the others that I've delivered the message to you."

"Good night, Lady Helena."

* * *

Harry was a little confused. Professor Snape told him to stay after Potions and then told Harry to meet him in his office after dinner. Professor Snape did not give a hint to what this would be about. Harry looked across the Great Hall to catch Danny's eye, but besides a smile to say 'Hi,' Danny gave no hint that he knew what was coming.

When Harry got to Snape's office, the professor offered him a seat. They sat in silence for a few moments. Professor Snape steepled his hands in front of his mouth in thought. Snape nodded to himself and said, "Harry, it occurs to me that I don't know you well at all, and to be honest, I haven't showed you enough of my personality, so it goes without saying that you don't really know me." Harry nodded. "It has come to my attention that one way to rectify this is to spend more time together. I think… one hour a night during the week, and three hours a day on the weekends would work."

Harry shook his head in surprise. "Uh, Professor? What is this about?"

This didn't seem to go the way Severus planned. He murmured, "Close to my heart. Close to my heart…" Taking a breath, he said, "I'm going to teach you Occlumency. You need to learn it, and I… need to do it right this time."

"Sir? Why Occlumency?"

"Because it is something important that only I can teach you." This didn't seem to be working. What was he doing wrong?

"Professor, I get that I could use Occlumency, and if you actually teach and don't put me down, we could even make this work. But what is this about?"

Severus tensed in frustration. "I don't get it! It works for him. Why won't it work for me?"

"What works for who?"

"I don't… Professor Masters spends three hours a night with Daniel, and they've gotten so close. Why…"

Understanding dawned on Harry. "Oh! _That's_ what you're trying to do." He shook his head slowly. "Look – Professor, if that's all you wanted… we can learn Occlumency. But that's not really the point. You told me that Professor Masters and Danny had a really bad relationship, but then a major tragedy threw them together. They needed to figure out how to get along in a hurry, and spending tons of time together is a good way to do it.

"We didn't meet because of a major upheaval in my life. Well, besides the sudden discovery that I'm actually a wizard, and even further, discovering I have mythical hero status in a world I didn't know existed, instead of being treated worse than yesterday's garbage."

The professor winced. His first words to the boy were about his celebrity status, when the boy in question did not yet know or care about it. "You really detest being reminded of that fame, don't you?"

"Yeah, I do. 'The Boy Who Lived.' Ugh. A title I got for failing to die when I can't tell you how many times I've wished I didn't. At least I've honestly earned all the excitement over playing Quidditch."

Severus was pained at the bitterness of Harry's tone.

"But like I said, we didn't meet because of a special, new tragedy. We met because you are my professor. Our relationship didn't change because circumstances forced us to. We just kind of decided to. Or, rather, you decided to change, and I'm going along with it.

"If you want to spend time together, we'll just find some time. We don't need to interrupt our routine. Well, not too much, besides finding a time to learn Occlumency." Harry thought for a minute. "What do you do on the weekends?"

Severus stared. He should not have been so surprised by such a personal question. He was prepared to ask Harry for an abundance of free time. Weekends counted as free time. "I… mark papers, attend Quidditch matches, patrol the halls, occasionally go to Hogsmeade. What did you have in mind?"

Harry shrugged and surprised himself with how bold he was about to be. He might be a Gryffindor, but this had to push some kind of limit. "Well, why don't we schedule a weekend to go to Hogsmeade?"

Snape refused to splutter. It was undignified. He decided to take another tack. "But you do things with your friends. And there's Quidditch games and practices…"

Harry stared. Professor Snape was struggling to come to grips with Harry's social schedule. He decided this went beyond surreal. A half-melted clock hanging off a tree branch was a far more likely occurrence than the situation he found himself in. It wasn't that Harry was ungrateful, but this was _Professor Snape_, and he genuinely seemed to care.

If Harry woke to find this was a dream, it would be natural, but he would be sorely disappointed. "You know, sir, when Ron was in recovery from his broken leg at the end of Third Year, his parents visited him in the hospital wing. But once he got released, it was the weekend, and his parents took him to Hogsmeade. There's no reason we can't take a weekend and do something similar. We can walk, talk, shop, and just spend alone, non-school time."

Professor Snape tried to organize things and figure them out, but the simplest route would have been to ask Harry's thoughts in the first place. "Harry, how did you get to be so insightful?"

Harry shrugged again. "It's not insightful. It's just observant. Since primary school, I've seen all kinds of parent/child interaction (beyond the Dursleys). I've seen what parents sometimes do with their kids. If I had a pound," he took a breath, "or a Galleon for every time I've wished for someone to just spend time like that with me, I'd…" Well, that analogy didn't work. Between the Potter and Black inheritances, he was unspeakably rich. He thought for a moment. "Well, I'd never have to have worn Dudley's old cast-offs, now would I?" He looked down and sighed.

Severus recognized that now was a time he should hug Harry – it was what he might have done to a Slytherin student who revealed to him something at least as emotional. Their fledgling relationship was taking off, but that seemed to be too much for now. Instead, he reached across his desk to touch Harry's hand, which was gripping the edge of the desk. Harry looked up and their eyes met. "You knew what you wanted, you thought about it carefully, and you planned a way to get it."

"Well, only if you want to, sir."

Severus smiled. "I do." Cocking his head to the side, he said, "You've wanted something like this for a long time, haven't you?"

"You have no idea, sir."

Professor Snape's sense of justice was offended, though he couldn't say why. "I've never heard of this until today. You never said anything."

Harry looked askance. "Who would I tell? And forgive me, sir, but until _very_ recently, you would have been the _last_ person I would want to come to about emotional issues."

Professor Snape had the grace to look sheepish. "Understood. But… even as an orphan, you are still adored by the Wizarding World."

Harry raised an eyebrow. "Fame clearly isn't everything."

Severus smirked. "Indeed. Such logic is positively Slytherin of you."

"Thank you, sir. I think."

* * *

On Tuesday at breakfast, Draco asked Danny, "So did you ask your uncle?"

Danny offered a small smile. "I did. I'm sorry to say that he made other plans, and he has said that we won't be coming to Malfoy Manor for Christmas. However, he didn't tell me what those plans _are_, yet."

Draco sighed. "I'm sorry to hear it. But I hope you end up enjoying those plans, whatever they are." They continued to talk about nothing of consequence.

During the break after Transfigurations, Draco wrote home to tell his mother of Professor Masters' decision. He also answered his mother's other questions. Usually, if she asked about a friend, she spoke about family, although she hadn't done that in years. But then again, Draco hadn't had a new friend in years, either. Still, she didn't ask the usual questions. She only asked what town he was from and what he looked like. Danny didn't tell anyone where he was from. However, describing what Danny looked like was simple enough.

Thursday afternoon, Narcissa received Draco's owl. Bellatrix crossed her arms and demanded, "So what does it say?"

Narcissa replied simply, "The good professor has alternate plans for himself and his nephew."

Bellatrix scowled. "Our Lord will not be pleased."

"What won't please me, Bella?" Voldemort asked as he entered the study. He adopted the Malfoys' sitting room as his current throne room. He allowed Narcissa the privacy of the study for her own affairs. Sometimes.

Bella snapped to attention. "My Lord! Draco was unable to convince his newly orphaned friend and his uncle to come here for Christmas."

The Dark Lord narrowed his red eyes. "Newly orphaned, is he? What is the name of this child?"

"Danny Fenton, my Lord," Bella crowed with pride. "Draco wanted to invite him, but the child's uncle made other arrangements." She told him of the friend and the extended invitation. She was sure she told her lord the names of both the uncle and nephew before.

"Daniel Fenton," Voldemort said, getting himself familiar with the name of his possible target. "And what does young Daniel look like?" He looked to Bella, who in turn looked to Narcissa.

Narcissa paled, and reread her son's letter. "My son says he looks like the Potter boy, but with uncorrected blue eyes, and – of course – no scar." Voldemort hissed – he wasn't sure if he was pleased or dismayed at the scar the Potter brat bore. Narcissa trembled.

Ignoring his hostess's discomfort, Voldemort put a skeletal finger to his lips. "Hmm… I wonder… No Death Eaters have seen this boy, as they have been searching for a boy who looks uncannily like Potter. This is curious. If Daniel was in Amity Park, then he cannot have been a wizard, as there _were_ no wizards in Amity Park. But a Muggle would not be a student at Hogwarts. What town is this boy from?"

Narcissa answered shakily, "Draco didn't say, Lord."

"I'll have to think on it. This Daniel presents a puzzle. But your son, Narcissa… he makes me curious. Children of my other servants have strange reports of your son's budding friendship with Harry Potter. I had such hopes for him, as I promised him a means of redemption where your husband so clearly failed."

Narcissa stopped shaking. Love for her son gave her strength. She might not know anything about Draco's new friend Danny, but if Draco changed his mind about the Potter boy, he would have let her know. "Draco's told me nothing of such a friendship, my Lord."

The Dark Lord sighed. "Apparently, the Potter boy's charms have affected not only your son, but my favorite spy and Potions Master. He no longer torments my greatest enemy and primary target, as has been reported to me. Giving comfort to the enemy is an act of treason. It's a pity, as he was useful. Now he must be killed."

"But my son!"

"Ah, your son, Narcissa. He's but a boy. And children can be infinitely useful, if unwittingly helpful. He will continue to provide information about Daniel, and perhaps Harry. You better hope that, unlike Severus, he doesn't outlive his usefulness."

* * *

Thursday, during office hours, Professor Snape was visited by Professor Dumbledore's phoenix. "Fawkes! Forgive me, Miles, I have to attend to this."

Miles Bletchly recovered from the shock of seeing the phoenix materialize out of nowhere. It wasn't the idea of things appearing or disappearing that rattled him. It was just… Apparating and Disapparating in Hogwarts was impossible. Except, maybe, for house-elves. And Fawkes… well, he didn't seem to fly the way owls do.

Professor Snape took the missive from Fawkes's talons, while Fawkes sang to Miles apologetically, to calm him further.

_Severus,_

_ I need to see you for an appointment this evening. Please tell me when you will be available._

The professor sighed. "Is everything alright, Professor?" Miles asked, concerned.

Severus smiled. "Everything is fine, Miles. I just need to respond, and we can get back to our topic of discussion."

_Professor,_

_ I have a previous engagement immediately after dinner. I shall be available shortly after 8:00 this evening._

"Here, Fawkes." Professor Snape extended the note to the bird, and he took it, vanishing in a flame. Miles jerked his head as he was startled. "Not to worry, Miles. He does that. Back to the matter at hand…"

* * *

Professor Snape came to the Room of Requirement to see it in the 'laboratory' mode, with targets galore, and both Danny and Vlad were in ghost form.

"Professor!" Danny exclaimed. Apparently, Vlad had another surprise in store for them.

Vlad smiled, showing his fangs. "Ah, Professor Snape. So good of you to come."

Under his breath, Snape muttered, " 'Come into my parlour,' said the spider to the fly." To Vlad, he said, "It is an honor to visit your Powers Training session once again. Is this particular talent confidential, or may I discuss it with Professor Dumbledore? It's been a while since you've made mention of any powers you have worked on with Professor Flitwick or the Headmaster."

Vlad considered, putting a finger to his chin. "Hmm… I think you can share this talent. However, you may _only_ share it with Professors Dumbledore and McGonagall."

Snape nodded. "Fair enough. May I ask why?"

Vlad raised an eyebrow. "Indeed. The talent you are about to see, and the experiment in which you are about to participate, is only defensive, and I'd prefer the smallest number of wizards to be cognizant of it. And since the Headmaster trusts you and McGonagall above all others, I'll use that as my yardstick. Therefore, you three may know, but none else."

"Understood."

A predatory grin spread across Vlad's lips. "Very good. Daniel and I will show you what we've been up to. Daniel, I'll go first." Danny nodded.

Vlad shot a pink beam of ectoplasmic energy at Danny, who caught it and turned it into a pink ball, infused the ball with his own green ectoplasm, and threw it at one of the targets. The wooden target was demolished, and nothing but ash remained.

Vlad explained. "You see, Professor, it is possible for a ghost, who is attentive enough, to catch the energy of an ectoblast of another ghost and redirect it elsewhere. However, by infusing one's own ecto-energy into it further intensifies the blast, making it all the more painful when the blast hits the intended target." Turning to Danny, he said, "Come, Daniel. It is your turn."

Danny shot his blast at Vlad, who caught it, infused it, and destroyed a target and the two on either side of it. A look of pure terror flashed on Snape's face.

Danny called, "Professor?" Professor Snape was motionless in a mild state of shock. Danny put a hand on his shoulder and repeated more urgently, "Professor?"

Shaking himself out of his shock, Severus said, "Forgive me."

Concerned, Danny asked, "Professor, what happened?"

Clearing his throat to collect more control of himself, Snape answered, "Daniel, your ecto-energy is the same color as the Killing Curse. I've seen the color before, in your bonds and in your ball. But this is the first time I've seen you use it in blast form. The last time I've seen a similar tableau, the Dark Lord killed someone with _Avada Kedavra_. I, myself, used the curse when I experimented with your uncle, but to see such a color emanating from one as young as yourself was a sight I wasn't prepared to see."

"I'm sorry, sir." Danny patted his shoulder.

Vlad's predatory grin turned into a truly evil smirk as he considered the possibilities. Severus felt his blood run cold, but he refused to give Vlad the satisfaction of knowing his feelings further. Schooling his features into a far more professional expression, Vlad said, "And now, the first part of today's experiment: we are going to see if an attentive ghost can catch the magical energy of a spell in a similar fashion to the way Daniel and I caught each other's ectoblasts."

Professor Snape thought, 'Surely, this is the calm before the storm.' Out loud, he said, "Alright. What would you have me do?"

Vlad answered, "I would like you to fire a spell at me that has a colored beam. I'll try to catch it."

Danny asked, "Are you sure this is a good idea?"

Vlad rested a hand on Danny's shoulder. "Absolutely. If this works, the possibilities of what we can do against those who would direct harmful spells against us are endless."

"And if it doesn't work?"

"Not to worry, Daniel. Are you ready, Professor?"

"I am."

Vlad moved away from Danny and stepped into the center of the room. "Fire when ready."

Snape nodded. "_Stupefy!_" Vlad saw the red beam headed for him and put his hand out to catch it. The spell hit him that much faster, and he collapsed, unconscious. Two black rings started around his middle and passed down his legs and up his torso and head, turning him human.

Severus sighed. "Personally, I think I'm glad it didn't work. While I would do nothing to take away from your power, Daniel, if either you or your uncle could simply catch and redirect any spell, you would be far more powerful than I can imagine. You already are very powerful, more so than any wizard, with your Ghostly Wail and your overshadowing ability. The ability to take a wizard's magic and redirect it at will in addition to all the rest of your power would practically make you gods."

Danny shuddered. Professor Snape was right, and _that_ much power… it scared him to think about it. "I got you. Can you revive Uncle Vlad now?"

"Of course." With an _Ennervate_, Vlad sat up and rubbed his eyes.

Looking at his hands, he recognized that he must have lost consciousness. Otherwise his skin would be blue. "Tiramisu! Ah, well. That concludes part one of the experiment."

Professor Snape asked, "That's it?"

Raising an eyebrow, Vlad said, "How rather prosaic of you, Severus. No, that's not 'it,' anymore than it would have been 'it' if Daniel was unable to perform magic while overshadowing a wizard." Transforming back into a ghost, Vlad's evil grin came back. "Now, we are ready to begin part two of the experiment."

Danny and Professor Snape exchanged a glance. Neither had a clue about what Vlad had in store.

Danny saw that grin before, and he was worried. "Um, Uncle Vlad? How many parts are there to this experiment?"

Vlad's red eyes gleamed with pleasure. "Three. Perhaps, on a different day, I'll think up something else, but today's experiment is testing something specific. It is to see how the most common ghost powered weapon interfaces with magic. I've thought about this since you asked me to teach you this skill, Daniel. That, and a combination of thinking over the spells you learned a month ago, and how they might affect a ghost (besides seeing what you were capable of while overshadowing a wizard).

"This is the next level of defense. How do ectoblasts do against various forms of magic? From last month's experiment, we learned how various spells operated against a ghost shield. The next part of this experiment is to see how an ectoblast fares in the face of a wizard's Shield Spell."

Professor Snape said, "That is perfectly logical."

Vlad grinned. "I hoped you would say that. Now… How would you like to be on the receiving end of what appears to be the Killing Curse, but without the impending death sentence? Or more to the point, wouldn't you like to see what it would look like if you could, in fact, shield yourself from the Killing Curse?"

Put that way… Severus swallowed inaudibly, and then whispered, "I might."

Rubbing his hands together, Vlad said, "Ah, very good, very good."

Danny felt the discomfort coming from his professor in waves. "Uncle Vlad, I _really_ don't think this is a good idea." His ectoblasts looked like the Killing Curse? Good heavens – he didn't know who would come out more emotionally scarred from this, him or his professor.

With a reproving glance, Vlad said, "Oh, posh and nonsense, Daniel. You won't actually hurt the professor… much, if it doesn't work. If it does, you won't hurt him at all. You know that, and he knows that."

Snape sighed in resignation. "He's right, Daniel. There is only one way to know if your primary weapon will work against hostile wizards. You know how to modulate your power; I've seen you do it as you created your bonds. I'm not sure if a simple _Protego_ will work against a more forceful blast, as shields can be shattered if enough power is applied against them."

Danny asked, "Are you sure about this, Professor?"

The wizard smiled. "I am. Fire when ready." Despite what the visual of this power would be, Severus was pleased that it would be Daniel to fire against him. Vlad was a loose cannon who might enjoy it too much if he was in a position to cause him pain. He knew, because that is exactly what he felt when the tides were turned.

This contest of wills between himself and Vlad was pointless, but it was fascinating and vastly entertaining, even if it was humiliating or painful at times. And, of course, its main use was to benefit Daniel. He wouldn't give it up for the world, even though he dreaded moments like this next one.

Danny threw a medium sized blast, and Professor Snape cast a _Protego_. The Shield worked, and the blast was deflected. Both Severus and Danny sighed in obvious relief. But now, Snape's curiosity got the better of him. "Daniel, intensify your blast." Danny did as he was told. "Again. Again. Ag-Ahh!" The last intensification burst through Snape's shield.

Vlad applauded, and both Vlad and Severus cheered, "Very _good_, Daniel!" Professor Snape produced a jar of burn salve from one of his cloak's many deep pockets, and liberally applied it to his right arm, which was burned when his shield broke.

Danny, at once, looked guilty. "I'm very…"

"Don't you _dare_ apologize to me. I do recall a day more than _two_ months ago when I distinctly told you to do whatever your uncle instructs."

"But I…"

"Not another word." Danny sighed helplessly. He was sure it could not be healthy for the universe when both Vlad and Professor Snape agreed on anything involving pain.

Vlad smiled. "Now we know that a Charm Shield was able to deflect an ectoblast, but was able to be broken with a blast of enough strength. And this marks the end of part two."

Danny hung in the air disconsolately, flailing his tail while Professor Snape nursed his arm as he put the jar on a small table on the side of the room. Vlad nodded to himself. "So what is part three?" Danny asked.

"It is the reverse of part one. We shall see if it is possible for a wizard to catch the ecto-energy of a ghost."

Danny protested, "But I've already burned…"

Wagging a finger, Vlad said, "Ah, ah, ah, Daniel. You've done enough damage for one day (quite admirably, if I say so, myself). No – this time, it is _my_ turn."

Snape paled. "This is what you had in mind all along," he accused.

Vlad smirked. "In part."

Leaning close to Vlad, Severus snarled in a whisper, "I am going to get you for this."

Vlad whispered back smugly, "Of course." Aloud, he announced, "I shall start by firing a blast not directly at you, but to your right. See if you can use your wand to catch the energy."

Severus frowned. "But that won't…"

"It won't what, Professor?"

"Never mind." When the pain from the burn subsided enough to use his hand normally, Professor Snape held his wand defensively. "Fire when ready."

Vlad's pink beam streamed a foot away from Snape's shoulder. The wizard tried to think of a spell that would accomplish this. What was the spell that linked Harry and Voldemort's wands? Ah, he had it. "_Priori Incantatem._" Nothing happened. He realized there was only one way for this to work, and if Vlad's own 'first stage' of the experiment was any indication, he realized that this part might be just as successful. He swallowed and cleared his throat. "Professor, there appears to be nothing for it. We will have to cast at each other in concert."

Vlad appeared to be disappointed. "So it would seem. So shall we?"

"On three." They counted and cast, and as Severus predicted, there was no effect in the stream of ectoplasmic energy. Snape's hand was burned, and he gave a painful yelp.

"Professor!" Danny flew to Snape's side and grabbed his wrist. The hand was an angry red. "Is there anything I can do to help?"

Snape sighed. "Yes. If you can fetch the burn salve, I…"

"Yes, sir." He flew off to get it. Danny hated to see his professor in pain, but at least he didn't do it this time. It was a small consolation, because it was all for his benefit.

Vlad studied Severus as he attended his hand. "And this concludes part three of the experiment." Noticing Danny's very unhappy expression, Vlad said, "Daniel, why don't you conjure some ice for the good professor?" Danny was thrilled to help, but he was confused, and it showed.

Vlad sighed. "Daniel, your professor and I exchange random forms of pain and humiliation as the opportunity presents itself, but none of it is meant to be permanently damaging or disfiguring."

Danny shrugged. Professor Snape patted Danny's back with his left arm. "Perhaps we should teach you some guile, as your expressions are exceptionally easy to read. Your complete openness is not generally the Slytherin way, though it helps to maintain your innocent charm. While this," he raised his right arm, "is currently painful, I have potions to relieve the pain and repair the skin. Between your ice, the salve, and the potions I mentioned, I shall be completely healed by tomorrow morning."

"But that's impossible!" Danny exclaimed.

"In the Muggle World, perhaps. But this is magic."

Vlad cleared his throat. "And might I remind you, little badger, of our own rapid healing abilities? If magic helps the healing process for those without our gifts, it should take the sting from your conscience, misplaced though I think it is."

Danny realized that Vlad was trying to console him and that both Vlad and Professor Snape were of one accord here. "Okay, I guess." He wasn't sure about this, but it was as good as he was going to get, for now. "So what did you get out of this experiment?"

Vlad smiled. "Ah. Today, we discovered that ectoblasts and magic cannot contain each other, that a magical shield works almost as well as an ectoplasmic shield, and that simple blasts or spell casting cannot be simply redirected the way we can redirect ectoplasmic blasts – if we are wary enough to catch them in time."

Professor Snape clarified, "In other words, the experiment was successful, and we now know more about the nature of how magic and your ghost powers interact." He lifted Danny's chin with a finger. "This information is invaluable, considering the war with Voldemort and the Death Eaters."

"Well…"

Vlad turned human. "Daniel, it is easier and far safer to learn these things in a controlled environment, with minimal damage." Danny was about to object, but Vlad raised a hand. "_Minimal _damage. Professor Snape's burns will take longer to heal than my magically induced Conjunctivitis, but as he said, it will be completely healed by morning." He walked over and gave Danny a reassuring hug. "However, we have to continue our discussion of Don John's plot to entrap Hero, now don't we?"

* * *

Severus entered Professor Dumbledore's office and was slightly surprised to see Professor McGonagall there. The Headmaster's eyes twinkled. "Thank you for coming as soon as you did, Severus." Professor Snape nodded. Albus directed him to sit in a chair in front of his desk. "Now, on to business. It has been more than a month since you reported Professor Masters' inappropriate behavior towards Danny. What have you observed since?"

A firm smile came to Severus's lips. "As Sir Nicholas predicted, Vlad and Daniel have gotten much closer since their… altercation on October 1. I just came from participating in today's Power Training session."

Professor Dumbledore interjected, "Really! And what are they working on? Or, have they permitted you to discuss it?"

Severus's smile grew. "For the first time in a long time, they have permitted me to share what they are working on. However, Professor Masters is ever jealous of his privacy and security, and has only allowed me to tell the two of you what they are up to."

Albus murmured, "Curious. Did he say why?"

"It has to do with the possibility of a ghost's weakness against wizards. Masters is particularly sensitive to that. I would imagine that if he uncovered a significant weakness of wizards against ghosts, it would help our campaign against Voldemort significantly."

Professor McGonagall raised both eyebrows. "Severus! You said You-Know-Who's real name!"

"Indeed, I did. I'll explain that shortly." Professor McGonagall narrowed her eyes, while Dumbledore's eyes twinkled madly with delight.

Nodding knowingly at Severus, Professor Dumbledore asked, "Please, Severus. What are they working on?"

Severus furrowed his brows. "One of the many weapons of their particular brand of ghost is the ability to shoot concentrated ectoplasm into an energy beam. Such a beam gives off heat." He hid his right hand in his lap. "When aimed at another ghost, it can cause the targeted ghost pain. Aimed at a human, it can cause a significant amount of injury in a burn."

"Human, Severus?"

"They aren't precisely dead, Minerva. They have living biology that reacts to stimuli. Some of it works the same as ours, such as their need to eat and sleep, and some of it works differently, and I have yet to begin to imagine how differently that works. It even seems to be very different than the functioning of the ghosts we are much more familiar with. Therefore, the difference between us and the half-ghosts is not of the living and the dead, but of humans and ghosts."

Taking a breath, he continued. "This ability to produce ectoblasts is standard biology, as far as they are concerned. Today, they let me observe an interesting talent, if they are aware enough to use it: they can catch the weaponized ecto-energy and redirect it at a new target of choice. Intensifying said energy is optional."

Severus nodded at the wide eyes of his colleagues. "One experiment we performed today yielded the fact that a Shield Charm can protect against an ectoblast, but not if the blast is sufficiently powerful. The other half of the experiment was to see if spells can be caught and redirected, and if magic can redirect an ectoblast. Neither is possible."

Professor Dumbledore drummed his fingers thoughtfully. "Now I see why Professor Masters wanted to keep this relatively confidential. If we had the ability to redirect their blasts, or if they had the ability to redirect our spells, that would grant a significant amount of control over the other's power."

"It would indeed," Severus agreed. "Testing the limits of control was the purpose of today's experiments."

The Headmaster nodded. "Which brings us back to my initial question. How are my American professor and student getting along?"

Severus answered. "Vlad has become far more sensitive to Daniel's sensibilities and motives. Since our parent/teacher conference following Daniel's mental breakdown, I would say that Vlad's solicitousness of Daniel resembles that of a man seeking to earn the adoptive title of 'father.' From Daniel's comments, I gather they haven't gotten _that_ far yet, but it isn't for Vlad's lack of trying. They have a lot of healing to do before they get there. But they are getting closer."

Professor McGonagall said, "I'm very glad to hear this. At your suggestion, I spoke to the Weasleys, and if circumstances required, they would have taken Danny in as easily as they might take in Harry. They had considered it, but…" She looked to Dumbledore. "You rejected their offer because of the blood wards." She huffed. "The Dursleys are the very _worst_ sort of Muggles."

Professor Snape raised an elegant eyebrow. "Indeed. And that brings me to my next point. I am officially Harry's guardian now."

Professor McGonagall pressed her lips together before replying, "No, you are not."

Both Albus and Severus jumped a bit in surprise. "Of course I am. And I have the papers to prove it."

"Do not toy with me, and do not toy with him. I will not have it."

'He kept this secret far better than I had realized. I'll have to think up some reward for him,' Severus mused. "There is nothing disingenuous about this. Since October 1, I've had to think and rethink a few things. The similarities in the situation between the two half-ghosts and my own situation with Harry are remarkable.

"While the chastisement Vlad received for the misuse of a student from my House was well deserved, I continued to fume over how ill Daniel was treated for something out of his control."

He cleared his throat. "And I realized that I had done the same. But in a way, what I had done was worse." The severe matron's eyes narrowed. "I had despised Harry for being James Potter's child, and assumed that if the boy _looked _so much like his father, he _was_ his father's incarnate. Professor Masters has desired to adopt Daniel from the first moment he discovered his ward was a half-ghost like him. Not even my most severe usage of Harry was as vile as some of the more interesting forms of abuse Vlad served Daniel. But his desire to have him as a son (no matter how twisted it might have seemed at the time) was always present, and never abated, and continues even now.

"I stopped being cruel to Harry after Vlad's incident on October 1. When Daniel told me that Harry's reaction was _gratitude_, of all things, I began to realize how badly I misjudged him."

Professor McGonagall crossed her arms and spat, "And?"

Professor Dumbledore wisely stayed out of the contest of wills of his most trusted companions. Personally, he was over the moon with happiness that two of his lost boys had finally found recognizable love, or an avenue to build it. But Minerva was correct – one month hardly balanced out a behavior pattern of five years. Silently, he rooted for Severus. Nothing gave away his true emotion but the twinkle in his eye.

"And I realized that I never actually let Harry air his thoughts or opinions before. So I called him to my office and gave him the floor. It was most… educational."

"And?" While Harry might have forgiven him, it was clear that Minerva had not.

Severus sighed. "And I discovered that the Boy Who Lived was not the spoiled and pampered prince I believed him to be. He…" Snape colored. Minerva was not only his colleague, she was once his own Transfigurations professor, who learned of his home life while he visited Madam Pomfrey near the start of Third Year. Something James and Sirius did landed him in the hospital wing, but whatever they did to him did not account for all the damage Poppy healed that day. "He was treated far worse by 'the worst sort of Muggles' than my father ever treated me."

He looked away from both of his elders. "And when he told me that his aunt and uncle never wanted him, I decided that I did."

Minerva's expression softened. "And how did Harry respond?"

It would have greatly unnerved him to have to explain himself like this in front of anyone besides the other two people in this room. As it was, it was only Dumbledore and McGonagall. And regardless of all else, Severus was guilty of targeting and emotionally abusing a student in Minerva's House quite cruelly, constantly, and consistently for five years. He owed her an explanation.

With a half-smile, Severus said, "The first thing he did was ask me a security question, to make sure I was not someone else who had taken Polyjuice Potion. I believe I even gave him points for exercising 'constant vigilance.' And I apologized to him. He asked if he could think about it and discuss it with his friends. Considering the fact that I requested that this discussion _not_ become public knowledge, and until very recently, the only people who knew of this besides Harry and myself were Mr. Weasley, Miss Granger, and Daniel, I am not completely surprised that this is the first you are hearing of it.

"After his various conversations, and a little time to get used to the idea, Harry came to me to ask why I've changed so dramatically towards him. I answered him, and apologized again. By the end of that discussion, Harry agreed that, though it will take me time to repair much of the damage I wrought, he would become my ward."

Professor McGonagall raised both eyebrows. "But _why_, Severus? And why _now_?"

He looked to Professor Dumbledore who looked back curiously. Severus's face became its standard unreadable mask. "That isn't important for you to know, Minerva. What _is_ important is that I've changed my behavior, I've apologized for my wrongful actions, and I've been forgiven by the one I've wronged. And to be perfectly honest, out of all the people who supposedly love him and care for him, _I'm_ the only one who has made any effort to remove him from his untenable home life, or even to make arrangements for him after he turns seventeen. Sure, he will have reached his majority, but there _must_ be 'life after the Dursleys' for him." He sat back and crossed his arms.

Professor McGonagall's jaw dropped. He was right, of course. How horribly have the Hogwarts staff failed Harry Potter? But more importantly, how horribly had _she_ failed him? She was his Head of House. "But…"

"But what?" He raised an eyebrow, challenging her to question him. She deflated.

The Headmaster peaked his eyebrows as he sadly absorbed Severus's words. The fact that Harry might indeed be a Horcrux was no reason to deny the boy love. If it wasn't for that blessed blood ward which kept Harry safe from Voldemort at his aunt's house, perhaps Albus would have made more of an effort to find someone who loved Harry to take him in. Perhaps he could have made more of a fuss with Remus Lupin. Perhaps… there were many interesting ways Harry's childhood could have been made happier and more pleasant.

But no. His acerbic Potions Master was spot on. Besides Sirius, who gave his life to protect Harry (well… it was a Death Eater attack and Sirius was a casualty, but the purpose of the attack was to get Harry and the prophecy), Severus _was_ the only wizard who made any attempt to remove Harry from the Dursleys. Severus _was_ the only wizard to not just think of Harry's career choice, but his day-to-day living experience. Harry inherited 12 Grimmauld Place, but it was just a house. Harry deserved a home, and Severus was going to give him one. It may be 15 years late in coming, but it was better late than never.

* * *

Friday afternoon, when Vlad normally sat in the staff room marking papers, found Vlad in Professor Dumbledore's office. "Professor Masters! What can I do for you this fine afternoon?"

Vlad decided he could use the Headmaster's chipper attitude to his advantage. "I need to take all of next weekend off. I would leave Friday, sometime after Daniel's lessons, and I expect to return on Sunday, in time for Daniel's lesson."

Professor Dumbledore had almost gotten used to Vlad's unusual requests. Usually, they involved a fascinating new method to get his material across, and he had to admit that his half-ghost teacher was the best Defense Against the Dark Arts instructor since and perhaps even better than Remus Lupin. As far as requests went, this was a new one, and Albus couldn't help but be curious. "What for, Professor?"

Vlad sighed. "I need to do something I should have done a long time ago. A year ago, in order to get a few things I wanted, I used the simple expedient of besmirching Daniel's ghostly persona's reputation in the media. (For the record, I didn't end up getting what I wanted.) So many things have happened since then, I had forgotten about a few details, until a few weeks ago. Now, I intend to go back to America to start to correct a few of the difficulties I created for the boy."

The wizard shook his head. Sir Nicholas hinted that Vlad was a bit of a villain and Severus mentioned Vlad's former abuse of Danny. Considering how private Professor Masters was, his conscience had to bother him significantly to admit his wrongdoing in order to get permission for such a leave of absence. "Go ahead, Vlad. I will need to rearrange the patrol rotation for the weekend, but it will be doable. Good luck in your endeavors." He smiled warmly at Vlad. "Please check in with me before you leave and when you come back. I would like to know my DADA professor has returned in the same condition he left."

* * *

Friday night after their lessons, Vlad asked, "Daniel, do you have plans for tomorrow?"

This question took Danny by surprise. Vlad hadn't asked such a thing since before the Gryffindor Quidditch try-outs on September 14. "Just homework and studying. Nothing special. Why?"

Vlad furrowed his brows. "I'd like to spend a bit more time with you this weekend. Tomorrow, after breakfast, we can discuss media outlets and other things. I intend to go to London after lunch tomorrow to email my press secretary the results of the conversation. I expect to get back in time for dinner. Spending time together is particularly important because next Friday after our lessons, I intend to go back to America for that press conference I've been talking about, and see what I can do about the Guys in White. I'm not sure what time I'm getting back next Sunday, so… That's why tomorrow is so important."

Danny's eyebrows shot up. "Wow. That's… really thoughtful, Vlad." Not only was Vlad working to fix the problems he caused, he actually cared about lost time. Like a father might.

Vlad wasn't sure if he should be hurt by Daniel's lack of faith in him or smug because Daniel was so grateful. Self-satisfaction won out. "I'm glad you like it. I'll see you after breakfast. Have a good night, little badger."

Saturday morning, Vlad and Danny came to the classroom they used in the beginning of the year. "So, Daniel, I have a few stations, papers, and anchors in mind. Are there any you would prefer to be there?"

Danny rolled his eyes in concentration, and ticked names off on his fingers when he came up with them. "Well, there's Harriet Chin, Tiffany Snow, Lance Thunder…" He focused back on Vlad. "The poor guy just wants to be a weatherman, but he seems to have been drafted to cover the ghost activity in Amity Park."

Vlad smiled nastily. "I'll be sure to include him. Anyone else?"

Danny shrugged. "I don't know, Uncle Vlad. I mean, outside of the local Amity Park stations and papers (and the jerky Guys in White), I don't know who else takes reports about ghosts seriously." Danny blushed. "I mean, Ms. Chin lost her job at the _Milwaukee Journal_ because she reported about…" He realized what he was about to say, and did a double take. With an angry glare, Danny shouted, "Your attack on the party, especially what you did to Dad!"

"Oh, you mean the reunion? Yes, well… no, I have nothing useful to say about it." He frowned and hung his head for a moment or two. Then he looked up. With a helpless, hopeful smile, Vlad asked, "Would it be too late to ask you to forgive me, dear boy?"

Danny deflated. He shrugged. "I guess not. Anyway, when I asked Jazz about it on the way home, she said it like it was obvious. Like, of _course_ she would be fired. She wrote for the 'Milwaukee Journal,' not the 'National Enquirer.' Unless people take the 'National Enquirer' and stuff seriously, I'm really not sure what you can get that will reach the Guys in White besides the Amity Park locals."

Vlad patted Danny's back. "Not to worry, Daniel. Leave that to me. Your suggestions were helpful." He couldn't help but smirk. "Especially Lance Thunder."

Danny shook his head. Vlad would be Vlad.

"Do you have any other suggestions?"

"Not really." Danny blinked. "Wait a minute. I just remembered another one."

Vlad raised both eyebrows. "Who?"

"That lady who reported Walker's massive ghost invasion. I don't remember her name, though." Danny sighed. "Since I wore Lady Helena's diadem, I've been a lot better at remembering obscure memories. Even if I don't get _all_ the details, I do remember some things. Like… she had a Japanese-sounding last name, and that she surprised herself with actually reporting ghosts. But I can't remember her name."

"Interesting. I'll track down her name before I email my press secretary. I like the fact that you are more comfortable with your own insights since you wore this diadem."

Danny thought for a moment. "It sounds like the type of thing you used to steal."

Vlad chuckled. "It does, at that. I may try it on at some point, although I'm told that wearing it longer than an hour has no real benefit. Well… more than one hour once a year. If it was an instantly renewable constant resource, I might very well have taken steps…"

"Vlad!"

The older half-ghost laughed. "It's not that important anymore. I used to seek things of power to increase my influence. But… Now I have _you_, and you are far more important and impressive than ruling the world. Simply having you, learning to love you, and perhaps you learning to love me in return is a treasure beyond price and measure."

Danny stared blankly. Vlad reached over and ruffled his hair. "Alright then. Daniel, are you up for a game of chess?"


	33. Chapter 33

I want to thank all who read, reviewed, and added this fic (and me) to your favorites and alert lists. In thanks, I offer you cookies, milk, and apples.

Only Pixie dust of doom figured out where the 'Men in Black' quote would have gone, if it would have been fitting to place it. So YOU get the extra donut! During Vlad and Danny's conversation about different media and how they would react to reporting about ghosts, I thought of having Danny tell Vlad that no one takes the 'National Enquirer' seriously except for the Men in Black, who consider supermarket tabloids their 'hot sheets.' But that would require Danny, who is currently living in 1996, knowing of the 'Men in Black,' which is a movie that didn't come out until 1997.

CatalystOfTheSoul and Quacked Lurker guessed and got Dunkin' Donuts Coolatas as parting gifts. Thank you for playing!

Before this chapter was written, Cynthia came up with the absolute devastation Vlad asks Technus to come up with, concerning the Guys in White. She is better at destruction than I am. If you like the last three scenes, while I wrote them, they are pretty much her fault.

While there were two weeks or so between the last chapter and this, I realized that it was not likely that would occur again, for a while. Therefore, I wanted to wish everyone a happy and healthy, sweet New Year for 5770.

Disclaimer: I do not own _Danny Phantom_, _Harry Potter_, Shakespeare's 'Much Ado About Nothing' and 'As You Like It,' _Fiddler on the Roof_, Robert Frost's 'Stopping By Woods on a Snowy Evening,' _Through the Looking-Glass_, Casper the Friendly Ghost, or _Star Wars: Return of the Jedi._

The airport, restaurant, concert hall, and symphony orchestra Vlad visits are all real places and people, although I have no idea if they played on the day I wrote that they did. Toby Roth really was a Republican Congressman of Wisconsin in 1996.

Chapter 33

Friday, November 22, came far too quickly for Vlad's taste, but the day gave him nothing he couldn't handle. He made sure to remind Daniel that some time next week they would finish their unit on 'Much Ado About Nothing' and they would begin 'As You Like It.'

He especially reminded him to review many of his ghost skills while he was gone. Over the week, they made up a list of things to test, and Daniel not only admitted that his new list was far more extensive than the list his friends used to help him train, Danny was a bit impressed with himself for being able to do them. Vlad even asked Professor Snape to watch him practice (speed guns don't operate themselves, and it was time to let Daniel show off for his favorite professor).

Vlad hugged his charge and hopefully soon-to-be son. (This only got better and more comfortable with practice!) At 11:00pm, he shouldered a bag full of papers to mark and stopped by the Headmaster's office to check out with him as requested.

Going through the Ghost Zone, Vlad touched down on Skulker's island, and knocked on the residence door. "Plasmius! You're back!"

Ah, yes. It was _good_ to be back in the Ghost Zone, where he practically ruled. "Yes. I have a press conference at 7:00pm, Central Time. After the conference, I would like to see you and Technus in my Wisconsin home. Oh, and so there are no surprises, I'm giving the press the impression that the reason ghosts haven't attacked Amity Park is Daniel's doing."

Skulker took a moment to figure out how to react to this. Plasmius was his employer, and he financed some of Skulker's more creative endeavors, including more imaginative hunting technology. On the other hand, he also had some bizarre notions about the Ghost Zone's greatest hunter's favorite prey. The idea that the pup had discouraged his myriad of enemies from hunting him down was patently ridiculous. But Plasmius had his reasons to encourage this nonsense in the Human World. What they believed didn't ultimately matter.

"So, how is the whelp?"

"You mean 'the boy to be my son as soon as I can manage it'?"

Whoa… This was serious, and it sounded like his favorite prey was about to be permanently removed from his list of fair game. "Yes, Plasmius."

"He is doing very well. He is slowly recovering from his mourning, though I wouldn't hold it against him if he persisted with it until next July. He's developed a form of nearly every power I have, though not as thoroughly as I have them. That will change with practice." Skulker peaked his eyebrows. That did NOT sound healthy for his hunting career. "And he has a talent or two I can only dream of. Right now, you may think of him as prey, but in a few years, the entire Ghost Zone will think of him as 'Master.' Not that it is his ambition, nor because of my human last name."

This was far more serious than Skulker could imagine. "But why?" Skulker's whole imperious manner took a major hit when dealing with Plasmius, the premier superior power.

Vlad smirked. "Because, you see, with proper training – which I intend to give him – his power will eventually far surpass my own, and many of his ghostly antagonists will survive because of his benevolence alone. His hero complex is good for something, and protecting those less powerful than himself is high on his priority list. Unless, of course, he perceives that they will harm those less powerful still, in which case, he'll have no problem causing the instigator pain if not destruction."

Skulker shook his head, his electric eyebrows already peaked. Pain and destruction? But… every ghost in the Ghost Zone knew of the ghost boy's 'capture and release' policy. Destruction?

The boy _must_ be spending far too much time with Plasmius if he's changed that policy for such ruthlessness. But now that he thought about it, the boy always seemed to hold back, unless he was emotionally hurt by a ghost threatening his favored humans. It was that holding back that generally made him an easy mark. Well, sort of. No one ever held the boy down for long.

If the ghost child changed his policy from 'pummel, capture, and release' to 'pummel and possibly destroy,' the myriad of enemies he thought of before could be in serious danger.

It would probably be best to warn any ghost willing to listen that the ghost child was truly the ward of Plasmius. Hands off the ghost child and the humans in his vicinity would be the healthiest route for any ghost.

Vlad continued. "But that's not why I'm here."

Skulker shuddered. There was more?

"I want you to give me an itemized list of all the weapons and tools the Guys in White confiscated when they took your battle suit. I need to run this against a checklist of weapons and tools the Guys in White currently have in stock and in production."

Ah. They were back to business Skulker was always prepared to discuss with his employer. "I will have it ready for you by our meeting after your conference."

Vlad nodded. "Very good. I'll expect you and Technus around 8:15 or so." With that, he flew off home. He would change into a fresh suit and whatnot. Further, he could mark papers until 6:30 or so.

* * *

At five to seven, Vlad invisibly looked out at the sea of reporters with satisfaction. There were Daniel's specific requests: Harriet Chin, Tiffany Snow, Shelly Makamoto (the female anchor whose name Daniel couldn't recall), and Lance Thunder. Vlad took perverse pleasure in Mr. Thunder's not-quite-resignation and bad grace with which he sat, ready to report, take comments, and ask questions. Beyond that, there were any number of other media representatives from a city, state, and national level. Ah, and there was his personal guest and her father, young Miss Valerie Grey. And standing out like FBI agents never would, Operatives O and K from the Guys in White stood towards the back. In different places among the audience sat the Groovy Gang (there were no ghosts… well, _other_ ghosts present, so Scaredy Cat had nothing to be afraid of) and the Extreme Ghost Breakers, who gave offense simply for existing, but the female of the team had a gag on the male of the team. It seemed that everyone who he wanted was there.

Vlad slipped back inside City Hall (even the weather seemed to conspire on Daniel's behalf for this outdoor event). Mayor Ernesto Montez was smug that such a famous and important personage as the billionaire Vlad Masters was not only publicly gracing his city with his presence, but placed a media presence in his city that it had never known, heretofore. At seven, Mayor Montez stepped up to the podium, unfazed by the mass of microphones in front of him. "Citizens of Amity Park and other friends and guests, with us today is a man of great talent and a mind for civic matters. Let me introduce a man who needs no introduction, Vlad Masters!"

The audience gave thunderous applause. Vlad refrained from rolling his eyes. The media and the audience ate up his philanthropic persona. He waved, he smiled, and he realized that if he decided to run for mayor of this backwater town, he could probably win, hands down, legitimately. Of course, he would never leave things to chance, but it was interesting to know that he probably could, regardless.

He waited until the roar of the audience died down. "Many of you gathered here today remember that over a year ago, an anonymous benefactor placed a million-dollar bounty on the ghost thought to be a menace to society: Danny Phantom. Over the course of the year, many things have happened. There was a massive ghost invasion that definitively showed the people of Amity Park that ghosts are, in fact, real. Ghost fights have caused thousands of dollars of property damage, and notably odd things keep happening. An entertainer whose family participated in the occult for generations forced a crime wave upon ghosts under his control. Many of the ectoplasmic menaces are repeat offenders, but none of those involved in Circus Gothica were under Frederich Showenhower's control, except Danny Phantom. Why do you think that would be?

"The next time a major ghost event was noted involved this _entire town_ being transported to an alternate dimension, called 'the Ghost Zone.' Many of the usual ghostly suspects were here. I remember, because I was _also_ here during that occasion, visiting my dear friends, the Fentons.

"All of the city of Amity Park is aware of the event. Anyone outside might have noticed the disturbing lack of phone connection or media receptivity to or from this great town. As I said, most of the usual ghosts spent time here, but only one was single-handedly responsible for the defeat of the giant ghost tyrant, Pariah Dark: Danny Phantom. I noticed that the young Phantom's status changed from Public Ghost Enemy Number One to a hero of, what was it? A 64 percent approval rating? Why him? Why do you think that is?

"Many other ghost disturbances happened, but one of the most infamous happened last Christmas. I read all about how the mall was destroyed, presents disappeared, trees became demonic monsters… and it all focused again on young Danny Phantom, true. But if I remember reading correctly, all of the presents and trees and general holiday sanity were restored, and again the focus of _this_ activity was once again, Danny Phantom.

"From these events alone, what can we learn? An entertainer exploited one famous, resident ghost. This same resident ghost, who is hated and targeted by a nameless 'benefactor' and the rest of the town saves this place, and all the disturbances over the holiday were a red herring, as there was no lasting damage. The only thing that can be concluded, if anything at all, is despite the negative publicity, despite all the hatred – baseless or earned, despite the constant harassment by the local and visiting ghost hunters, this ghost only wishes to help the people of this city.

"In July, this fair city suffered in the worst possible way. A terrorist attack tore the heart out of Amity Park. And you might notice that neither the young Phantom nor the ghosts he regularly fights have plagued this city in mourning. No ghost since July 20 has caused a dime's worth of property damage. It is almost as if Danny Phantom, the ghost who saved this city from an alternate dimension, and countless other ghost powered technical difficulties, convinced the ghosts who have more of a track record of destruction to leave this fair city to mourn in peace. Perhaps it is time, for once and for all, to renounce all claim to animosity against a consistent ghostly protector and hero."

Great applause resounded. Vlad nodded appreciatively, but he kept his eye on the handful of people he was counting on to give him a hard time. They did not disappoint him. (Frankly, he would have been terribly disappointed if everyone simply agreed with him. It would have meant that they were under some form of mind control, and then he'd _really_ be annoyed. Then, some unfortunate ghost who thought it was too intelligent would cease to exist come morning, Central Time.)

The national media, and even most of the general state media of Wisconsin and Illinois discussed amongst themselves whether this was still worth the effort. The people from the _Milwaukee Journal_ had their eyes glaze over – Harriet Chin might have had something when reporting the 'Wisconsin Ghost,' and obviously she was more up on the bizarre goings-on in Amity Park than they were. Even the conservative, no-nonsense businessman Vlad Masters seemed to know more about this 'ghost' situation than they knew.

Shelly Makamoto was the first of the local media to respond. "Mr. Masters, many of the things you've said are very compelling. However, there are witnesses who saw this menace Danny Phantom interrupt a meeting at City Hall and kidnap our mayor."

Vlad put a hand to his chin. "You know, Ms. Makamoto, I've heard rumors to that effect. Mayor Montez, do you remember being kidnapped?"

The mayor concentrated. "No. What a funny thing to forget."

Vlad frowned. "You don't remember it because it never happened." He raised a hand as people started to object. "I'm not saying that you didn't see the ghost boy's hands on the mayor. I am saying you didn't see everything. Perhaps you would remember the people who were in City Hall at the time of the supposed kidnapping? I happened to have been close personal friends with the late Fentons." He almost smirked as every local head snapped in attention. The Mansons were particularly entertaining to watch. He would have to get back to Daniel on this later.

"For those here who don't know of the Fentons, Jack and Maddie and I were in college together, but far more recently, they were the leading experts on ghosts locally, if not nationally. Maddie told me that during this supposed kidnapping event, she was there, the mayor was there, and Danny Phantom was there. You have no recollection of this, Mayor Montez?"

Ernesto frowned in frustration. "Nothing. None at all."

"Hmm. Maddie said she suspected something of this. Mrs. Fenton said that there was something similar in the mayor's general carriage during this occasion and her husband's behavior at our 20th anniversary college reunion."

Harriet Chin stood up. "He was being possessed by a ghost!"

Vlad was glad that _someone_ was paying attention. "That is a logical conclusion."

Shelly shouted, "The mayor was being possessed by Danny Phantom!"

Before Vlad could say a word, Harriet said, "If you saw your own station's tapes, you would know that the mayor was not _possessed_ by Danny Phantom. Danny Phantom was _holding_ the mayor. A different ghost was controlling the mayor from inside. Considering Mr. Phantom's heroic behavior in saving the city, it is far more likely that he was _rescuing_ the mayor from that other ghost."

It was beautiful when the unsuspecting public finally stumbled upon the truth that was painfully obvious. Vlad smiled. "That is exactly what Maddie told me. Phantom ejected the ghost from the mayor, and Maddie blasted it back to the Ghost Zone with her… Fenton Bazooka." He refrained from rolling his eyes. He was willing to bet VladCo's entire payroll that Jack named the gun.

This press conference was turning into more of a town hall meeting, but every station was covering this. The only thing Vlad could see that would bring this even _more_ ratings than it would already guarantee is if it had a Jerry Springer moment. But such crudeness was totally unnecessary. However, it was time to stir the pot some more.

"Oh, it might interest you to know that the mysterious benefactor informed me that he's had a change of heart. He has rescinded the offer for the million-dollar bounty. He said it would not serve the good of the people to incapacitate a hero." Vlad _did_ grin when he saw the anguish and dismay on the faces of the teens from the Groovy Gang and the Extreme Ghost Breakers. They shook their heads sadly and left for their assorted vehicles.

Damon Grey stood up and made his way to one of the reporters holding microphones. "Mr. Masters, on behalf of Axion Labs, I want to thank you for your work and your efforts to help our city. But you should know that Danny Phantom was responsible for stealing some equipment and destroying a satellite that connected technology on an international scale."

Vlad frowned in thought. He heard all about the event from the Axion people, and Skulker told him all about his friend's exploits. More to the point, he was in Japan when a mechanical hydra with Technus's face sprung out of a movie theatre. The electrical surge from Technus's foolishness wreaked havoc in the building his business meeting was in. It was a good thing his Power Point presentation was safely running from his wireless laptop that ran on a mini ecto-converter. Otherwise, his pitch would have been ruined, and Technus would have been far more unhappy than he was when Daniel shut him down.

"Yes. That happened the week Casper High School was scheduled to take a class field trip to the Axion Labs here in Amity Park, correct?"

Damon's eyes widened. "Yes, sir. How did you know?"

"Mr. Grey, my ward Daniel Fenton was in the same class as your daughter, Valerie. As the son of such close friends, Daniel is practically my nephew. I keep up with these things. But more to the point, the international havoc caused by the troublesome ghost took on the _face_ of the ghost in question. That ghost looked nothing like Danny Phantom. When Axion reported to me that the satellite was destroyed by Danny Phantom, I realized then that by stopping the technological insanity, Phantom became an international hero."

Vlad noticed as Valerie sat fuming. He would have to speak to her when this was over.

Lance Thunder groaned, "Why am I here? If I would have taken that job in Chicago, I wouldn't have to deal with this nonsense." Looking around and behind him, he amended, "This nonsense that will draw ratings it has no business having. Still, how often does a weatherman like me get to ask questions of a billionaire like him?"

He stood up. "Mr. Masters, with Axion Labs as a part of your financial empire, I understand you have interests to protect here in Amity Park. But you are an international businessman, and – if I'm not mistaken – your main base of operation is in Wisconsin. Why would someone like you care about a ghost problem elsewhere in the country that most people have trouble even believing? What are you getting out of this?"

Vlad noticed the people he expected to disagree with him nod. Answering this would be great fun. "Mr. Thunder, you have asked a very good question. Unfortunately, the answer to your question has almost nothing to do with business. It is almost entirely personal. When my friends Jack and Maddie Fenton were killed, their son became my ward. I am Daniel's guardian, and if I obtain his consent, I will adopt him formally, whereby making him my son."

The amassed crowd cooed, "Awww…"

Audiences were _so_ predictable. "Yes, well… As a child who spent all his life in the town of Amity Park, and as the son of the premier paranormal researchers and ghost hunters, Daniel had a few insights to share about this Danny Phantom. Despite what the media had to say at any given time, with a few definite exceptions," Vlad looked at Valerie and met her gaze, "At Casper High School, Danny Phantom was almost universally beloved by the student population." Valerie sat back and folded her arms in disgust.

"There are countless interactions the sharp-witted ghost had with various students. The most memorable moment involved Danny Phantom and large numbers of high school students. It involved Daniel and his enterprising friends temporarily starting a radio station from high atop Fenton Works. I understand that the Nasty Burger gave the short-lived station quite an advertising contract. Perhaps if I could redirect Daniel's attention from astronomy into business, he could be my protégé." A fair portion of the audience laughed.

"As Daniel explained it, for the duration of their station, ghosts apparently kidnapped the adults all over town. Daniel, whose parents were ghost hunters and taught him to operate all of their tools and weapons, led a band of students in the rescue effort to save their parents. Perhaps some of the students in the audience remember the event, but Daniel said that at the most fortuitous time, Danny Phantom showed up, told all the students, adults, and anyone else present to gather around him, and the ghost boy brought them to safety. This Danny Phantom saved my Daniel."

Vlad itched to tell them about the time Daniel saved his classmates from the sphinx, but apparently, Tucker wished that no one but the three Musketeers remembered the incident. Inwardly he groaned. How often has reality been manipulated so that no one would remember Daniel's exploits and adventures? Who is responsible for that?

Vlad decided that this was going to be the topic of a long discussion with the boy in the not-too-distant future! But for now, he had an audience waiting.

"And so, Mr. Thunder, I suppose you could say that my whole advocacy for Danny Phantom is a personal favor to my cherished charge, Daniel Fenton."

There was applause and there were comments on Mr. Masters' altruism, devotion to his charge Danny Fenton, and vindication of the media's change in heart about Danny Phantom. No one in the media looked interested in challenging the business mogul further. Mayor Montez took back the podium.

"Are there any more questions?" Vlad noticed a small band of individuals he would have to address privately, but he thought he tied up all the public loose ends quite nicely. When no one stood up to respond, Mayor Montez gestured to Vlad. "Then I want to thank you for coming, Mr. Vlad Masters." They shook hands. "Thank you for your time, your interest in our town, and remember: Amity Park is a great place to visit!" If he didn't put in a plug advertising the tourist value of his city while he had the sea of local, state, and national microphones in front of him, Ernesto was sure he wasn't doing his job as mayor. Those sound-bytes counted.

The crowd dispersed, and a combination of City Hall's security and Vlad's own security staff cleared the way for Vlad to leave the dais and for the Foleys, the Mansons, the Greys, and Operatives O and K to have a few moments alone with Vlad. They stood in their respective groups, and Vlad would give them each some time.

The Foleys approached Vlad first. "Mr. Masters, we haven't seen you since July, so I don't know if you remember us," Mr. Foley began nervously.

"Not to worry, not at all." Vlad shook Mr. Foley's hand. "You must be Tucker's parents. Daniel only speaks your praise, and – of course – he misses your son very much."

"Oh!" Mrs. Foley gasped. Vlad smiled. "Danny is such a charming boy. Our boys spent far more time in my son's room or out about town than with us, but… Is Danny okay?"

Vlad took her hand and kissed it. "My dear lady, Daniel is doing as well as can be expected. He has far more good days than bad days, lately."

"That's good. I want to… thank you for taking him in. We've known the Fentons since the boys were in kindergarten. And…" Tears welled up in her eyes. "Danny's such a good boy. I'm glad he has you to take care of him."

Vlad was a little surprised at this recommendation. "I thank you for your kind words."

She continued. "I didn't know you were so close to the family. If you wouldn't have been there, Maurice and I might have asked Alicia if we could…" She wiped her eyes with a handkerchief.

Vlad was touched. Very gently, he said, "I'll be sure to send him your regards and well wishes."

"Thank you, Mr. Masters." He kissed her hand again, shook hands with Maurice, and the Foleys took their leave.

The next group to speak to him would prove to be interesting. Of course, he heard of Izzy Manson, who made a fortune with the patent to make the machine that puts cellophane on deli toothpicks. His spunky yet gracious daughter hung back on her scooter, as her son and his wife approached him.

Jeremy and Pamela Manson struck Vlad as obnoxiously pretentious. There were people of quality with great talents and/or intellectual gifts who had money, and then there were rich idiots who assumed that having money creates people of quality. Jeremy and Pamela were of the air-headed country-club variety. They were people who felt that the line from _Fiddler on the Roof_ was gospel: "When you're rich, they think you really know…"

Obviously, the younger Mansons were going to greet him, and attempt to convince him that they had more in common with him than the Fentons did. This should prove interesting, if not entertaining. And if they got too annoying, he could end it early.

"Vlad, we met at my daughter's funeral." Mr. Manson wasn't just pretentious; he was presumptuous as well. Vlad nodded curtly. "I saw that you had the Fenton kid in tow."

"Yes, _Jeremy_, one does bring one's ward to funerals and functions of great sentiment to him."

Mr. Manson didn't seem to notice Vlad's irritation at his overly familiar address. His wife was just as grating. "Mr. Masters, how could you be friends with… those people? They were crass, crude, obnoxious, and unsophisticated."

While Vlad would say she was spot on when describing Jack, he decided not to acknowledge anything either of these people had to say. "I don't know _what_ you mean, Mrs. Manson. Maddie was the soul of graciousness, and was warm in her welcome to any that would enter her home." Of course, Pamela had no need to know of that tea incident during the Ghost King debacle.

Feeling the sting of rebuke, Pam countered, "Well, even so, that son of theirs is a juvenile delinquent. During that vile Circus Gothica, he influenced my daughter to skip school to attend that insanity. We had taken out a restraining order against him coming within fifty feet of our Sam."

Oh, for the love of… "You say Daniel is a delinquent? He's been with me since July 20, and while he can be willful, as teenagers often are, I can assure you that his integrity is impeccable. Circus Gothica is your proof, is it? It might serve you well to remember that Showenhower enslaved all manner of ghosts for his performance _cum_ crime wave. Anyone who knows Daniel can attest to the fact that he is a sweet child, if not as clever as his sister. Has it occurred to you that during Circus Gothica, that Showenhower might have had one of his enslaved ghosts overshadow the boy? Or do you automatically think the worst of the people your daughter brought to your home?"

Both Jeremy and Pamela stood shocked and blushing. Clearly, they never considered overshadowing an option, but neither had they realized how badly they judged their daughter. Vlad was angry and twisted the knife a bit more. "Regardless of _your_ feelings towards the boy, he genuinely misses your daughter. If you stop to consider that this 'juvenile delinquent' not only attended your daughter's funeral at the conclusion of his own _triple_ funeral for both of his parents and his sister, he attended your house of Shiva to pay his respects to both of you, your mother, and your daughter, I wonder what amount of respect would convince you that the boy is _not_ the cretin you accuse him of being."

Sam's parents blanched as they realized how right Vlad was. Crossing his arms, Vlad asked, "Is there anything else you wish to say to insult me, my ward, or his deceased family?"

Jeremy had the presence of mind to realize how badly he and his wife offended this man. "N-no, Mr. Masters. I apologize. I didn't think…"

"That much is obvious."

"We'll just go now. Please tell my mother we'll wait for her at the car." With that, Jeremy and Pamela beat a hasty retreat.

Vlad closed his eyes as he collected his temper. How could they…? How dare they? These people were unbelievable. He heard the motorized hum of the senior Mrs. Manson's scooter. She sighed. "I'm sorry about my son and daughter-in-law, dearie. I can't do a thing with them."

The warm tone of the grandmother made Vlad open his eyes. She smiled apologetically, and then mischievously. "Your Danny made my Sammy very happy. He has reason to be sad right now, but if he's as full of spunk and spirit as I remember him, he'll be right as rain soon enough." She stared off, smiling, remembering.

Suddenly, she zoomed in and poked Vlad in the chest. "You better do right by that boy. There's something very special about him. I can tell that he wasn't generally understood, but when he did open up, he was honest and real. I hope you appreciate the treasure you have in that boy."

"Understood, Mrs. Manson." Sam's grandmother was a force to be reckoned with. Her rebuke made him feel like an awkward teenager himself again, but when she said it, it felt right.

"You call me Ida, young man." Both of them smiled. "If your whole thing today to help Danny Phantom was actually to help Danny Fenton, that speaks well of both of you. Now, you send Danny my love, and tell him to feel free to write. I miss him. He is a precious young man."

Vlad took her right hand in both of his. "Thank you very much… Ida. Your heartfelt well wishes mean a great deal to me, and I'm certain they will mean just as much – if not more – to him. Believe me when I tell you that I will send Daniel your regards and very warm well wishes."

"I do, Vlad dear, I do." She smiled warmly, patted his hand with her left hand, and then headed to the car to her wayward son and daughter-in-law.

Vlad peered at his watch. It was getting late. It was a quarter to eight, but his internal clock told him that it was nearing 3:00am. He muttered, "These woods are lovely, dark and deep/ But I have promises to keep,/ And miles to go before I sleep./ And miles to go before I sleep."

Looking up at the four people he still needed to address, he cleared his throat and settled into his most charming mode. Walking over to the Greys, he said, "Mr. Grey, may I borrow your lovely daughter?"

Damon was rather puzzled why he and his daughter were ushered to where they could have a private audience with Vlad Masters. Discomforted, he asked, "What could you possibly want with my daughter?"

Vlad smiled warmly. "My dear Mr. Grey, Valerie and Daniel are friends. Perhaps she has a message or two I can convey to him when I get back to England. Among other things."

Valerie realized this discussion was going to be about a lot more than Danny, but the things they needed to talk about would not please her father. So she flashed him her most winsome smile and said, "I'll be alright, Daddy. We'll only be right over there."

Damon sighed. "Alright, sweetheart. But remember – we both have work in the morning."

Back to where he had been holding audience, Vlad asked, "So, my dear… Do you have any messages for Daniel? I do thank you for the regards and well wishes you sent. You are right. I _do_ like the boy. I have since I met him."

"What is Harry like?"

Vlad chuckled. "Oddly enough, he looks almost exactly like Daniel. He's a few inches taller, his eyes are green, he wears glasses, and he has a scar the shape of a lightning bolt on his forehead. And he is one of the top in his class in Defense."

"Does _he_ fight ghosts?"

"My dear, in England, the ghosts are mere incorporeal specters. Fighting ghosts there would be as useful as fighting shadows." He thought, 'Unless you're facing Johnny 13, but that's another story.'

"I'll try to come up with something before we're done, but both of us know that's not why you pulled me over here. What is all this about Danny Phantom? You told me that you chose me to help you because of my determination to get rid of that ghost scum."

Vlad winced. This would be difficult. "How is it that you weren't part of the ghost insanity that involved most of the rest of your classmates?"

Valerie gave a wry smile. "The ghosts don't usually leave Amity Park. My Dad and I live in Elmerton. It's just over the bridge, but it's far enough away that most of the ghosts don't care."

"Thank heavens for small favors." He studied her for a moment. "Valerie, why _do_ you hate Danny Phantom so very much?"

Valerie settled uncomfortably. She didn't like to tell this story. "While I was a freshman and before you took over Axion Labs, my Dad used to own his own security company. On the day Daddy finished installing a fully automated security system for Axion Labs that was going to earn Dad several hundred thousand dollars, a large green ghost dog – about ten feet tall – destroyed the lab. Danny Phantom was chasing it. If his dog did all that damage, think of what else that creep could do.

"And because the lab got destroyed, my Dad lost his job. We had to move out of our nice house and a pretty posh lifestyle to a hole in the wall apartment in Elmerton. I lost my friends, and even though Daddy's got a good job again, I still have to work to earn money for college."

Vlad stroked his chin. "Hmm. I can see why you are angry. What about this whole mess upsets you the most?"

Valerie wrapped a curl of her hair around a finger. "You know? It isn't the loss of the 'A-list' friends. If they were so quick to dump me when I didn't have money, they weren't friends worth having to start with."

Vlad nodded. "A wise assessment."

"I guess I'm glad that I got to realize that I used to be a spoiled snob, just like them. But now…" She shrugged. "I started hating Phantom because my Dad lost his job, and the whole social status thing. Not so much because of the stylish losers, but because I have to work for every last frill and luxury. I'll be able – maybe – to afford to go to community college. There's more to it, but that's the biggest deal."

"I see. Your main complaint isn't so much that you are convinced that Phantom is evil, but that you perceive your financial status – particularly with regards to college – as his fault."

The normally self-assured girl felt uncomfortable. No one put it quite so baldly, but that _was_ the biggest deal. "Yeah. However, of all the ghosts I've fought, he's definitely the most challenging. He's kind of cute, which just makes it more frustrating to hunt him down. But… once, the suit you gave me went nuts, and started attacking Danny. I sent Danny to run for help, and then Phantom showed up and destroyed the suit. He… I thought he thought I was in there, and that he was trying to waste me."

Daniel would definitely be simultaneously amused and frustrated by the idea that Valerie thought his Phantom persona was cute. Regardless, it would be interesting to see how far he could bring her before she figured out a few things on her own. "You said that he destroyed the suit."

"Yeah. I think… a ghost gave me my new suit. How weird is that?"

How ironic – a ghost gave her the first suit as well. He cleared his throat. "It isn't weird at all, if the ghost in question wanted you to continue to target Danny Phantom." That reminded Vlad – he _really_ had to talk to Technus. It was on the list of the many topics of this evening's discussion.

"Let's focus on the fact he destroyed the suit. Did he say anything before he did it?"

"I hid behind a garbage can, as the suit was still trying to waste us. Phantom said, 'Now I don't have to hold back.' But…" A light flipped on in her head. "Why would he say that? He never…" No, that wasn't right. He always said he didn't want to fight, he didn't want to hurt her. She always thought it was a trick, but now she wasn't sure.

Come on, you're a smart girl. You can figure this out, dear girl. "Was it his way to hold back or to attack you full throttle?"

"He always said that he didn't want to hurt me. But…" Was she wrong this whole time?

"Is it possible he realized you were not in the suit, and that he was aiming to punish the ghost who took over your suit, because he was angry that the other ghost would hurt humans he cared about?"

"He looked upset when he saw me."

"As long as we are playing this game of logic, let's assume – for the moment – that he had feelings that a human would have. He knew you weren't in the suit, and he knew that you hated him and were ready to believe the worst of him. What do you think he might have felt when he saw you?"

"That…" She felt like she wanted to cry. "That he just showed me how powerful he really was, and that… I would hate him because of what he _could_ have done to me." Her bottom lip quivered.

Vlad put a comforting hand on her back. "Can we safely assume that you aren't assured that Danny Phantom is evil?"

"But…"

"But… if I've gotten this right, the only thing left is your worry about college."

"Yes." Her eyes turned glassy with unshed tears.

"Ah, ah, ah. Be strong. I think you will like the next surprise I have for you." He looked up. "Mr. Grey, could you please join us?"

Damon was worried. "What's wrong, Valerie?"

Vlad answered, "Nothing that won't be fixed in a few moments. Valerie, where would you like to go to college?"

"I don't know. Wherever I can afford to go."

Vlad frowned, as a teacher disappointed in a student's answer. "That wasn't my question. Let's say, for the moment, that money was no object. Where would you like to go?"

"I… I don't know. I never really thought about it before."

Vlad smiled enigmatically. "Do you know what course of study you would like to take?"

"Not yet. I just need to work hard enough to get good grades, but sometimes my job…" She sighed.

"I think I can fix something for you." He lifted her chin with a finger. "Valerie, the main reason you are upset with Danny Phantom is because of your college situation. I have my own reasons for wanting to mend the young ghost's bridges. How about this: you maintain your good grades, score well on your SATs, and get into the college of your choice. And I will give you a full scholarship and a stipend to be discussed with your father to any college you choose. There are only two stipulations. One – you work hard to maintain a good grade point average, and two – you try to make peace with Danny Phantom."

"Mr. Masters!" Damon exclaimed. "We can't accept that. It's too much. It's…"

"But Daddy! It's for college!"

"Sweetheart, I understand that, but I don't understand _why_."

Vlad smiled. "Mr. Grey, there are all kinds of reasons. I could…"

"Mr. Masters, what are you getting out of this?"

"A few things, Mr. Grey. For one, it will ensure that your talented daughter will not have any worries about college. Further, we could say that I'm paying a debt owed by someone I've taken an interest in." Valerie nodded.

Damon looked askance. "That is a lot of money, Mr. Masters."

Vlad gave him a calculating look. "Paying for college is a tax write-off. Will it ease your mind that your daughter's tuition will earn me a pretty tax deduction? That wasn't the goal I had in mind, but I'm sure that such a justification could satisfy you. I hope."

Mr. Grey looked at Vlad. "I… never thought of it that way."

Vlad purred silkily, "There are quite a few ways to look at this. But the most satisfying way erases a grudge long held. There is always something to be said for that."

"But how much? This is something I can't afford to pay back."

Vlad sighed. "It is money due to your family. As the individual I'm helping often says, 'The problem may not be his fault, but it is his responsibility.' And his responsibilities are now _my_ responsibilities. Now, if you asked me who _that_ was… your daughter knows who it is, but he would prefer to keep his anonymity."

Waving a careless hand, Vlad said grandly, "I can afford to be magnanimous to individuals of my choice. And I don't think my terms are unfair."

Damon agreed, "I guess they're not."

Vlad smiled again. "I was sure you'd see it my way. I'll set up an account in escrow. The interest will be yours. The taxes will be mine. And the principle that is left over after college, and perhaps graduate school, if you like, will be Valerie's."

"Are you sure this is owed to us?"

"Absolutely. I'll set it up next week, and I'll send you the details as you need them. My dear, unless you gain an early admissions, the money will have more than a year and a half to grow." He looked at Valerie seriously. "Keep your job because it builds character. But you will never have to worry about… college funds again. Or any of your expenses while in college. Or graduate school." Or anything ever again, really. If I start her with a million dollars, letting the principle grow indefinitely, she'll never have to want for anything. Ever. But I won't tell them that. Until later. Maybe twenty years from now.

I'm sure this stroke of good will is Daniel's fault. I'll have to think of something to do for him when I get back. "So, I think we are squared away, Miss Grey? And Danny Phantom is off your radar?"

"Yes, sir." Valerie leaned closer. "But I make no promises about any other ghost."

Vlad chuckled. "With my blessing. Have a good night. Both of you have work in the morning."

He smiled after them. The Greys were such delightful people. It is moments like these that earned him the reputation of a philanthropist. But there were only two people he cared about knowing their reactions: Valerie and Daniel. Anyone else was bonus, and frankly, unless the Greys said anything, he would prefer to be their anonymous benefactor.

And now, all he had left to deal with were Tweedle-Dee and Tweedle-Dum, his two favorite officious government officials. They might have more rank, but he commanded more power. So when he acknowledged them by nodding at them, they approached him. He smiled. "Gentlemen."

Expressionless as usual, Operative O began. "Vlad Masters, you have officially raised the approval rating for our most wanted ghost."

Vlad smirked smugly. "Yes, I did, didn't I?"

Operative K furrowed his brows. "Now, no one would be interested in turning him in, reporting him, or otherwise helping to apprehend him."

Crossing his arms, Vlad asked, "And why _are_ you so interested in capturing Danny Phantom?"

Operative O explained, "Part of it is the principle of the thing. That ghost has been insanely elusive. Giving up now…" He refused to say, 'It would mean we failed.' "And part of it is the million-dollar reward for turning him in."

Vlad raised an eyebrow. "And where would you bring him?"

"That, Masters, is classified. But we have a number to call."

Vlad just stared. "I just told you that the anonymous benefactor rescinded his offer."

It was Operative K's turn to smirk. "And we only have your say-so. Until we hear from our superiors, the hunt is still on."

Vlad rolled his eyes. (Good manners were wasted on these imbeciles, though he always had to watch his words.) "Gentlemen, _I_ was the anonymous benefactor. I cancelled the reward."

"How do we know it was you?" Operative O said, as if he were being reasonable.

The billionaire imagined smacking himself in the face in frustration. "You are government employees in a federal agency. You have voice recognition technology."

Operative K felt he was on a roll. "We do. But voice recognition technology wouldn't be able to detect if a person was being overshadowed."

Daniel was right. These incompetent morons grew far more competent since he first hired them as bounty hunters. Now he would need to go to Plan B. He glared at both operatives indignantly. "Are you saying that I'm being overshadowed?"

Both men looked apologetic, but remained uncowed. K said, "No, but you might have been. After all, it's been more than a year since the bounty was put on that ghost. And he has quite a lengthy track record of destruction and terrorizing the populace. After every fight of his, people reported how much damage he cost them. The overhead in the organization paid the informants, like ghost insurance. They reported it, we paid to fix or replace what was damaged, and the people continued to report."

"It's a system that works," O chimed in, not to be outdone.

On the inside, Vlad raged; he wanted to blast a hole in something, preferably these operatives. He closed his eyes. He made his bed. He might as well lie in it. "He saved this town over and over again." Vlad threw his arms wide to gesture at the town.

Operative K said, "And how do we know he didn't stage those fights to make himself look good?"

Vlad hung his head. They were accusing Daniel, sweet, innocent Daniel, of behaving like Vlad himself would at his most dastardly. Almost defeated, he looked up. "Is there anything I could say to change your mind about Danny Phantom?"

Operative O said, "That's a negative." He thought for a moment. "You've been awfully concerned about that ghost this evening."

"You noticed?"

O missed the sarcasm. "We did. I bet you know the location of this Phantom."

Interesting tack they were taking. "Yes. I know exactly where he is."

K finally caught on. "Tell us where he is."

Vlad refolded his arms. "And why would I do that?"

O answered, "He's the strongest, smartest, and most powerful ghost we've ever seen. That female ghost with the tattoos was easy enough to catch. The ghost who wore the mechanized battle suit was caught, but the ghost inside got away." Vlad had even more to discuss with Skulker when this was over. "But Danny Phantom has managed to avoid all attempts to capture him. We never even came close." K elbowed him in the ribs.

O cleared his throat. "Right. And you're going to tell us where he is."

Vlad raised an eyebrow. "And what will you do if I don't?"

K smirked again. "We'll have your taxes audited." It was the ultimate weapon.

Vlad shrugged and spread his arms. "Audit to your hearts' content. My records are absolutely spotless. I've crossed every 'T', dotted every 'I', and fired every employee who did not live up to my scrupulous expectations. It's all on public record."

Alright. _That _was unexpected. Operatives O and K looked at each other. Now what?

Vlad cleared his throat. "Is there anything else, gentlemen?"

Operative O was unsettled. "There is one more thing. When the Fentons died, their son inherited Fenton Works."

Vlad nodded. "So he did."

O continued. "While the organization has been working on cutting edge ghost weaponry, there are weapons the Fentons owned, designed, and owned patents for that were, in some ways, far more advanced than we can manage."

K explained, "We've never been able to create a portal, like the one in their lab, or even a small one, like those created with the Fenton Bazooka."

Operative O said, "We want to buy Fenton Works."

Vlad raised both eyebrows. "Do you?"

Operative K took back the floor. "We do."

Vlad smiled nastily. "It's not for sale."

K persisted. "We'll make it worth the kid's while." He took out a check and put it into the kid's guardian's hands. It was a very _big_ check. Besides the fact that the check itself was for more than triple the amount of the national debt, it was two feet long and six inches wide.

Vlad looked it over and counted the zeroes three times, and then tipped his head back and roared with laughter. O and K looked at each other again. This was not supposed to happen.

"You must have forgotten who you're talking to. I am a billionaire, and one of the richest men in the world. What makes you think that mere money would get me, Daniel's guardian, to change my mind about protecting my ward's interests and family home? The one thing I want from you, you won't give me. And _no_ amount of money can buy what I am unwilling to sell. If that will be all, I wish you a good day." And with that, Vlad strode off imperiously.

Operative O asked Operative K, "What just happened?"

K looked at O. "I'm not sure, but I think the people at Headquarters are _not_ going to be pleased."

O said, "For the record, I'm going to affix blame to you."

K retorted, "Not if I affix it to you first."

* * *

Vlad entered his sitting room in ghost form, where Skulker and Technus were waiting, in chairs not far from each other. Skulker rose and nodded to Vlad. Technus stayed seated and asked, "So, how did it go?"

Vlad took a breath. He was tired, but it would not do to show weakness. "It went fairly well, with all things considered."

Technus said, "We watched it on television. Young Phantom now has a 98 percent approval rating."

Vlad smiled. "That's what I was aiming for."

Skulker handed Vlad the list. "This is everything."

Running a finger down the list as he read, Vlad frowned. "Well. This is inconvenient. You have a sensor that specifically tunes into half-ghosts."

Skulker explained, "It made it easier for me to hunt the whelp. Um, your soon-to-be son."

Vlad tapped his chin. "The Guys in White have had your suit for several months now. When we finish, I'm going to hack into their systems and find out what they have and don't have." He sat in a high-backed armchair and thought for a bit. "Technus, what did you put in the suit you gave Miss Grey?"

Technus grinned. "I gave her everything you did, with a few extra surprises. Blocks that materialize out of nowhere but her mind that shoot ecto-beams. A few nice visuals to detect invisible ghosts as if on sight. It could pick up the presence of Phantom, even in human form. But it wouldn't show that his human form belongs to a ghost." He shook his head. "If she was working for you, you might have found that inconvenient."

Vlad raised an eyebrow. "Nicely planned."

Technus asked, "So how is she? She was a useful pawn while I got a hold of the satellite, but I was counting on the hunter girl connecting with the ghost boy."

Vlad sighed. "You're right. She is a delightful girl, and a useful pawn. However, she is a little dispirited, as she has come to the realization that Daniel was never as evil as she assumed." He murmured, "And he has such great potential, too." He sighed a little sadly.

"But no matter. The main thing is she will no longer attempt to harm him." He cleared his throat and looked back at both of the ghosts before him. "And neither will you."

Skulker sighed in resignation. Plasmius said as much before the press conference. Technus, on the other hand, was surprised. Peaking his eyebrows, he said, "Really? But he was such great fun to mess with. For me, though, he was mostly only inconvenient. There are others in the Ghost Zone who won't be happy about this."

Vlad raised an eyebrow. Technus said quickly, "They'll get over it." He thought for a moment. "With the spooky girl who couldn't admit her feelings for him out of the way, he's pretty much free to have Miss Grey. Especially since she doesn't want to hunt his ghost half anymore." He furrowed his brows. "How did you manage that?"

"Logic, plain and simple. When she realized how illogical her emotions were, she changed her mind." He smiled. Changing Valerie's mind about Daniel was easier than expected. However, the Guys in White needed to be dealt with, quickly, harshly, and decisively.

"My next plot involves dismantling parts of the Guys in White." Both Skulker and Technus perked up. "I will need both of your talents and your services."

Skulker asked, "What do you need, Plasmius?"

Vlad narrowed his eyes in thought. He knew what he wanted, but he needed to describe it in enough detail. "I need a computer virus, or a few of them, of epic proportions. I want to be able to upload it into their systems. I want a virus that will target all information they have on Danny Phantom, who is also alternately known in their system as 'Inviso-Bill'." He rolled his eyes. "I want all information destroyed. And it should be so destructive, any attempt to upload back-ups to the main system would destroy the back-up system irrevocably, whether it's on a CD, a floppy disk, or a tape drive. It needs to be able to break through all firewalls."

Technus thought about it. "I can come up with something, easy. It would do all that and more. But the better question is, why?"

Vlad said, "The fact that I want it isn't enough?"

Technus shrugged. "Not really. Skulker works for you. I don't."

Vlad drummed his fingers on the arm of his chair. "Yet. But I can make it worth your while."

"Oh? This ought to be interesting."

Vlad purred, "You see, I intend to visit the Guys in White personally. While I intend to destroy every hard copy of any scrap of information and to devastate them concerning their software on Daniel, I can just as easily destroy the information and evidence they have on you, Technus. And I wouldn't leave out my favorite employee, Skulker. Further, any other ghosts of your choosing will be a part of my purge of their system."

Technus chirped, "Well, that's different. I can do it. It will take some time, though. Perfection takes time."

"One more thing. It needs to be discreet. I know you love to advertise your dirty work. But I want no skull and crossbones, nothing that gives a clue that either you, Skulker, or I am involved. And, of course, nothing should link back to Daniel."

Technus stared. "That… will take more time."

Skulker said, "I can help you. There are details on the specs they have that I would rather they don't have."

Technus nodded. "That will help."

Vlad sighed in contentment. "Excellent." He struggled to suppress a yawn. "How long will it take?"

"I should be done with it by noon tomorrow."

Skulker added, "Or sooner."

"Very good. I will see you tomorrow. Good night." Skulker and Technus sank through the floor and headed to the portal.

Vlad thought, 'Tomorrow, I'll check out the inventory of the Guys in White, but now, it's time to get some sleep.'

* * *

Saturday morning after breakfast, Harry and Professor Snape walked to Hogsmeade. As they left the grounds and headed towards the carriage route, Professor Snape asked, "So what did you do on your first trip to Hogsmeade?" Harry thought about how to answer, but Snape pressed, "And tell me the truth. Draco saw your head in Hogsmeade when no part of you belonged there in your Third Year."

Harry blushed. "You won't punish me for something I did three years ago, will you?" he asked nervously.

The professor grimaced. "I probably already did. There were enough times I probably punished you that you didn't deserve, I'm sure you've more than sufficiently paid for this misdeed. And probably many others."

Harry hung his head. Professor Snape really was making an effort. He figured he should do the same. "That wasn't the first time I went to Hogsmeade. It was the trip before Christmas break. I snuck out to Honeydukes, and then Ron and Hermione brought me to the Three Broomsticks. I had my first butterbeer." Snape made a huffing noise. "It was then that I learned that Sirius and my Dad were best mates." Harry frowned. "I wasn't chuffed about it then, as at that point, I thought Sirius was our Secret Keeper, and…" He sighed.

Professor Snape put a hand on Harry's shoulder. He was torn between making a nasty comment about deserving a bit of a shock for being out of bounds and realizing that Harry was reliving a moment of receiving traumatic news about a man he learned to love.

As much as it pained him to say a kind word about Black, Severus decided such was important for Harry to hear. "Then it should comfort you to know he was no such thing. Sirius… was loyal to your parents and you to the very end."

Harry looked up at him in surprise. Did Professor Snape actually say something nice about Sirius Black?

Severus matched Harry's gaze. "You can always find some redeeming quality in a person, if you look hard enough."

"Thanks," Harry whispered. They walked together in companionable silence, with Snape's hand on Harry's shoulder.

Once they got to town, Harry and Severus looked at each other. What should they do now they were here? Professor Snape said, "Let's go to the Three Broomsticks. First, it will give us a chance to create some positive memories, and second, it will give us a place to plan the rest of today's outing."

"Makes sense," Harry agreed.

Professor Snape ordered tea, and Harry ordered a butterbeer. It felt particularly weird to Harry that someone else was willingly going to take care of his expense. As they discussed the merits of the Quidditch supply shop here in Hogsmeade versus that in Diagon Alley, they failed to notice a small group huddled in the corner.

Yaxley, Selwynn, and Gibbon were three Death Eaters who made it past the Aurors. When they saw the slowly growing rapport between Harry Potter and Severus Snape, they realized how right their Lord had been. Yaxley had seen the guardianship papers, of course, but thought it was a brilliant tactic of one of the Dark Lord's most valued Death Eaters. Here, he saw for himself that it wasn't a move to procure the boy for their master. They seemed to be growing to _like_ each other. This would never do.

He gestured for the check, and conferred with his compatriots. "This could not have happened more fortuitously if we planned this. However, we will need back up." They settled their bill and slipped out the door.

Professor Snape might not have noticed the three as they were seated, but he did notice the movement as they neared the door. Inwardly, he groaned. They were here to build _positive_ memories. But no – the Death Eaters had other plans. He raised a hand to silence whatever Harry was saying. "I hope you've brought your wand, for we're about to have company."

"But…"

"Between the two of us, you are no longer the Death Eaters' most urgent target." He winced and sucked air through his clenched teeth as his Dark Mark burned. Snape didn't know how _much_ company they would have, but they would soon have a lot of it.

Before they could get up from the table, the door slammed open, and Death Eaters in robes and masks stormed the door and Apparated into the pub. Snape cast an immediate _Protego_ before anyone raised a wand – it was useful to get a new lay of the land. There were ten Death Eaters. Ten to two were not great odds, but it could have been worse.

Almost as one, the Death Eaters started firing spells of all colors. Harry slipped out of his seat and under the table, and rolled into a place right next to Snape. Taking aim, Harry fired _Expelliarmus_ at one Death Eater, throwing him through the air into a wall, disarming him. Harry pocketed the new wand.

A second Death Eater fired a "_Crucio!_" at Harry. He ducked out of the way, but Severus decided that was the last time _that_ would happen. He cast a silent _Sectumsempra_ at the Death Eater, severing his wand arm at the elbow. Harry paled, but was grateful for the save.

Snape dodged beams of green and red, firing his own hexes and curses. Harry ducked, wove, and cast _Stupefy_ when he could. There were lots of other jinxes he could use, but he didn't need the proprietors and patrons to be hit with shrapnel. He would try to get creative later, when a few more Death Eaters were down.

Another Death Eater aimed a wand at Severus, and Harry cast a _Silencio_ at him. The Death Eater scrabbled at his throat, and scowled in frustration. He cast a silent spell involving a streak of purple fire at Harry. Recognizing that spell from when Dolohov hit Hermione with it in the Ministry, Harry dove for the ground. The destructive spell hit the Death Eater behind Harry. When Harry stood up, he cast Jelly-Legs and _Furnunculus_ at the Death Eater who had targeted him.

Between his and Snape's activity, the number of Death Eaters standing dwindled.

The other patrons in the pub were unsure of what to do. When the Death Eaters showed up, they overturned tables to hide behind and huddled in corners, trying not to be noticed. Madam Rosmerta managed to slip out the back door to fetch some Aurors.

While Severus and Harry were engaged with other Death Eaters, a different Death Eater decided to take another tack. Her hood fell back and Alecto Carrow was revealed. "Interesting how you half-blooded scum managed to find each other. You deserve each other, until you won't see nothing for bein' dead."

Harry bobbed out of the way of a spell aimed in his direction. Professor Snape was considered a half-blood? Interesting. He would have to ask about that some time. But for now… "Funny how you fail to notice that Voldemort is just as half-blooded. His father was a Muggle." Her jaw dropped. Their Lord didn't mention that little fact.

Before she could come up with a retort, the Aurors started showing up _en mass._ Tonks fired an _Incarcerus_ at Alecto. Tonks noticed Snape and Harry tiring. "You, both of you. Floo out of here. Anywhere. _Now._"

The professor didn't let Harry protest as he knew the boy would. He grabbed Harry's shoulders and steered him to the Floo. Harry opened his mouth, but Snape grasped him tightly, muttered a password, and said, "Emergency passage to Dumbledore's office!"

Stepping gracefully out of the fireplace into the Headmaster's office, he released Harry, studying him. "Are you alright? Are you injured?" Snape proceeded to look the boy over, regardless of his answer.

Harry had several thoughts he wanted to share. He wanted to stay and help the Aurors, but between the two of them, Harry and the professor were outnumbered and were now exhausted. He swallowed the first couple of responses he thought of and answered the question. "Yeah, I think I'm okay. How about you?"

"Disappointed that our first attempt to learn more about each other in a peaceful setting didn't work."

Harry thought for a second and then grinned. "But we _did_ learn something about each other. You are _amazing_ in battle, sir."

"As are you, Harry." He looked around him. Professor Dumbledore wasn't in the office. "Professor Black, could I ask you to get the Headmaster? We had an incident, and we need to advise Professor Dumbledore of the goings-on we just escaped."

Phineas Nigellus raised his eyebrows. "Indeed. For you, I will." And with that, he exited his frame.

Before anything else could happen, Harry asked, "Why did that Death Eater call you a half-blood?"

"Because my father, Tobias Snape, was a Muggle. My mother, Eileen Prince, was a witch. We'll talk about that later, when we have a moment or two of peace to think things through."

Severus paced for a few moments to get the adrenaline out of his system. Sighing deeply, he ran a hand through his hair. "It appears that until a more strategic time, I'm going to be as grounded here as… And you, Harry! The danger has heightened significantly for you. There will be no more trips to Hogsmeade, or anywhere else, until this danger is through."

"But sir!" Harry peaked his eyebrows. "I've done nothing wrong!"

Severus stopped his pacing and ran a hand down his face. He took three cleansing breaths. He would _not_ yell at the child, no matter how strong the urge.

"You foolish child! It isn't a punishment. In case you haven't noticed, you and I are targets. If the Death Eaters wanted you on a silver platter, the easiest delivery system would be for you to go to Hogsmeade, or anywhere, really, unattended. And frankly, I'm not inclined to let you go, now that I've found you."

Harry was startled, and his heart was warmed in the same instant. No one ever cared for his safety, personally, like that before. Not even Sirius. He flushed and stood still. "Really?" he whispered.

Professor Snape started when he heard Harry's tone. He looked back at the boy, realizing he touched a nerve. Gently, he answered, "Yes. Really."

Harry's eyes turned glassy, and he walked over to pet Fawkes. "No one's ever said that to me before. Not even Sirius."

Professor Snape strode over to Harry. He allowed the boy the privacy of his tears, but put a comforting hand on his back. "Then I'm honored to be the first. You do deserve it, you know."

Harry was not willing to let Snape see these tears. He gulped and sighed. "But what about Christmas? I'm supposed to go to the Burrow for Christmas."

Severus stroked his chin. "I suppose they'll have to take both of us, for I'm not letting you leave the grounds unattended for a time undetermined, now won't they?"

Harry turned to Snape, having lifted his glasses to brush tears from his eyes, when Professor Dumbledore entered the office and Phineas returned to his frame.

"What's wrong, Harry?" Tears streaming down the face of his most stoic student did not sit well with Professor Dumbledore.

"Nothing. Absolutely nothing, besides what happened in Hogsmeade. I couldn't be better."

Phineas rolled his eyes. "You see, Albus? Students won't take advice, help, or…"

"Nothing is wrong, Professor Black. Perhaps something is right, for the first time in the boy's life," Severus said.

Phineas's gaze swung unbelievingly at Snape. "And you agree with him?"

Severus waved an impatient hand. "Maybe I'll explain it some day. Headmaster, there has been a major change in situation. Apparently, the Death Eaters were quicker to pick up on my relationship to Harry than I anticipated. For now, I'm as bound to Hogwarts as Daniel is."

Harry shuddered. "Danny? But I thought it was just his uncle being strict."

Severus closed his eyes. Not venting his spleen on this boy was a test of patience. But he signed on for this job. When he opened his eyes, Albus stood back curiously. Even Phineas cocked his head in anticipation. Severus studiously ignored both of them. "Harry, you have been told of the Death Eater attack that destroyed Daniel's family and friends. Voldemort is interested in finishing the job the Death Eaters started. As such, it has been determined that Daniel needs to stay safely on the Hogwarts grounds until further notice." He sighed heavily. "Much like I do. And now, like you do."

"But Christmas!"

"We'll discuss it further in a couple of weeks."

Harry hung his head. This was the first time that an unfair restriction was not simply placed on him, but it was explained reasonably, and further, he wouldn't suffer it alone. Not only all of this, but it wasn't happening because someone couldn't be bothered on his behalf. It happened precisely because someone intervened _especially_ on his behalf.

Harry looked up. "Okay. And thanks. I mean, for everything." He snaked an arm around Severus's waist, and tentatively hugged him. Between this week and a little over a week ago, he was giving his courage a major workout.

Severus raised his eyebrows. That was unexpected. He rested his arms on Harry's back. Professor Dumbledore said nothing. It wasn't until after they released each other that Phineas said, "I'm impressed. A child actually listened to a restriction placed on him by an adult, and the child not only did not argue, rebel, or whine, but he actually _thanked_ the adult. This will have to go down in my record books as a first."

Professor Dumbledore smiled. This was a beautiful moment. He said, "Severus, we'll discuss this further later. I just wanted to remind you of Danny's extra Defense lesson. Professor Masters has an unavoidable engagement, but he says that you may help and give the class in his stead."

"Yes, Professor. I'm looking forward to it." Severus looked at Harry. "I know that I need to recuperate from today's adventure. I suggest you do the same."

Harry thought for a moment. "That's a good idea."

Professor Dumbledore said, "Then I expect to see you at dinner. Have a good afternoon, gentlemen."

As soon as Harry and Severus moved past the gargoyle, Harry asked, "Can I come with you to Danny's lesson?"

Professor Snape studied Harry for a moment. "Professor Masters is particularly private about his tutoring sessions with Daniel. I've attended a limited number of their special sessions. Why do you think you will be permitted?"

Harry answered plaintively. "Because I'm curious, I've tutored the entire DA last year, but most importantly, I tutored him in it last summer. He had trouble with Defense spells and Charms, I don't know anything about his Transfiguration skills, and he is desperately worried about turning Dark. Anyone can have good or bad intentions, but… I'm curious what skills he has to make fear that deep make sense."

Severus raised an eyebrow. "Very well reasoned." It was getting easier to compliment the boy, especially when he deserved it. "However, Professor Masters has his own very specific reasons for keeping his tutoring of Daniel private. I intend to respect his wishes. And I expect you to do the same."

Harry sulked. Professor Snape might now be his guardian, but Danny was his friend. This was the perfect excuse to go exploring with his Invisibility Cloak. But a nap to recuperate from today was a capital idea.

* * *

Vlad silently cursed the fact that caffeine had _no_ effect whatsoever on half-ghost biology while he masterfully hacked into the Guys in White's classified inventory listings. First and foremost, he found their analysis on Skulker's suit. They already had a better ectoplasmic net (Skulker needed an upgrade). Vlad was sure his hunter outgrew his glowing knife. (Apparently not.) He had any number of blasters and ectoplasmic traps, some better, some worse than the Guys in White's own brands. They had half of these blasters and traps in production.

But the half-ghost scanner… what did they have on that? When Skulker first invented it, Vlad was thrilled at the ingenuity. (He _did_ know how to destroy it if Skulker got too obnoxious with it.) It was simple, yet elegant. And it distinguished between a pure ghost and a half-ghost, and it (like many Fenton products) picked up on half-ghosts in human form. Where was it? This would forever revolutionize the Guys in White (and potentially could be devastating to himself and Daniel).

It wasn't in production. It wasn't on the "urgent study" list. It wasn't even in the "comparative analysis" list. Where in blazes did they put it?

Vlad closed his eyes and slapped his head. He had been looking where any intelligent researcher would have looked. He didn't yet think to look where prejudiced, arrogant idiots would place a deceptively simple scanner because its source was a ghost.

Vlad's fingers flew as he checked out the non-classified rejects. There, in all of its exquisite glory, was one of Skulker's most inspired pieces of work. They didn't even take it apart, study it, or even copy it. They simply decided that their own, far more flashy yet functionally primitive, scanners were superior because… What could ghosts possibly know about hunting ghosts? He threw back his head and laughed maniacally. This discovery more than made up for the caffeine he could drink but would have no effect on him.

Sifting through more information, he needed to see if they started producing weapons and tools from the Fenton patents. (Jack might have been an idiot, but he did come up with insanely effective inventions. And Maddie, who came up with inventions of her own, put finishing touches on Jack's inventions.)

From their many discussions, Daniel told Vlad that _all_ of the Fentons' ghost-seeking equipment honed in on him. Every last one did, and the Fentons thought their inventions malfunctioned because they zeroed in on their son. (At once, Vlad wanted to curse Jack for his stupidity for missing the obvious and bless him for his brilliance. _Every last blessed invention worked._ Not even Vlad himself had a 100 percent success rate.) But did the Guys in White take advantage of the patents?

Hmm… They had the Fenton Weasel in production but not in stock. They seemed to know nothing of the Fenton Thermos. Fascinating. Many of Maddie's inventions they had in analysis or in production (but no Fenton product was yet in stock). Jack's inventions, the ones with the impossibly stupid names, they had in analysis, but not in production. (So he was right about the Fenton Bazooka. He won his own bet.) Vlad started to chuckle as he read why none of Jack's inventions were in production. Jack wrote the patents, explaining how the inventions worked. They all did, and Daniel could attest to that. But the Guys in White couldn't sort out Jack Fenton's logic.

Jack Fenton was brilliant, but he was an idiot. He was an oxymoron. Vlad couldn't control his giggles. _That_ is what he called Jack that so upset Daniel in Colorado. Vlad hadn't meant it quite that way at the time, but he was right. It amused him to know how very right he was. But this time, he would refrain from telling Daniel.

Now that he was here, what else did they have on tap? Oh, blueberry blintzes, Daniel was right about their inventions to turn humans invisible and intangible, and they were in stock and in use. Their jet packs' top speed didn't come close to either Daniel or himself. Anything else…

The planes with ecto-cannons were gaudy but effective. Some of their inventions were prosaic, some were a bit more imaginative, but the really inspired inventions of theirs actually duplicated the Fentons' or Skulker's gear. (Of course, they didn't have a clue about Vlad's own inventions and improvements, and Vlad intended to keep it that way.)

This afternoon would be truly enjoyable. Now, he just needed to order tickets, make dinner reservations, and make an announcement to the local Washington press to create his airtight alibi as he planned one of his most daring heists in over a decade. And, of course, he needed to wait for his allies to deliver the software for his viruses.

* * *

Professor Snape knocked on the door and entered the Room of Requirement. It was the gym, shooting gallery, and obstacle course. "Good evening, Daniel."

"Hi, Professor."

Severus looked at the list. "I'm a bit puzzled. How do you go about this?"

Danny smiled, his tail bobbing beside him. "When I was at home, my friends kept track of the list, changing it every time I got a new power. They kept track of my statistics. To be honest, it's gotten a lot longer since I've been here and training."

"What type of statistics did they keep?"

"Oh, things like speed, accuracy, how much weight I can lift, things like that. Oh, and my general health stats. Temperature, heart rate, stuff like that. It has a tendency to be different." He sighed.

Severus approached the suddenly sullen teen. "Daniel, what's wrong?"

Danny shrugged. "I don't know. There was this one time when a ghost was unknowingly hired by my high school as a school psychologist. I didn't know what to make of all of this, and I was just beginning to learn how to deal with my powers and stuff. She told me I was an unlovable freak that no one could care for, making me question myself. 'A creepy little boy with creepy little powers.' I…" Danny shuddered. "I know she was wrong. She was all about creating self-doubt. But sometimes, I can't help but wonder if she's right."

Harry, who was sitting right outside the door, silently covered his mouth. He was at once completely sympathetic and unbelievably furious. It was bad enough that the Dursleys made Harry feel that way. Now, it sounded like someone in Danny's school – a ghost, no less! – made Danny feel miserable for being a wizard!

But that wasn't right. Why would people on the staff of a magic school cause a wizard to feel like a freak? Unless he was practically born a hero, Harry thought ruefully. Wait – how could a school not know that someone on their staff was a ghost? Everyone knew about Professor Binns. He would have to ask Danny later.

Professor Snape said sternly, "Of _course_ she's wrong. Your family loved you very much."

"Yeah, but only my sister knew my secret."

Crossing his arms, the wizard said, "And was she the only one who appreciated you for who and what you are?"

Danny lowered his head. "I guess not."

Snape snapped, "And don't forget that again! 'Unlovable freak,' indeed. Come, let's get started."

Danny shook himself, realizing that in this instance, he was as much a teacher as a student. "Right. Well, I'll start with the first three, which are the basics." He turned invisible.

"Amazing!" No Disillusionment Charm or Invisibility Cloak was required. And this was basic for ghost biology. While Hogwarts ghosts had no problem turning invisible at will, Danny created a cognitive dissonance for Snape, because Danny was solid. Even though Snape intellectually knew that Danny was a ghost, he still thought of the boy as a human with interesting powers.

Danny smiled, not that the professor could see him. "And that's not all." He touched Snape's shoulder and turned the man invisible as well.

"Not even a Disillusionment Charm works _this_ well."

Danny rematerialized both of them, and he blushed. "Yeah, well…" He thought for a bit. "I don't think I've shown you this one properly before." Danny sunk his hand through a tabletop.

"No, you didn't show me that, before. Does it only work on inanimate objects?"

Danny smiled. "Nope. Let me show you." He put his hand through Professor Snape's chest.

"Merlin! I didn't even feel it. That doesn't feel like any other ghost…"

Harry gasped. Danny wasn't a ghost. He was alive!

Danny heard the gasp. "Professor, we have company."

Severus heard nothing, but if Daniel could track a Snitch when it was invisible to every human eye, it stood to reason that the boy could hear things even his finely tuned ears couldn't catch.

They opened the door. Severus saw nothing out of the ordinary. Danny was amused. Harry held his breath. Danny grasped his shoulder. "There you are!" Professor Snape pulled off Harry's Invisibility Cloak.

"Mr. Potter, what do you think you are doing?"

"I just…" He shrugged. He was in trouble, and there was no way out of it. And he realized how _much_ trouble he was in, because the professor didn't call him Harry. He looked up at the professor and saw a sight he didn't expect. "Danny Phantom!"

Danny smiled. "That's me."

"But, but… Sir, I thought you were going to tutor Danny… I mean, Danny _Fenton_, in Defense Against the Dark Arts."

Professor Snape thought quickly, but looked Harry in the eyes. "That was my intention. However, Mr. Fenton became inconsolably homesick while his uncle was otherwise engaged, and I sent him back to his dorm."

"Professor!" Danny was mortified. He just made Danny sound pathetic in front of Harry.

"Daniel?" Professor Snape raised an eyebrow.

Defeated, Danny said, "Nothing, sir." That lie would account for why Fenton wasn't present.

The older wizard said, "Look at me, Daniel." Looking up into Snape's eyes allowed the Legilimens into Danny's mind. Envisioning Danny sitting on his bed and stroking his cat, he placed the image in Danny's head. And then he broke eye contact.

Danny blinked. Professor Snape just put a thought in his head. "Did you just…"

Professor Snape murmured, "I did. Now, don't make a liar out of me."

Invisibly, Danny made a duplicate and had it phase out of the room. Once out of the Room of Requirement, Danny's duplicate became human and visible, and would tell anyone who questioned him about being homesick.

Joy. Now he had to deal with a diagnostic series of tests while at half strength. At least his cover was protected. Danny sighed and nodded.

Harry wasn't finished. "But what are you doing with Professor Snape?"

'Let's see how close _I_ can come without actually lying.' Danny perked up and said, "Well, my mentor couldn't be here this evening. Sir Nicholas knows all about it. And as long as I'm here, there's no reason I shouldn't… well, Professor Snape is doing a personal favor to both me and my mentor." Snape was impressed. "My kind of ghost isn't commonly found around here, and while I have any number of friends among the ghosts, only my mentor has powers, like I do. And Professor Snape has been kind enough to help me review until my mentor gets back."

"Ghosts have mentors?"

"The ghost who usually tutors me has wanted to mentor me since the day we first discovered each other. But now that I think about it, don't you think Myrtle might have been happier if one of the adult ghosts would have taken her under their wing?"

Professor Snape raised his eyebrows. "Very impressive, Daniel. How very clever, and inventively Slytherin of you."

Danny blushed. "Thank you, sir."

Harry was convinced that this ghost sounded _exactly_ like his friend Danny. Even his address… his relationship with Professor Snape seemed to be the same. Maybe Ron's suggestion wasn't a bad one. "Excuse me, Danny, but… Do you know Danny Fenton?"

Danny stared as he tried to think of an answer. So far, Paulina had come closest to figuring out that Fenton and Phantom were linked. Harry was far smarter than she was. He gulped. "You… might say that I do."

Harry nodded. "You sound like you could have been brothers."

Danny said, "Yeah. We're close. Anyway…"

Harry asked, "You said Professor Snape was helping to tutor you. What are you learning?"

Professor Snape stood back. It was fascinating to watch Daniel in action. He never actually lied. He must have had a great deal of practice with this.

"I'm practicing using my powers. Where I come from, all ghosts have some powers. Some have more than others. Some ghosts even use magic, though it's nothing like the magic used by witches and wizards. But the simple basics are flight, invisibility, and intangibility. After that, it changes per ghost."

This sounded like a once in a lifetime opportunity. "Can I see?"

Danny looked at Professor Snape, who gave no indication of his thoughts on the matter. Danny shrugged. "I don't see why not. That is, except for…" Danny flew to Professor Snape's side and peered at the list. "That one, and that one."

Professor Snape raised an eyebrow. "Interesting choice. But your mentor gave specific instructions to test everything."

Danny fidgeted. "We will. But… I don't know how I feel about those. They're kind of scary."

Harry giggled. Danny made a face. "What?"

"Sorry – it's part of my Muggle upbringing. But the idea of a ghost going out of his way to _not_ be scary is funny." Even Nick asked Harry to tell the knight in charge of the Headless Hunt he thought Nick was scary.

Danny rolled his eyes. "You mean you never heard of Casper?"

Both wizards stared at him. Harry asked, "He's real?"

It was Danny's turn to laugh. "No." He needed a moment or two to collect himself. "But he's an example of a ghost who isn't interested in scaring people." He continued to shake in mirth.

Harry hadn't thought about it in a long while, but he realized that Danny Phantom seemed to be a ghost of the Muggle World. When Harry first met Phantom in September, he asked about ghosts in America. Phantom specifically mentioned the Muggle reaction to ghosts. So it followed logically that Danny Phantom was involved in the Muggle World. So it further made sense that Phantom would make references to Muggle culture. Casper the Friendly Ghost was an old comic strip.

Professor Snape shook his head. This was not to be believed. "Daniel, whenever you're ready…"

Danny cleared his throat. "Yeah. Well… any time I adopt my tail counts as flight, but the real test is to see how fast I can go."

Harry asked, "How fast _can_ you go?"

"Well, at the start of October, my top speed was 150 miles per hour. I've practiced other things, and things at school are peaceful." He muttered, "For a change." Back to Harry, he said, "So that's what the speed gun is for."

Professor Snape picked it up. "Now." Danny joyfully sped around the room, near the ceiling. It wasn't the same without Sam and Tucker, but Harry was his friend. And… what was Professor Snape? He was more of a… Hmm. He was closer than just a teacher, but he couldn't articulate it. But it didn't really matter now. He'd think about it later.

Severus read the gun. "That can't be right."

Danny hovered in front of him. "What can't be right?"

"It read 210 miles per hour."

"Cool!"

"But such a speed unprotected would destroy human flesh."

Danny thought for a moment. "Maybe. But ectoplasm can be streamlined. A tail is more aerodynamic than legs. My legs are there whenever I want them, but…" He looked carefully at the professor. "The general rules of physics and spatial relations don't apply to ghosts. Several massive ghosts, some bigger than six feet tall, can fit in a ghost containment device the size of a soup thermos. At the same time. While a human form is my default form, I can avoid blasts and projectiles by making a hole in myself to allow for it."

"What?" Harry looked as confused as Snape was, but the professor refused to show it.

"I'll show you later. But for now, I already showed this to the professor. Now, I'll show you. Invisibility." He disappeared, flew down the length of the room, and reappeared. He waved and zipped back. "Intangibility." He put a hand through Harry's shoulder. Harry jumped.

"But that didn't feel…"

Danny finished, "Like any other ghost around here. I know. With the exception of Peeves (kind of), the local ghosts are intangible, except for the ice cold feel of ectoplasm to the human touch. You already know that to humans, I'm solid, if a little cool to the touch, and when I'm intangible, you don't feel anything at all.

"I can touch any of the ghosts here, and they are as solid to me as you are. I could be intangible to them, too, but that would just be rude."

Harry blinked.

Danny thought this was awesome! He was showing off for some new friends. "Wanna see something cool?"

"Okay."

Danny put his hand on Harry's shoulder and phased both of them through the floor, and back. "I can make you as intangible as I can make myself."

Professor Snape decided that he would not be astonished by anything else his half-ghost student could do. Apparently, ghost powers were very versatile.

"So, Professor, what's next?"

"Next on your list are your ectoblasts. If I might request you hold off on that until later…"

Danny nodded. "I gotcha. Then what?"

"The ghostly possession of items."

"Hmm…" Most of the things in this room were tied down. He could dream up whatever he liked. But it might be fun to surprise his guests. It was as harmless as what he did to Tucker. He thought about their wands. Both wizards jumped in alarm to see their wands floating out of reach. "Don't worry. It's only me." The two wands raced around each other, around some of the obstacles in the room, and then gently hovered in front of their owners.

Both wizards decided independently that if anyone other than this ghost relieved them of their wands, they would be quite put out. But this was Danny Phantom, and he was only being playful as he showed off his skills.

Harry said, "You know, if Peeves did that, the Bloody Baron would have his hide. Or whatever."

Danny blushed and hung his head contritely. "Understood. Sorry." The fact that he was more powerful than the Baron was irrelevant. The fact that the Baron would be disappointed in him hurt.

Professor Snape was bemused. "I might have informed your mentor of your poor taste in inanimate objects to experiment with. Unfortunately for me, he would be wickedly amused."

"Does this mean you're not mad at me, sir?"

"I'm furious, but I'll get over it by morning." Danny sighed.

Professor Snape had Danny teleport and practice duplication. Danny surprised himself by making three copies, ignoring the fourth that was sitting and sulking on his bed.

Two thoughts hit him. First, he could make _five_ of himself, now. This was so cool! And second, if his duplicate in his room was only sitting around quietly, he could spend far more attention and energy on what he was doing here. Professor Snape knew what he was doing, and Danny had a whole new appreciation for him.

Snape had him create his ectoplasmic bonds (Danny wasn't happy about this one, though Harry's expression was interesting; it was between seriously amused, awe, and not-quite-pity for his new guardian), and demonstrate his ecto-tornado.

When it came to Danny's cryokinesis, the professor had a few tests of his own. Besides freezing targets with blasts of different intensity from his hands and his eyes (the eyes drew great exclamation from Harry), he had Danny freeze a weaponized _Aguamenti_ spell. The professor was inventive, but Danny personally had fun with the sculptures upon command. He couldn't do anything too complicated yet, but the smaller things were fun. Thinking back on Professor Flitwick's whimsical tests, Danny produced two swords so he and Harry could fence, a multifaceted piece of ice that looked like a diamond (Danny said, "This is for Ginny." Harry was gobsmacked.), and finally, Danny produced a mug for Harry. "This is for you. It is of a strength and thickness that you can use it for hot cocoa. After that, it should last about a week."

Professor Snape was very much amused. Harry asked, "But why would you do that?"

Danny smiled. "I like you. There's just something about you. And why not?" Harry had no answer for that.

Snape looked at the remaining things on his list. He had Danny make a benign ball of textured ectoplasm. Danny thought about this. He gave one to Harry the size of a punch ball, and one to Professor Snape the size of a golf ball.

Danny had an experiment of his own. He left Harry's ball to hover in front of him. Danny explained, "The things I make out of ectoplasm normally defy gravity, unless I concentrate. I told you that the laws of physics take a vacation when it comes to ghosts."

After he set Professor Snape's ball in a motion of lazy eights, Danny made it hover and said, "Professor, now _you_ move it." First, Snape plucked it out of the air. Then he released it and moved it with his mind.

Harry asked, "Does that mean we can use magic on it?"

Danny furrowed his brows and shook his head. "I don't think so. It's more like… a more complicated form of me exercising my will on it. I can call these things in and out of existence at will, and with practice, can make it look or feel like just about anything. Making it move requires minimal exertion. I didn't know if I could make it obey the will of humans, before. I knew I could make it work with gravity – it was fun to play fetch with a dog. But I never tried to…" Danny frowned sadly. "I never gave my human friends something like this before. But then again, I mostly only used my powers to keep myself and others out of the clutches of evil ghosts. Mostly." Danny decided they didn't need to know of Danny's bad habit of turnstile jumping (or phasing) at the movies. And he was _not_ telling them about the girls' locker room!

Professor Snape read the next thing from the list. "Weight-bearing. Somehow, I get the feeling this won't be like the exercises I'm used to thinking of."

Danny smiled. "Probably not. The idea is to see how much I can lift without straining. It comes out to quite a lot, really."

Severus asked, "Well, how much is it?"

"I forgot when my f…" Whoa. He did _not_ almost call Vlad father! At least, that's what he told himself. He cleared his throat. "I forgot what it was the last time my mentor tested me." He scratched his head. "I've never been good at math, though I'm getting better, but I would say over a ton. Not a metric ton, but an English ton. I think."

Harry's eyes bulged and Professor Snape just stared. "You're… not using hyperbole, are you?"

Danny said, "No. If anything, I'm underestimating. That time I carried at least 20 high school students, and their parents, and other adults from around town. Complicated story, but quickly – evil ghosts kidnapped almost all the adults in the town, and the students helped me rescue them, and I carried the teens and adults to safety. Anyway, the students ranged from 95 to 175 pounds, the adult women were mostly 110 to 175 or so, and most men were between 180 and 300… I don't know, but it comes out to a lot."

Severus felt dizzy for a moment. "I know what your mentor wants, but I don't feel comfortable with this. Even if you are capable of handling a great deal more, I cannot envision putting an actual ton of weight on any of my students, ghostly or otherwise."

Danny shrugged. "That's okay. I can't imagine you'll like the other tests I have left, either."

Professor Snape announced, "Daniel, you are down to your last three talents before you get to the powers you prefer not to share with Harry." Danny knew about the ectoplasmic shield and the ectoblasts. What was the third?

Harry frowned. He wasn't sure how Phantom would take it. Myrtle got very upset at the idea that people would throw stuff at her and it wouldn't hurt because she was a ghost. But Phantom was far more self-assured.

It amused Professor Snape to see both boys wearing an identical expression of concentration.

Danny looked up first. "What's on your mind, Harry?"

The thought of Myrtle's reaction made him nervous, but Harry was curious. Tentatively, he asked, "What is that you said about making a hole in yourself?"

Danny laughed. "Oh, that's all? You look like you saw…" No, that expression didn't work. "Why does it make you so hot and bothered?"

Harry sighed. "In Second Year, Myrtle was upset because someone threw a book and it went through her. When we asked her why it was so upsetting, 'cause she couldn't feel it, she got even more upset. I… didn't mean to upset Myrtle then, and I didn't want to upset you now."

Danny landed on his feet and put a hand on Harry's shoulder. He said sincerely, "Thank you for your concern. Really. Between you and Hermione, I notice you guys pay a lot more attention to the feelings of ghosts. That means a lot to me."

Harry frowned, and asked without thinking, "What about Ron?"

Danny sighed. "Ron could stand to work harder at it. But Sir Nicholas tells me that he has at least made an effort not to stick his foot in it."

Yeah, that sounded like Ron. Wait a minute. "How do you know Ron? He hasn't met you."

"Dude, I don't have to be seen in order to see. I'm sure you find it convenient to be invisible sometimes."

Harry blushed. "But really… When did you meet him?"

Danny smirked. "_That_ would be telling. But back to this… I'm pretty sure it's not on the list, but it is a defensive move that has reduced the pain I could have been in on occasion." He thought for a moment. "This is the Room of Requirement. Think up some things of different sizes and shapes. First, I'll catch them. Then I'll show you the hole."

Harry cringed. Phantom wanted him to conjure things to throw at him. This made no sense. He looked helplessly at Professor Snape. The good professor conjured a rubber-covered one-pound lead weight, a copy of _Hogwarts: A History_, and a quill in the shape of a dart.

Harry threw the lead weight first. Danny caught it easily. He levitated it back to Harry, who threw it hard. Danny made a hole through his stomach, and the weight passed harmlessly through him.

"That was weird."

"It was creepy to me, too, the first few times I did that. The good news is, this time, you aren't here to tear me apart 'molecule by molecule,' with what you're aiming at me." He couldn't remember the first time, although the book on teaching dogs obedience hit and passed through him with a pop. The more memorable occasion happened when his father shot that 'anti-ghost tonic' at him last Christmas Eve.

The book was quite a bit heavier. Harry used a _Wingardium Leviosa_ to make this work. Danny caught it, and it too went harmlessly through him the second time around.

Professor Snape zipped the dart at Danny, who caught it. 'This boy will be a magnificent Seeker come January.' He smirked, had it returned to him, and when he aimed the dart at Danny's torso, it went through a narrow tunnel in Danny's chest.

Harry looked thoughtful. "How come this type of thing doesn't bother you, but it made Myrtle go to pieces?"

Danny furrowed his brows. "If Myrtle's most memorable reception by the living student body was simply to call her _Moaning_ Myrtle, without a care to how she might feel about it, I'm not surprised that she was so quick to take offense. _You _might not have intended to be insensitive, but _some_ people…" Danny folded his arms and clucked his tongue.

"But as far as _I'm_ concerned, I'm showing off an interesting power impossible for average humans."

"Daniel," Snape intoned warningly.

Danny gulped. "Right, then. So… you said there were three powers. I know about the shields and the blasts. What's the third one?"

Professor Snape smirked. "Your Stinger, of course."

Harry was baffled, but figured that he would learn about those things in due course. Danny, however, was pained. "But sir, how can I do that? I _told_ you I won't use my powers against humans." He huffed. "Willingly," he amended.

"My dear Daniel," Snape soothed. "You seem to have forgotten that we're in the Room of Requirement. Since we now know that the Room allows for the usage of Muggle electronics, like your speed gun, there is no reason we can't conjure up some light bulbs."

Danny stared. "Huh?"

"Your mentor is a fool for not having figured it out. You are not to blame. You're only 15. Your Stinger is an ectoplasmic release of electricity, is it not?"

"Yeah."

"There is no reason your electric charge cannot be used to light different bulbs of different sizes and wattage to test your modulation of this power. And no one needs to be harmed in this demonstration."

Danny glowed with happiness. No one would get hurt. Severus chuckled inwardly. He would get to see a power of Daniel's Vlad had never seen, because Vlad was sadistic in his suggested usage. If the elder half-ghost was not as single-minded about the usage of the boy's talents, Vlad would have seen it for himself. As it was, he had succeeded where Vlad had so clearly failed.

Of course, Snape had to report the results of today's testing and review. This entire session would have been fun to report, even without the test of the Stinger. This particular test, regardless of what _else_ it yielded, would be a tremendous success, and a major victory in his contest with Vlad. How delicious!

Severus had Daniel extend an ectoplasmic wire, not much different than his bonds. He had Danny coil the end of the wire around the end of a 100-watt bulb. This was only the beginning. They eventually progressed to the charge required to start a car engine. After a gradual progression, and in a moment of sheer extravagance (and curiosity), Snape recreated the electric display of Times Square in New York. (When he was younger, he had seen pictures.) Daniel only lit the Coca-Cola sign with his Stinger for two minutes. More lights or any longer would have been too much. Considering that this was the closest that any of the three of them had ever gotten to New York, the three of them were excited, if Danny was a bit tired.

The next power Danny used was his ectoplasmic shields. He produced a disk that expanded into a fully shielded dome. Severus had Vlad's permission to fire spells against Daniel's shields. Danny observed, "I mean no offense, but another ghost's ectoblasts (and attacks in general) offer far more resistance against my shields than magic does."

Professor Snape answered simply, "No offense taken. It is fascinating to see how magic and your ghost powers interact." Danny nodded. The professor was very gracious about this. "Now for your Shielding Glass." Danny produced his glass. It still wasn't as cool as Vlad's, but it got the job done.

Harry gasped. Danny stopped. "What's wrong?"

"Nothing."

Professor Snape rolled his eyes. "Harry…"

Harry shrugged. "It's really nothing. You know… Nick said that he told you that Ron, Hermione, and I tutored Danny Fenton this summer. We both worked really hard, but Danny just couldn't get the hang of spells, especially in Defense Against the Dark Arts. Except for one: _Protego_. It was particularly weird because his Shield Charm looked exactly like your ectoplasmic glass."

Danny froze. He _knew_ Harry was smart enough to figure this out. His eyes glistened in fear.

Something else clicked for Harry. "You know, when Danny Fenton told me that he was going to need a place to practice Defense Against the Dark Arts with Professor Masters, I showed him the Room of Requirement. When I called up the room, I thought about what it would need to suit their needs. And the room looked just like this. Why do you think that would be?"

Danny just stared. "I… couldn't tell you."

This was it. His forever-protected secret identity was about to be discovered. Well, at least it was only Harry, right? He couldn't move or speak.

Professor Snape studied Harry. Of all people, Harry could be trusted to keep a secret. He was curious to see what Harry would do.

Harry furrowed his brows, putting the information together. He missed his friend's panic completely. "Professor? Do spells work the same for wizards everywhere? Or do they look different in America?"

Danny peaked his eyebrows. He could _not_ be this lucky. His mind screamed, 'What?' But his mouth refused to connect with his brain.

Professor Snape released a breath he didn't realize he was holding. He avoided answering the question. "What a fascinating observation. The question is a good one. Five points for your logic."

Harry was startled. "Thank you, sir."

"But to answer your question… I will have to look into it." Severus decided if his favorite student could make an effort not to lie, he would be just as diligent, within reason.

Danny practically melted in relief. His secret was safe for at least one more day. He took a breath. While most of his powers were fun and interesting to share (even the last one where his secret was almost exposed), this last one would be scary. Professor Snape might be uncomfortable, but at least he knew what was coming.

"And now, we're just about ready for my last trick of the evening. But you're not going to like it."

Harry looked at him. "Why not?"

"Well…" He never had to explain ectoblasts before. He just had them since he and Tucker met Madam Babazita and Desiree at the fair. "Where I'm from, most ghosts have a… primary weapon. It is shooting ecto-energy out of our hands…" He'd get to the eyes later.

"Like the evil emperor in _Star Wars_?"

Dude, that was cool. Harry Potter knew about _Star Wars_. As he said, it was part of his Muggle upbringing. But he had to focus. "Kind of. Emperor Palpatine had something that looked like lightning." Come to think of it, Vlad could do that trick. Danny shuddered in remembered pain. Back to his own powers… "Ghosts' ecto-beams look more like lasers. But I promise, I'm not on the Dark side!"

Both Severus and Harry thought that would have been funnier if the Wizarding World wasn't currently facing its own battle of Light and Dark.

Harry noticed Phantom's severe worry about being thought of as evil. Maybe it came from being falsely accused, as he said he often was, at home. Danny Fenton was afraid of becoming Dark, too.

Professor Snape asked, "Harry? How is it you know of _Star Wars_? I wouldn't think the Dursleys…"

Harry shrugged and interrupted. "They didn't. Are you kidding? The Force was too much like magic. No, kids at school acted it out, talked about it, stuff like that. There were a few years Dudley and his gang got truly inventive." He shuddered. "Dudley was allowed make-believe. I was 'a dangerous freak who might get ideas.' But I'm pretty sure it was more about the video games than the fight for good and evil, with him."

Danny never saw this side of Harry before. Harry said that his aunt and uncle tried to deprive him of any happiness. But what he described was downright abusive. For a moment, he was almost glad that wizards, even conscientious wizards, had a tendency to forget that ghosts were people, or he might never have learned this much about his Gryffindor friend. But he would protect Harry's secret with every fiber of his being.

Danny cleared his throat. Both wizards looked back at him. "As I was saying… my ectoblast… All evening, you've seen me do all kinds of things with my ecto-energy. You see what color it is. It's just that… Professor Snape told me that my ectoblast looks almost exactly like the Killing Curse."

Harry stared. Danny thought quickly. "But it's not. It's just heat energy. Different ghosts have different colors. My mentor's energy is pink." He blinked. "Like Luke's light saber was green and Darth Vader's was pinkish red."

Professor Snape smirked. "How very…apt."

Harry was not at all sure about this by-play between Phantom and the professor. But if all of this talk about _Star Wars_ was geared to distract him from the fact that this white-haired ghost had laser energy that looked like the Killing Curse, he let it.

However, the professor wasn't done yet. "I've seen this blast before, and based on how much damage can be done, I would say that for Daniel's blast to bring instantaneous death, it would require such force and power that the room would be bathed in green light. His blasts that look far more like _Avada Kedavra_ will merely give the living a burn."

Harry sighed in relief. This would be creepy, but it… There was nothing to guarantee it wouldn't produce flashbacks.

Danny said gently, "You don't have to watch this if you don't want to."

Harry shrugged. It would be okay. He hoped.

"Oh, and Daniel? You may start small, but you _will_ end this exercise, destroying targets and using that powerful force that I described to Mr. Potter."

Danny's eyes grew wide. "But, Professor! That's too much…"

"You will do it. And that is final." Danny hung his head. He was stuck for it.

When it came to testing Danny's powers, Professor Snape was just as strict and as innovative as Vlad was. It expressed itself differently, as both Vlad and the professor were brilliant and creative, but they were direct and firm. They seemed to be cut from the same cloth.

After the initial shock – even with all that preparation, the ectoblasts still freaked Harry out a bit – it was interesting to see what Phantom could do. These blasts were, as described, like green lasers. But Professor Snape had him work, gradually increasing intensification. The professor produced moving targets, and had Phantom fly about and aim for the targets. Phantom seemed to take pleasure in soaring around and showing off. But when it came to some of those more impressive blasts, he looked nervous. But Snape hammered away at him with tests, experiments, and demonstrations. Towards the end, Danny's blasts filled the room with green light, taking out many targets in the process.

Danny stopped, hovering in the air, drifting towards the floor, and panting. "Professor, I've had enough. Normally, these sessions are one hour, or a diagnostic sometimes lasts for three. This was five. I don't have enough energy for the other two tests."

Professor Snape peaked his eyebrows. He was looking forward to seeing Daniel's Ghostly Wail and another, longer demonstration of overshadowing himself. "Then we shall end this for the day. You have, once again, performed brilliantly, and I shall give a full report to your mentor upon his return."

Danny landed. "Even the thing with the wands?"

Severus sighed. "No. I will tell him that you were successful with your ghostly possession of items, however."

"Thanks."

Harry looked at his watch. "Professor, it's midnight! There's _no way_ I can hope to get back to my dorm in time. It's way past curfew, and you still have my Invisibility Cloak."

Professor Snape handed Harry back his cloak, to Harry's disbelief. "While I may not be able to detect you while you are quiet enough when you use this, young Daniel can hear you even when he can't see you." It amused Severus to see Harry so out of sorts. He supposed old habits died hard.

"Daniel, I have a favor to ask of you, but only if you are up to it."

"I'll try, sir."

"Can you teleport Harry directly into his Common Room? It will be an interesting experience for him, and it is the quickest expedient to get you back to comfort." Ah. The professor hadn't forgotten that while he was here and worn out, his duplicate was in his room being inconsolable.

Danny nodded. "Sure thing, Professor. And thanks. For everything." Severus smiled fondly at both boys. Danny put his hand on Harry's shoulder, and both disappeared in a green mist.

* * *

At 4:00pm, Eastern Standard Time, Vlad materialized in the men's room in the VIP lounge of Washington Dulles International Airport. Checking one last time in the mirror that he appeared to his satisfaction, he walked out. Curious eyes turned toward him, as they didn't see him enter the lounge, but he was a familiar enough face – both in the VIP lounge and elsewhere. Vlad smiled at a few he recognized, but he had places to go and people to see.

Once he stepped out where the general public could see him, he saw a mass of press people head towards him. "Right on time," he murmured.

"Mr. Masters, were you serious about that ghost thing you mentioned last night?"

Vlad smiled. "Indeed, I was."

"What do you intend to do in the nation's capital after last night's press conference?"

This was precisely what he wanted asked and answered publicly and on record. "I am on my way to meet with my Congressman, Toby Roth. We'll have dinner, as we discuss some of the finer points of the financing of the Guys in White. And while it is only a State issue, perhaps we'll talk about the welfare laws in Wisconsin, and see what we can come up with to get more welfare money directed to orphans and widows, as opposed to able-bodied men who refuse to work. Later, the National Symphony Orchestra will be playing at the J.F.K. Center for the Performing Arts. I'm very much looking forward to attending. Now, if you'll excuse me, I have a limo to catch."

It was beautiful. The press followed him, hoping for an extra sound-byte, and they would have to leave off when they got to CityZen Restaurant, where – unlike Vlad and the Congressman – they didn't have a reservation. Tempting, tantalizing, and frustrating the press was endlessly amusing. Now that the public knew exactly where Vlad's public persona was going to be, it was time to send off a team of duplicates to take care of the _real_ reason he came to Washington, D.C.

The Guys in White headquarters had sensors to pick up ghosts, but nothing at all to pick up humans exhibiting one or two ghostly powers. Invisibility and intangibility were key. He rifled through the files to find all the hard copy information on Daniel, Skulker, Technus, Ember McClain, and 'the Wisconsin Ghost.' Some of their files were in triplicate, so it took a bit of doing to find it all. As satisfying as it would be to destroy it right here, the sensors were sure to pick up suspicious ectoplasmic activity. But placing things in intangible laundry bags set off nothing.

Then, of course, came the stealing of actual weapons. Anything from Skulker's old suit, or looked like it was part of it as it was being analyzed or reproduced was fair game. Anything with any Fenton patent was being stolen as well. And that was to say nothing for the viruses he would set loose all over their systems.

The viruses to the mainframe would come last, as that might actually trip an alarm. But Vlad used their own computers to seek out the back-up disks, drives, tapes, and other information storage. The viruses would destroy information about any and all things discussed with Technus. Technus promised they would do 'all that and more.' Vlad was very curious to see what that might be.

While all of this was going on, Vlad had another team of duplicates invading the patent office. The names and pictures of the Fenton inventions remained, but Vlad stole all the explanations and descriptions of the items. Patents were available to be seen and copies could be bought by the public. There were Fenton products Vlad didn't want anyone but himself (and possibly Daniel, one day) privy to.

* * *

Guys in White Operatives O and K came to enter the latest information – Vlad Masters is currently trying to protect Danny Phantom, a.k.a. Inviso-Bill. But when K tried to open the file, nothing came up. When this happened repeatedly, he tried to upload the information from a back-up disk. The back-up source sparked, fizzled, and the screen read, 'This is not the ghost you're looking for.'

K started to curse, but tried to start a new file on Danny Phantom. After the first three letters, the keyboard locked. K sought out his superior officers and IT techs. After many hours of working with the system, it became clear to everyone but the most stubborn that the information on Danny Phantom had disappeared, along with a number of other ghosts. And any attempt to input information on those ghosts were met with a system shutdown. The Guys in White either had to scrap their entire computer system and start fresh, or they could never input information on Danny Phantom, Skulker, Technus, the Wisconsin Ghost, or a few others they could name. The name Fenton also crashed the system.

The blame for this lack of information was extremely difficult to pin on anyone because the various and sundry ghosts had nothing in common.

It was clear that someone didn't like the Guys in White outfit. Operatives O and K wanted to blame Vlad Masters; however, his movement in Washington, D.C. was thoroughly known and publicized. It couldn't have been a ghost, or the sensors would have been tripped. The superior officers of the Guys in White decided to give up Danny Phantom and all of the ghosts of Amity Park up as a bad job.

* * *

When Vlad got back to his home in Wisconsin, it was midnight, Central Time. He hacked into the Guys in White to see what destruction he wrought. Everything he stole and destroyed stayed clear of the system. Hacking into a computerized video camera, Vlad laughed when he saw a Post-It note that declared a formal moratorium on all activity involving DP. Apparently, the three-letter rule invaded their mindset such that they wouldn't even write it out with a pen and paper.

"My work here is done."

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	34. Chapter 34

Once again, I want to thank everyone who has read, reviewed, and put this fic (and me) on your assorted lists. In thanks, I want to offer you an assortment of apples and honey, dates, pomegranates, and other sweet fruits that hint to the blessing of a sweet New Year.

I wish you all a happy and healthy, blessed sweet New Year for 5770.

I had an interesting request, and the person who made it was gracious if somewhat persistent. So I figured that there wasn't a reason I couldn't follow through with it. Trevor the Enchanter has some interesting stories that he thought members who read this fic might be interested in. I agree. The ones I've spent the most time reading involve a crossover between _Danny Phantom_ and _Nightmare on Elm Street_. They are very creative, and Trevor does a nice character study; however, that particular crossover series is particularly dark, graphic, and meant for a more mature audience.

Disclaimer: I do not own _Danny Phantom_ and _Harry Potter_.

Chapter 34

Danny and Harry materialized in the Gryffindor Common Room.

"Bloody hell!" Ron blurted. He and Hermione couldn't believe what they just saw.

Letting go of Harry, Danny said, "Excuse me?"

Ron pointed. "You're… You're…"

Hermione regained control of her mouth. "Danny Phantom!"

Danny sighed. "Yes."

"Thanks for taking me back, Danny," Harry said politely.

"You're welcome. Now, I'll just…"

Ron said, "Harry! Do you know what time it is?"

Harry looked at Danny, whose face was the very picture of exhaustion. Did ghosts get tired? "I know it's past midnight. That's why Danny brought me back here. After dinner, I went to see Professor Snape's lesson in Defense Against the Dark Arts with…" Harry realized that saying Danny's name, either of them, over and over would be confusing. "Fenton, but apparently, he got homesick when his uncle was unavailable to make it, because he was otherwise engaged."

Ron opened his hands to express that this was too much to be believed. "The professor left for _one day_. What's the matter with this bloke?"

"EXCUSE ME," Danny defended, "Let's think about this from Fenton's perspective, for the moment. His _whole family_ and best friends were killed, and the only one he really has left is his uncle, his guardian. Since they've been here, they've been together every day, to give the kid consistency, when the rest of his life has been kicked out from under him. And the one guy to give him that consistency and a sense of purpose, his lifeline to his past life, was unavailable for that meeting he's come to count on. I could see why he might be a little upset." He glared.

Danny didn't think of it until now, but after saying all those things, he realized that being homesick wasn't as pathetic as he thought it seemed. Really, Professor Snape thought of everything.

Ron's jaw dropped. Wow – he never thought of it like that before. Hermione smacked Ron in the back of the head, and murmured, "Nick was right. He doesn't just stand up for ghosts. He defends whoever needs defending." To Phantom, she said, "You are absolutely right. Usually, Danny's so strong, it's sometimes hard to remember how much he's hurting." Danny blushed. Ron's eyes went wide. Harry said Phantom blushed red, but it was one thing to hear about it, and another thing to see it.

Hermione turned to Harry. "Okay. So if Danny… Fenton was otherwise engaged, where were _you_ from after dinner until now?"

Harry grinned. "Professor Snape helped Phantom practice using his powers. They let me watch."

Hermione looked at Phantom. "Ghosts have powers?"

Danny shrugged. "They do, where I come from. My type of ghost is different than Hogwarts ghosts, and I'm pretty sure it has nothing to do with wizards and Muggles. Desiree even uses magic, but it's nothing like the magic you learn here."

This threw Hermione through a loop. She never heard of ghosts having enough substance to practice magic. None of what Phantom said matched her cache of knowledge of how the Wizarding World works.

Ron asked, "How come Snape was helping you?"

Harry looked at Ron pointedly. "_Professor_ Snape was doing a personal favor for Phantom and his mentor, who usually trains our friend here." Danny smiled. Harry paid attention.

Hermione thought about this. "I didn't know ghosts had mentors."

Harry said, "Well… Phantom's powers are intense, and I can see the need for practice and review, much the same way we need to practice casting spells." Harry frowned. "Which reminds me… while Professor Masters is an amazing DADA teacher, he's not having us practice defensive spells. I need to ask him if he would mind if we set up the DA, or something like that. Unlike Umbridge the Ministry Toad, I don't think he'll mind."

Danny floated – his feet were tired. "It might be good to open it to students from all four Houses. You know Professor Masters is all about equality."

"But the Slytherins!" Ron objected. "They would only use it against us."

Danny sighed. "Are there no Slytherin students of social redeeming value?"

Harry said, "Like… Fenton (sorry – I just can't get caught up between both of you Dannys every two minutes). And maybe Draco."

Ron stared. "Malfoy? Have you lost your mind?"

Harry shrugged. "We have an understanding. We haven't had any trouble with him, Crabbe, or Goyle since that day in October." Danny widened his eyes. What day? A _lot_ happened in October. "And as much as Professor Masters doesn't like the attitude of certain Slytherin students, I'm sure he would object to a project that Fenton couldn't _try_ to be a part of."

Hermione nodded. This made a lot of sense. "Danny, do other ghosts have mentors, or are you the only ghost who does?"

"From what I can tell, I'm the only one here. I mean, don't you think Myrtle might have been happier if an adult ghost took her under their advisement?"

Harry turned to Danny. "I've been thinking of that since you first said it. Myrtle seems to be the youngest ghost since she…well, since she became a ghost 54 years ago. How come she doesn't have a mentor?" He blushed guiltily. "While living students haven't really been the most supportive, the one who causes her the most grief is Peeves. Why _doesn't_ an adult ghost take care of her? Kind of like a parent, if ghosts have such things?"

Danny almost felt sick. Vlad has wanted to be his parent since he discovered Danny was a ghost. "You are absolutely right, Harry. I'll talk to Sir Nicholas about that soon. He's Myrtle's official House Ghost, though I think the Grey Lady is more the nurturing, maternal type. Sir Nicholas is awesome and supportive, though. Well… by the end of the week, we should find a mentor for Myrtle. I'm glad you thought of it, Harry."

Hermione looked admiringly at Harry. His 'saving people thing' might get Myrtle some happiness, and she might not be called Moaning Myrtle anymore. "Danny, how did you and Harry get here?"

"We teleported. It's kind of like Apparating, but witches and wizards can't Apparate on Hogwarts grounds, or wherever there are anti-Apparation wards. I haven't found anywhere I've seen that I can't teleport to. Unless there's a place with anti-_apparition_ wards, but I haven't found a place with those, either." Harry, Ron, and Hermione stared. Did Phantom just make a pun? "I imagine such places have to exist, but I'm not at all sure they're magical in origin. Or they might be… after all, Myrtle used to roam free, but when she became too much of a nuisance to Olive Hornby, the Ministry confined her to Hogwarts. But she prefers that bathroom…"

Danny yawned. "It's getting late, and I'm tired." And I've sustained a duplicate for close to six hours.

Hermione asked, "Ghosts get tired?"

Danny rolled his eyes. "Look – you guys spent a lot of your Second Year around Myrtle. Where did she spend time when she wasn't otherwise occupied?"

Ron said, "She didn't really do much. She cried a lot, she splashed a bit when Peeves teased her, but we tried to stay out of her way."

Danny murmured, "Interesting." He thought for a moment. "Did she say there was a special place she liked to curl up and recharge? Or, I don't know, reflect, think about death, something…"

"Yeah!" Harry nodded. "She said she sat in the u-bend, thinking about death, when the book I told you about earlier went through her."

"Really?" Danny didn't think Myrtle would actually think about that. Well… considering that besides the Council meetings she hasn't had much more to think about, that made more sense. "Right. Well, she was relaxing in her favorite, private place in her haunt. Now, I don't know about you, but I've had a workout involving all but three of my powers for at least five hours. If it's okay with you, I'd like to curl up in _my_ favorite haunt since I've started visiting Hogwarts. Good night, guys." Danny evaporated in a green mist.

Ron stared. "And there was no crack, or pop, or anything."

Hermione asked, "What kinds of powers does he have?"

Harry answered, "The list is long. But Phantom was right. It is late. I'll tell you all about it tomorrow."

* * *

Sunday morning, Vlad woke up bright and early. After a light breakfast of a buttered roll and coffee, he read the _Wall Street Journal_. He saw that everything was as it should be, and he marked papers until about 10:30am or so, when he packed up and headed back to Hogwarts through the Ghost Zone. Once in the Hufflepuff hall, he teleported to his quarters where he dropped off his bag, put on his robes, and entered the Great Hall in time for dinner.

Arriving at the same time as the other professors, Vlad took a seat between Professor Dumbledore and Professor Snape. "Good evening, Headmaster. I'm back."

Professor Dumbledore smiled warmly. "Welcome back, Professor. How did it go?"

Vlad grinned. "It more than exceeded my expectations. Two of the major issues have been resolved. The third is out of commission. If they are stubborn enough, they might persist. But I have forced the adversary into a long-time (even if temporary) submission."

"This sounds like a story that will be interesting to hear."

Sighing contentedly, Vlad said, "Then we shall have to find some time this week to discuss it, now won't we?"

"Indeed we will. I'm looking forward to it."

Professor Snape waited until Vlad served himself. "I think you will be pleased to know that last night, Daniel and I practiced and reviewed all but three of his talents." With a smirk, he continued, "I even had Daniel practice his _Stinging_ Hex for me, quite extensively."

Vlad raised both eyebrows. "Did you? I'm rather curious to know how _this_ came about."

"I have a report prepared. However, you will need my assistance for at least one of the remaining skills that requires review."

Vlad nodded. "Then I would be grateful for your continued cooperation, and I look forward to reading your report."

* * *

When Danny met Vlad and Professor Snape in the Room of Requirement, he flew at Vlad in a hug. "Uncle Vlad! I'm glad you're back! How did it go?"

Vlad chuckled. "All in good time, little badger. All in good time. For now, I'll just say I was far more successful than I thought possible." Danny grinned. Then he sighed.

"Um, Professor? I realize now that our cover story wasn't as pathetic as I thought it was. I… really did miss Uncle Vlad, and what you said was logical."

Professor Snape smiled. "I'm glad that you realize that now. I've practiced subterfuge for longer than you've been alive."

Vlad narrowed his eyes. "Why would anyone question your substituting for me in teaching Daniel Defense Against the Dark Arts?"

Danny shrugged. "Because Harry came to watch."

"WHAT?" For months, Vlad kept tight reins on which wizards knew what about Daniel's (and mostly by extension, his own) powers. And now, not only did an unauthorized wizard know, a _child_ knew.

Danny paled at Vlad's unexpected outrage. "Harry Potter's a trustworthy guy. But he doesn't know that Fenton and Phantom are the same person."

Vlad closed his eyes. He would not express his rage in front of Daniel. While Danny might be too willing to share part of his secret, it was Severus's fault for allowing the breach in security. The elder half-ghost scowled and bent close to Snape, whispering dangerously. "Later, you and I will be having words."

Professor Snape was taken aback. The light-hearted banter between them had disappeared. The glacial chill in Vlad's tone surprised him. "As you wish."

Vlad narrowed his eyes at him, closed his eyes, and then stepped back. "Alright. You said you covered all but three powers, and you convinced Daniel to use his Stinger. How, pray tell, did you accomplish that?"

Severus smiled. "From what I've pieced together, you never had Daniel use his Stinger except, in theory, to cause me pain, which he flatly refused. Instead, we exercised using his electric charge creatively, lighting lights of various volts and wattage. Our usage is detailed in my report." Snape frowned. "From the strength of his charge, Daniel could have killed quite a few humans, and you would have had him use this power, mostly untried and unmodulated against me."

Any color Danny might have regained since Vlad's last outburst left him. It was fun to light all those lights. He hadn't thought about what might have happened if he used his power at full strength against humans. He gulped.

Vlad spun at the sound and noticed Danny's supreme discomfort. That wasn't part of the plan. He peaked his eyebrows. "Yes, well…" He was not about to admit he hadn't quite thought that through in September. Vlad had mastered his electric powers many years ago, and he only wanted to painfully shock the professor. Nothing lethal was intended at any time, and unmodulated, Daniel might very well have killed his Head of House and favorite professor. "Daniel's hero complex and sense of compassion solved that problem quite nicely," Vlad deflected. Snape glared at him.

Vlad cleared his throat. "So… what three powers did you not manage to get to?"

Professor Snape also took a breath and announced, "Weight-bearing, his Ghostly Wail, and Overshadowing."

Danny piped up. "Yeah, about that… I wasn't too keen on showing Harry the Wail and Overshadowing, and by the time we got to them… We practiced for five hours, and I was tired."

Vlad rounded on Snape again. "Five hours? How dare you?"

Before Severus could open his mouth, Danny explained, "Professor Snape came up with a lot of cool demonstrations and experiments. We had so much fun, we lost track of time." He thought for a moment. "Now that we have more of a complete set of tests, now we might make a diagnostic take a few days instead of aiming to do it all in one day."

Vlad raised his eyebrows. While he wasn't thrilled with this particular wizard at present, the fact is that Snape was just as creative as Vlad was, and anything to improve Daniel's learning to use his powers was a good thing. "Very well. And the weight-bearing. What happened to that?"

Severus took quite a bit of strength and force of will not to shudder. "Perhaps it is my unfamiliarity with your ability to defy physics. Various forms of magic can accomplish that type of thing. Regardless, I could not, in good conscience, put more weight on a child than I could rescue him from if something went wrong. I can use magic to lift about three times my own weight at once, perhaps more if people are suspended with _Levicorpus_. Daniel said that he could easily lift over a ton of weight. Based on his explanation and my calculations, I put that number closer to more than _three tons_. I just couldn't…" He shook his head.

Vlad sighed. That was fair enough. "I imagine that you are entirely unfamiliar with the strength of ghosts of our variety, and that isn't even taking into account that we are half-ghosts which makes us even MORE powerful. Your unfamiliarity isn't your fault.

"I'm sure Daniel has mentioned the property damage that can be caused by ghost fights. It isn't uncommon in these things for a ghost to be thrown from a height of, say, 200 feet, into the pavement below. The result of such? A bit of pain for the ghost in question, leaving him winded, or perhaps with a split lip (if that), and the pavement beneath him destroyed. Ghosts can lift cars, or busses if the need or desire came over them. The fact that Daniel, here, weighs no more than 105 pounds soaking wet…"

"Hey!" Danny cried indignantly.

"Does not diminish the fact that he can carry as many people as might attend a medium sized town hall meeting, and such a thing would not even leave him winded."

Danny wasn't sure if he had been insulted or not, but Professor Snape was thoroughly impressed. So he was short and skinny. At least Vlad didn't call him 'pre-pubescent.'

Professor Snape was still concerned. "What do you intend to do?"

Vlad smirked. "Something you will find obnoxiously opulent, but it will be small enough to not be cumbersome." A stack of gold bars appeared. "I envision them to be bigger than average, as 30 actual pounds is a much rounder number than the international commercial weight of 27.43 pounds of gold."

Snape's eyebrows shot up. "Why gold?"

"Because it is a very dense, heavy metal. The weight can add up quickly, but I need Daniel to be able to actually hold it. Anything else would get rather unwieldy rather quickly." Vlad threw the first five casually, in different directions, and Danny dodged to collect them. Snape's eyes widened. The weight did add up very quickly. After the first 500 pounds, Vlad stopped chucking the bars helter-skelter. Danny showed absolutely no sign of strain. It quickly became 600 pounds, 700 pounds, and it kept coming. Professor Snape kept track of it.

Shortly, Danny carried one ton. Two tons. Three tons, and Danny didn't even sweat. At somewhere near 3.5 tons, Danny said, "Vlad, this is starting to get heavy." Severus blinked.

Vlad said, "I know. This matches your personal best from last time. Do you think we can try for ten more?"

Danny wanted to shrug, but his shoulders were busy. "Okay, but no more than that." Slowly, Vlad added them. Danny accepted them.

Vlad added the last one, and Danny held it. "Done! Very good, Daniel! That is 250 of these." Danny held them for one full minute. "And down." Danny gently lowered the mass of gold to the floor. He panted as he rested from the strain.

Professor Snape stared. "With 250 of those 30 pound bars… that is 7,500 pounds!"

Vlad shrugged. "Yes, it is. Your point is…?"

"But that is…"

"That is only because Daniel is only a short and slight 15-year old. He'll get older, bigger, and stronger. Then, he will be able to carry much more than that."

Snape sneered. "You're not serious."

Vlad looked askance. "Of _course_ I am. I can easily lift and carry more than twice that. I've endured a blow to the jaw that hit me at 112 miles per hour, and while it was painful, it only knocked me down. At various points, I've pulled Daniel from full speed (which was faster than that at the time) to a full stop. Some of the things we've gotten to as enemies were not to be believed." Lowering his voice, he said, "There was one time I specifically angered Daniel. He kicked me with such force, I was thrown hundreds of feet before I could control my own momentum in flight. Any of all of this folderol was often seen all over Amity Park."

Danny's breath returned to normal. "Bygones."

Vlad muttered, "I deserved that."

Professor Snape covered his mouth as he grinned. He thought, 'They are getting closer, but clearly, all has not been forgiven.' "So, what comes next, the Ghostly Wail or Overshadowing?"

Vlad said, "I don't know. Daniel, which would you like to do next?"

Danny sighed. He wasn't happy about showing off either talent. He wasn't being given a choice of which one to do, but which one to do _first_. One was a talent of complete destruction. One was a bizarre violation of his professor. He decided to put that off for as long as he could. "I think the Wail should be next. But we have to leave this room to get to the Room of Hidden Things."

Danny and Vlad turned human, and the three of them exited the Room. While Danny set the room, Vlad explained, "He says it looks the same as the room you called up when he destroyed things under your guidance, but when he sets it, the walls are lined with a NASA-approved pressure-proof substance." Severus nodded appreciatively.

Once in, Vlad directed Danny to modulate and let go. Danny had both Professor Snape and Vlad stand behind him. Standing on a conjured platform, Severus witnessed the massive destruction of towers of debris, and how much more was destroyed when Vlad told Danny to intensify.

Professor Snape decided that he could not be happier that first of all, he was not at odds with the boy. Second, the boy valued strongly a sense of fair play. After everything he saw this evening, only _now_ was Danny beginning to tire. Vlad called a halt, they exited, and Vlad returned the room to the lab.

Professor Snape looked at Danny. "Whenever you're ready."

Danny noticed that Professor Snape actively looked forward to this. A tear ran down his cheek. Both Vlad and Severus were concerned. Vlad lifted Danny's chin with a finger. "Daniel, what's wrong?"

Danny shrugged. "When I trained at home, when it was time to test overshadowing, Tucker said he hated it. Every time. There were three times I remember best, but he always hated it. I… never told him I was sorry." He brushed away his tears with a gloved hand. "I wasn't really, at the time. It was kind of funny. But… I took advantage of him. And I can't take it back. And I can't apologize, and he hated it." He closed his eyes, and the tears continued to fall.

"Oh, Daniel." Vlad hugged him. "Shh…" What was he supposed to say now? The boy did exactly what he would have done, but the boy was clearly traumatized. That nasty hero complex!

Professor Snape waited until they pulled away from each other. "Do you want to tell us about it?" Vlad thought to conjure some armchairs. They sat and Danny began.

"The first one happened not long after I just discovered the power. I had a date for the homecoming dance. Tucker finally got a date. And Sam… well, it took me a bit, but I figured out that she really wanted to go, but she wouldn't go if she wasn't invited. I would have, but… my date wore an emotionally induced amulet that turned the wearer into a ghost dragon." The adults stared at him. "Well, I didn't know that's what it did when I gave it to her."

Vlad frowned. "Daniel…"

"Anyway, I couldn't afford to cancel on her. And I didn't want to leave Sam dateless, so I…" He closed his eyes. "I overshadowed Tucker, and had him invite her.

"For the three of us, the dance was a mess. I used my overshadowing power to get myself in enough trouble that I had a hard time digging myself out, and instead of enjoying the dance, I had Tucker keep an eye on my Dad, who chaperoned – long story – and had Sam track down Paulina. It got complicated. But you know? Tucker might have liked going to the dance with Valerie. I just… thought more about what I wanted than what he wanted."

Danny heaved a heavy sigh. "The second time, we ran into some trouble with Desiree, the wishing ghost. I didn't realize how jealous Tucker was of my powers." He blushed. "You saw yesterday. I enjoy showing off for my friends. I didn't think how that affected Tucker. He wished that he could have ghost powers. Desiree granted him that wish. It wasn't cool – the unnatural ghost thing turned him malevolent in under a week. But during that week, I wanted to overshadow him, and check out the ghost situation within him. He got really mad. It was a problem. We fixed it, but I managed to hurt Tucker again.

"There might have been other times, but the last one I remember, I was training. My top speed at the time was 112 miles per hour, and… it was right before the DALV thing."

Professor Snape glared witheringly at Vlad. "The DALV thing?"

Vlad sighed. "It wasn't one of my more subtle schemes. It almost worked."

Danny longed to say, 'Not a chance, Vlad,' but that didn't make much sense, here and now. "Anyway, Sam and Tucker took turns telling me what I had left to do, although I kept a few surprises to myself."

Vlad peaked his eyebrows. 'The boy really _is_ like me.'

"I couldn't duplicate more than creating a second head, and I intended to stay home and practice without distraction, and then… Mom got your letter, inviting us to a mother/son science symposium from DALV. Mom was all excited. I might have gotten excited, but I was disappointed that my plans to train were scrapped."

Professor Snape said, "There was no symposium."

Vlad shrugged. "No – my plane brought them to my hunting chalet in Colorado. It was a complicated plan to force Maddie and Daniel to stay with me. The only successful part of the plan was temporarily waylaying them in Colorado." He didn't feel the need to explain the ghost mutants he sent after them, or the Plasmius Maximus. And while it was an inordinately clever ruse by Daniel to trick Vlad into wearing the Specter Deflector, it was particularly emotionally painful for Vlad – Daniel said they decided as a family to stay with him, and Daniel even called him 'new Dad.'

That was many months ago, and a lifetime of experiences away.

Professor Snape ignored Vlad's flush at an embarrassing memory. "And overshadowing?"

Danny shook his head to focus. "Yeah. That was the other surprise. I don't remember what I made him say, though it was something he never would – that way, they knew it was me talking. But when I left him, I _do_ remember him saying, 'I hate when you do that.' At the time, I didn't even care. When I didn't pay attention and hit my head on the wall, Tucker made the same joke about me." He looked away.

Severus and Vlad looked at each other. Professor Snape asked, "What happened?"

"I guess I realized how mean it was to make him say what I had him say, because when he said it back to me, I got mad and turned part of the floor intangible, and sank him into a sub-basement level of the weapons vault."

Vlad chuckled. He might have done the same thing, in that position.

Danny glared. "It's not funny, Vlad!" The older half-ghost realized how upset his ward was, because he very specifically didn't call him 'uncle.' He stopped laughing, though he couldn't help his smile of amusement.

Professor Snape put his hands on Danny's shoulders. "We all have some regrets. It's part of the human condition. But there are two things to keep in mind. First of all, from what I understand, you were close friends, and even if your friend Tucker was annoyed at the time, he knew you had a good heart and wouldn't intentionally hurt him beyond jocular ribbing."

Danny cocked his head. 'Jocular ribbing?'

"And second, I not only give you permission to overshadow me, I've been looking forward to it. Now that I know the extent of what you can do, I am curious to see what you _will_ make me do."

When he put it that way… Danny breathed, "Okay." He put his hand on the professor's chest and entered him.

Vlad tapped his chin. "Daniel, have you ever overshadowed Professor Snape before?"

"Yeah. Once, before the whole project with Goyle."

It amused Vlad to hear Daniel's artless ramblings in Severus's cultured, silky voice. "What happened then?"

"Well, I walked around his office, and then I flew around, looking at the cool stuff on his shelves, and then I looked at an interesting stone formation on the ceiling. Then we landed, and I exited him."

"Based on your performance in October, we know you can overshadow well, and for a significant amount of time. For now, however, you will just practice the basics." Danny nodded.

Danny flew around the ceiling a few times, careful to go no faster than 80 miles per hour; he remembered that the professor said that a certain speed unprotected would destroy human flesh. Well – being overshadowed might provide some protection, but he didn't want to risk it. He turned invisible and flew back and forth a few times. Danny rematerialized and turned intangible, sinking through the floor, popping back up and putting a hand through a table. He decided to try something the professor might find interesting. He put an intangible right hand through his left shoulder, and pulled it out.

"The targets, Daniel." Danny shot out a set of targets with a medium blast. He used a couple of trick shots around his back and over his shoulder. Vlad rolled his eyes, but was proud that Danny hit every target. Danny flew one more lap around the room, landed in front of Vlad, and exited the professor.

Vlad patted Danny on the back. "Nicely done, Daniel. Very well done." Danny looked up at Vlad and smiled.

Professor Snape was not doing so well, however. Last time Danny overshadowed him, Professor Snape was elated. Now, he stared at his hands.

"Professor?" Darn it – he forgot his ectoblast color freaked out the wizards, even though nothing was done but simple target practice.

Professor Snape looked up, away from his offending digits. "That color came from my very hands."

Danny sighed. "I don't know if it makes you feel better or not, Professor, but it is really one of the most common colors with ghosts. Most of the ghost animals I've seen are the same color. And really, most ectoplasmic emanations from my parents' inventions were the same color." He smirked. "It's only because we're here in the Wizarding World that it's so disturbing. Otherwise, it would be normal and natural, as ghosts go."

Severus patted Danny on the back. "Thank you for trying to comfort me. Nothing untoward happened. It just unsettled me. But other than that, I thank you for the experience. The hand through my shoulder was a nice touch."

Danny smiled. "I thought you'd like that. One time at school, my parents put me in a mild panic at lunchtime. I had eaten so fast, I swallowed my spork. I reached in, kinda like that, and pulled it out. I felt better, until the reason my parents were there showed up."

Severus raised an eyebrow. "That must have been some panic."

"Between the panic, the public humiliation, and my parents with ghost weapons in their hands, yeah. You have no idea, sir."

Vlad noticed that equilibrium returned to the trio, and directed Danny and Professor Snape to sit in the previously conjured chairs. "Professor, I thank you kindly and sincerely for helping Daniel train. It was a great favor to him, and to me. As I said, I look forward to reading your report. I'm sure you enjoyed it as well. Until last night, no one knew of most of Daniel's powers, besides myself. Daniel is a rather talented young man, and will only become more so with time and practice.

"My question to you regards young Harry Potter. WHAT WERE YOU THINKING? I have heavily guarded the gamut of our powers as a security measure. There are many talents I prefer wizards not to know. In case you've forgotten, an insane wizard has targeted my ward for no purpose other than he failed to die. For this reason, among others, I have worked hard to create a serious element of surprise.

"Now that Mr. Potter knows of Daniel's powers, how are we to keep this secret?"

Severus raised his eyebrows, with fury in his eyes. "How dare you suggest that I have forgotten for a moment the danger Voldemort presents? For your information, Harry Potter is, in fact, targeted by the Dark Lord for the same reason Daniel is, among other reasons. I know the evil Voldemort is capable of. There is no one in this school who is _more_ familiar with what that man is capable of. I would not willingly allow _any_ student, professor, or other individual into the clutches of that madman. If you _ever_ make such a remark that even hints at this, I will silence your vocal chords permanently."

Danny's eyes widened and he cringed into his chair. This was the first time he ever saw Professor Snape this angry. He was more than a little frightened of his professor right now.

The furious Slytherin continued. "Furthermore, it was not my intention that Harry should have attended Daniel's training session. When he asked me earlier in the day, I forbade him to come. There was no way for me to know that he would sneak up to the door of the Room of Requirement to overhear the conversation between myself and Daniel. I had no idea he was there until Daniel heard _him_. Harry knew of Daniel's 'DADA' tutoring, and was logically curious.

"I did the best I could. I had Daniel create a duplicate that was human and obviously not present while his ghostly persona practiced using his powers. Other students saw and spoke with the duplicate, so unless someone _somehow_ figures out that a living wizard is also a ghost that can be in two places at once, your secrets remain safe, and young Harry learned that a ghost he knows to be different from those locally has fantastic powers.

"Miss Granger, the cleverest witch in her year, met Daniel in his ghostly persona. If _she_ hasn't figured out that the two are one, I would be hard-pressed to find another witch or wizard who might possibly make the connection."

Severus's anger was still strong, but he could not sustain that level of anger for long. "And at present, there are only three students who have seen Danny Phantom. Harry, Ron, and Hermione are not only good at solving mysteries, they are good at keeping secrets."

Vlad's anger, however, only grew. In a dangerously low tone, Vlad hissed, "You have an interesting way of exposing secrets of those you can't stand. I know you hated Remus Lupin. You may even have had cause. You even convinced him that he deserved the consequences of his secrets exposed. He did not deserve what happened to him, his joblessness, his degradation, over a schoolyard grudge.

"You may not like me. I can respect that. But you have _no_ excuse to reveal the secrets of my boy Daniel. You better hope you're right, and that no one finds out Daniel's secret because of your carelessness. I don't know _what_ I'll do, but you _will_ regret it."

Danny pulled his legs up and hugged them. Turning invisible wouldn't help, as it might make both of them angrier, but taking up the least possible space might hide him from their notice. Professor Snape and Vlad could be terrifying, and that was when he knew no permanent damage was intended. Now… He hugged his legs tightly, closed his eyes, and trembled.

Professor Snape noticed Danny's fear and discomfort first. Severus and Vlad's issues were between themselves, and while they might revolve around Danny, Danny was not involved. Neither Severus nor Vlad had the right to cause Daniel such emotional torment, but in their own selfish argument, they had done just that. Silently, he held up a hand, and gestured for Vlad to look at Danny.

Vlad looked in horror as he realized what he and Severus had done. He peaked his eyebrows. "Daniel?" Danny didn't respond. He just hoped really hard that these two very powerful adults who he cared about would not hurt each other.

In a much calmer tone, Professor Snape said, "I _am_ truly sorry for what I've done, but I don't know what else I could have done."

Also, in a far gentler tone, Vlad responded, "Understood. I suppose there were circumstances beyond your control."

Severus patted the knee of the unresponsive Daniel, while Vlad slipped a hand behind the boy's back. Vlad tried again. "Daniel?"

Danny didn't uncurl, but he opened his eyes. Well, that was at least something. "Please don't… be angry anymore. Harry is a trustworthy guy. If anyone _does_ figure out my secret (which I hope they won't), I would hope that Harry or his two closest buddies would be the ones. Professor Dumbledore trusts them, and Professor Snape trusts them. And that was before he even _liked_ Harry. Now, Professor Snape is Harry's guardian."

Severus was startled. He hadn't expected Vlad to discover his own bond with the Gryffindor quite that way.

Vlad's eyebrows shot up. "Interesting. So _that_ is who you chose as your ward."

Snape pressed his lips tightly together. He wanted to yell at Danny, except for two things. First, he was loath to cause any of his Slytherin students distress, and that was true even when they weren't in as much severe emotional distress as Daniel was currently in. Second, he told _Harry_ to keep this private. He never told Daniel he intended to keep this private for as long as possible. It was his own fault for not asking the boy not to tell his guardian.

Severus sighed. "Yes. Harry is now my ward. Apparently, the Death Eaters figured it out, and now Harry and I are as bound here as Daniel is." Danny's eyes grew wide.

Vlad shrugged. "I hope you have plans for Christmas Eve and Christmas Day, because Daniel and I have places to go and people to see. It wouldn't do to expose certain things after such a close shave," he said darkly.

Danny asked, "Really? Where are we going?"

"Not now, Daniel. But one thing I can promise you – where we are going will be completely safe from Death Eater danger." This left a puzzle for both Slytherins.

Danny at last released his legs and found a more relaxed position to think over Vlad's words. Professor Snape, who recognized Daniel's lighter mood and ease of tension nodded. "Are you alright now, Daniel?"

Danny thought for a moment. The severe tension between Vlad and Professor Snape had calmed down sufficiently for Danny to know that if any damage ensued, it would not be of the permanent variety. "Yeah. I'm doing better. Thanks."

Snape looked meaningfully at Vlad, who refrained from rolling his eyes. "I believe we can take it from here, Professor." He studied Daniel, who was still shaken, but was much better than he was moments ago. He nodded in confirmation to himself.

Doing his own study, Professor Snape agreed with Vlad's assessment. "Very well then. I wish both of you a good night, and I'll see you tomorrow."

Once the Potions Master left the Room of Requirement, with a wave of his hand, Vlad banished the laboratory and called up a black marble fireplace and a mahogany table between them. He clapped his hands and the elves sent up a tea set for two and a plate of scones. At Danny's surprise, Vlad smiled. "I decided that a little pampering and comfort food was in order."

After pouring two cups and gesturing to Danny to take sugar and a scone, Vlad said, "I thought you might like to know the results of my trip."

Danny left his sugar-laden spoon in the air for a moment. "So what happened?"

"First, the Foleys send you fond regards. Mrs. Ida Manson sends her warmest regards and well wishes, and would like you to write when you have the chance."

"Thanks." He missed the Foleys, and it was nice that they thought of him. Sam's grandmother, however, was a nice surprise.

Taking a sip of his tea, Vlad sighed in contentment. Daniel seemed to unwind and appreciate the intimate atmosphere he created. "After the press conference, the media reported you to have a 98 percent approval rating, and the Guys in White will leave you alone for a very long time. I can't promise 100 percent success with them, as Operatives O and K are blastedly stubborn morons who don't know when to give up. But unless they replace every last computer in their organization and start looking for information all over again, the Guys in White may be out of commission as far as you, your family, and Amity Park are concerned, for many years."

Danny sighed. "Thanks, Vlad. That means a lot to me." He dunked a scone in his now sugared tea and bit it.

"And… I don't think that Valerie will ever bother you again."

Danny dropped his scone on his plate. "What did you do to her?" he cried in alarm.

Vlad waved a careless hand. "I promised to give her a full scholarship to the college, and later, graduate school of her choice."

Danny blinked. "That's it? She'll leave me alone now?"

Vlad nearly chuckled. "That's it. Oh… and she happens to think your ghostly persona is cute."

"Arg!" Now, Vlad did laugh. Danny fumed. Why, oh why couldn't Valerie decide she liked _all_ of him while they were on the same continent? Of course, she didn't yet know that Fenton and Phantom were the same guy…

"And another surprise you may like: your regular complement of ghostly antagonists will leave you alone, even when we get back to the States."

Danny cocked his head suspiciously. "Why?"

Vlad smiled. "I merely informed a ghost or two of the truth, and the possibility that your temper might grow as you do; nothing more. But it was most effective."

"Which truth?"

The boy was getting good at this. "First of all, you are my ward, and if they harmed you in any way, I would take offense and retaliate with extreme prejudice. Second, your powers are ever increasing. It would never do to underestimate a ghost whose powers are ever growing apace with you, and you haven't hit…" While the honest thing to say was 'puberty,' the boy might be sensitive about that. "Full maturity yet."

Danny raised his eyebrows. They talked about Vlad fixing things with the media, the Guys in White, and Valerie. The thing with the other ghosts was new.

He was getting overwhelmed, so he came back to an idea he could deal with. "Wait a minute. What about _my_ college? When I get there?"

Vlad blinked. "What about your college?"

"I… how am I going to afford to go to college? I know it's a couple of years away. I don't know if my parents put any money aside for it, but I don't…"

Vlad held up a hand, and said very gently, "You foolish boy. Why do you think I would pay for Valerie to go to college and beyond, and would not do the same for you, at the very least?"

"But why would you do that?"

"Because I love you, and it would be my pleasure, besides my responsibility." Vlad surprised himself, but decided he meant what he said. It was the truth.

Danny jerked his head, whispering, "What did you say?"

Vlad understood Danny's shock, as it wasn't too different than his own. Still, he owned up to those words because they were true. "I love you, and it would be my pleasure." How comfortable the words were when he sounded them out.

Danny stared at Vlad. Vlad's acted possessive over him for years. He tried to control him in various ways and forms. But this was new. Since they got here, they started bonding, albeit reluctantly, and Danny didn't know what to make of it when Vlad used _that_ tone of voice. But now, Vlad didn't talk of possession or control, or any number of Froot-Loopy things that marked the man's previous existence. He didn't demand anything. He explained simply that his motive (which was usually questionable at best) to help him and do things for him was out of love. That was something he thought he saw the end of in July. But now…

He jumped out of his chair and threw himself at Vlad, who was surprised but his reflexes helped him catch the small teen. He hugged the boy tightly. This was not a moment or memory he wanted to let go. "I love you." Vlad said it again. It was much easier that time.

Danny whispered, "I think… I love you, too." Vlad decided it would be hard to describe how life got better than this.

* * *

The next day, Vlad found Professor Dumbledore in the staff room. There were other professors present, but there was no need to keep this private. "Professor Dumbledore, I'm not sure if you are aware, but this Thursday is an American, family-oriented holiday, Thanksgiving."

Albus nodded. He was very curious about what his American professor would say. "I'm sure I've heard of it. What are your thoughts on the matter?"

Vlad said, "Well, nothing needs to be done, for the most part. There's no reason to interfere with the school day. But dinner… well, it will be the first family-oriented holiday Daniel will face without his immediate family."

Professor Sinistra gasped. "That's right! I know Danny speaks of NASA all the time. I almost forgot… of course something should be done."

Taking back the conversation, Vlad said, "Yes, well… because of the nature of the holiday, I thought it might be appropriate to arrange a private family dinner, perhaps to take place in my quarters. Could such a thing be arranged?"

Albus thought of Vlad's request. As he learned to expect, Professor Masters had, again, asked for something unusual. The headmaster looked forward to what Vlad had to say, as the unusual or unexpected quality of such things pleased and intrigued him. Yesterday, he had returned from a mission of mercy, to right a few wrongs he created for young Danny. Now, he was beginning to put together a moment of familial importance to himself and to the boy. "Of course. Come to my office this evening after you finish Danny's special lessons to discuss the details for this Thursday, and perhaps a little of this past weekend."

Vlad nodded. "Very well. I'll see you later then." He packed up and left for his office.

Professor Sinistra sat quietly with Professors Flitwick, Sprout, and Dumbledore. She said, "You know, Danny is a delight in class. He speaks so much about NASA, and is so vocal, it was foolish of me to forget he is American."

Albus smiled. "He is many things, and it is easy to lose sight of the parts and pieces when you consider the whole of his situation."

Filius nodded. "You know, it's been quite a while since the last time Danny came to me to… be tutored in Charms. I wonder what he's getting up to."

Pomona sighed. "I don't know, but he's taken to Herbology with a will. In his class, he rivals Neville Longbottom. It seems so urgent to him. It's not about the grades, like it is for some students, or for points. He acts like his life depends on his performance."

Professor Flitwick didn't glare, but he thought about it. "It very well might." Professor Sprout blushed.

There was something going on, but Professor Sinistra couldn't figure it out. "What do you mean?"

Speaking quickly, Professor Flitwick said, "He has some unusual allergies."

Pomona nodded. "Indeed. I put those few Blossoms in Greenhouse 7. No one has to go there unless they are working on special projects, and no one in Sixth Year has to worry about them."

Aurora shook her head. "Poor dear. Allergies are the last thing anyone needs. But let me tell you. Seventh Year NEWT students don't catch everything he sees. His telescope is a good one, but sometimes he sees things I didn't think were visible to the unaided human eye."

Professor Dumbledore smirked as Flitwick and Sprout looked at each other. "Severus said that Mr. Urquhart intends to use Danny in Slytherin's next game," Pomona pointed out.

The tiny wizard covered his eyes with a hand. "Severus has all the luck, sometimes."

Albus smiled. "Perhaps it's about time he did, Filius."

* * *

That evening, Vlad pulled out a couple of armchairs. He heard of a power he needed to experiment with. He didn't know if he could do it, and it wouldn't surprise him if Daniel could do it, but it would require major thinking. Daniel had already proved himself when it came to thinking 'outside the box,' and if he suggested thinking about it, Daniel might have a few ideas.

But considering yesterday's horrific emotional roller coaster, it might be more important to focus on the boy's emotional stability. When Danny got to the Room of Requirement, it looked more like Vlad's office, with a couple of green and gold leather armchairs. Danny rolled his eyes, thinking, 'Now what?' He took the available seat across the desk from Vlad.

Vlad studied him a moment. Then he said, "Daniel, this week is Thanksgiving."

Danny sat up straighter. "I forgot."

"Yes – without the advertisements blaring from every available media outlet, it is easy to forget this type of holiday." Danny shrugged. Vlad was right, but what was his point?

Vlad sighed. This was more emotional for himself than he planned for. "This is our first real family holiday, and I wanted to know if you had any thoughts on the matter."

Danny thought for a bit. It wasn't just the ads that almost made him forget. Thanksgiving on the fourth Thursday in November was a uniquely American holiday, as far as he knew. While Draco, Vlad, and Danny himself spoke about Christmas plans as early as October, no one spoke of Thanksgiving. Why would they? This was Britain.

Hmm. This would be the first Thanksgiving without his parents and Jazz. Now that he remembered what he had forgotten, he was sad. "Maybe. I'm not sure yet. Did you have plans?"

"Well, I asked Professor Dumbledore if a more private, family dinner could be arranged. We will be discussing some of the details later this evening. I'm sure an elf or two who like you might be willing to arrange anything you ask for."

Danny smiled. "You're probably right. Do you think we can have Aunt Alicia join us?"

That threw Vlad through a loop. "Why? Do you normally see her this time of year?"

"Sometimes. It wasn't always a big deal. When she came, we made sure to say that we were thankful to have extended family. And she made sure to say that she was thankful for 'fixing the biggest mistake in her life'." Danny rolled his eyes. "When she didn't come, we said that we were thankful that we had each other. Until the stuffing picked itself up and ran away from the table."

Vlad smiled. Whatever life had in store for the Fenton household, boredom could never be counted among the general problems. "While I'm sure your Aunt Alicia might appreciate the invite, I somehow think that the wizards in this school would not appreciate an ignorant Muggle in the castle. We've managed to get away with it because we are ghosts. It isn't fair, but that's the Wizarding World for you."

Danny sighed and sat back. This was going to be rough. _None_ of his actual family would be there. He was glad Vlad was making the effort, but unlike Christmas, which always had the thread of pseudo-hostility about it, Thanksgiving was always special. Dad's ancestors came over on the Mayflower, so it always had an extra personal significance, and that made it all the more upsetting that no real family would be with him this year.

But Vlad was working hard to _be_ family. He wasn't sure they were up to the father/son thing yet (despite the fact he almost said as much in front of Harry), but they did say they loved each other, yesterday. That had to count for something.

As long as they were creating family from scratch, they might as well expand it. Danny had a couple of ideas, but after yesterday, he was sure Vlad wouldn't be interested. "I have a thought, but I don't think you'll like it."

The sullen look on Daniel's face pained Vlad. The least he could do was hear the boy out. "I'll be the judge of that. Tell me your thought."

"Well… Can we have Professor Snape and Harry come?"

If the comment on Alicia confused him, Vlad felt completely blindsided by this. "I beg your pardon?"

Danny frowned. He knew Vlad wouldn't like it. "Well, the way I see it, since my parents aren't here, no one cares about me like you and Professor Snape do. And he's much more than a normal teacher. No one knows as much about us as Professor Snape. Not even Professor Dumbledore and Professor Flitwick. And even though he's my Head of House, I'm pretty sure that Professor Snape hasn't focused some of his most serious life decisions on any other Slytherin's family life. And I'm not exactly sure what I think of the professor as, but it's a lot more than just a teacher."

Daniel really thought this through. "And what of Harry Potter?"

Danny shrugged. "Harry's Professor Snape's ward, which makes them as much family to each other as we are. The only real difference is that we've had a few more months to get used to the idea."

That logic was irrefutable. Vlad wasn't sure what to make of it. "You have certainly made a convincing argument. I'll have to think about it. After yesterday, anything involving personable relations between your professor and me will be no mean feat." Danny's face fell. "But I shall make the effort."

Danny gave a half-smile. "Thanks, Vlad. It means a _lot_ to me."

"I know, Daniel. I can tell. Now, I think we are ready to discuss the next talent I hope to work on. I want to discuss the concept and possible theory of opening your own temporary portal."

Danny's eyes went wide. "I'm sure we can do it." His evil future self figured out how to do it, and he was made up of Danny and Vlad. That means, they could figure out how to do it together.

* * *

Tuesday morning, during his break, Danny found the Baron. "Hey there!"

The grim ghost graced him with one of his rare smiles he seemed to have in reserve for his hero. "Good morning, Danny. How can I help you?"

"Can you tell me where I can find Sir Nicholas?"

The Baron's face fell for a moment, but came back to himself. "Of course. He's on the third floor. What is it about?"

Sensing that he inadvertently hurt the elder ghost's feelings, Danny said, "Oh, Baron! It's not like that. I have a question about Myrtle."

The Baron narrowed his eyes. "She hasn't been doing something she oughtn't, has she?"

Danny shook his head. "Not at all. She hasn't done anything wrong. Mr. Filch would let me know." Mr. Filch didn't know that Danny was a ghost, but part of Danny's effort to give the janitor a break was to hang out and chat sometimes. When the dour man had a sympathetic ear to listen to his troubles, he was less sour with students he was less fond of.

"It's just that Sir Nicholas was Myrtle's official House Ghost, and can probably help her out."

The Baron frowned, concentrating. Myrtle had a problem? "Would you mind if I came with you?"

"Not at all." Danny walked up to the third floor, where Sir Nicholas spoke with the Grey Lady.

"I'm glad that so many students are taking advantage of your mother's diadem. Professor Flitwick says that students from all four Houses have availed themselves… Danny!"

Danny smiled. "Hi, Sir Nicholas, Lady…" Other students filed by. When they were among ghosts and professors, Danny called her by her full title. But around anyone else, she wanted to be known as the Grey Lady.

Sir Nicholas smiled back. "What can we do for you this fine morning?"

Danny put a hand on his neck. "I have a question for you, but I think it's important." The three House Ghosts present became somber, and all four of them ignored the students who stared at them.

"Myrtle has been a ghost for 54 years or so. Would it be possible for someone to serve as her mentor?"

Sir Nicholas raised his eyebrows. "Of course it would. I just never… What made you think of it?"

Danny shrugged. "Uncle Vlad and I are really getting closer, and I realize he's wanted to mentor me since the first day or so we met. And Saturday night it dawned on me – if Myrtle, who was only eleven when she became a ghost, had a mentor, she might build a sense of confidence and love, and she wouldn't react so badly to Peeves, or careless students too hasty with their words."

Sir Nicholas looked stricken. "I suppose you're right. It just never occurred to me, or any of us, really, to realize that a ghost might need help."

Danny looked taken aback. He looked around. A couple of students were still on the floor. Danny had to choose his words carefully. "But you have meetings about all kinds of things. How did you miss this one?"

Sir Nicholas's face flushed silvery opaque. "Most of the meetings refer to how ghosts relate to the living in the school, usually for the betterment of their quality of life."

Danny scratched his head. "But no one thought of the betterment of the quality of…" How did he put this? "A ghost's afterlife? Dude… forgive me for not getting this." Danny began to get upset. "Sir Nicholas, you had a Death Day party. You are unhappy when Sir Patrick reminds you that you don't qualify for the Headless Hunt. You are clearly aware of the idea of quality of life, or afterlife for ghosts."

The three House Ghosts hung their heads, guilty and ashamed. Sir Nicholas admitted, "You know, the Friar had mentioned something years ago, but there always seemed to be other things to attend to, and by then… we…" Sir Nicholas closed his eyes. "We have no excuse. This is something that should have been dealt with immediately."

The Baron confided, "She may take this as badly as Harry Potter did when Severus first approached him."

"Yeah, but the professor did it. He recognized that he did wrong, and he fixed it. Maybe the four of you should approach her, and take the lumps of guilt as they come, and then fix it. Myrtle thrives on positive attention, you know."

The Grey Lady said, "I'll go get her now. You," she said, pointing at the Baron, "go get the Friar. This needs to be done immediately. The poor girl has suffered 54 years. It should end posthaste." The two ghosts took off on their current missions.

Sir Nicholas asked, "How did you get to be so insightful, Danny?"

Danny shrugged. "I don't know that it's particularly insightful. Harry made a comment about ghosts having parents. I thought about me and Uncle Vlad, and Professor Snape and Harry, and a few regrets I can never fix. But as long as you're on the same plane of existence, you can fix things for Myrtle."

Sir Nicholas hugged Danny tightly. Danny pretended to shiver. "You are absolutely right." He whispered, "You really _are_ a hero. Not just in flashy and bold ways, but also in private ways that count. I knew that, but I appreciate it so much more." He sighed mournfully.

"You know, Myrtle will forgive you."

"Perhaps. But I don't know if I can forgive myself."

Danny raised an eyebrow. "Sir Nicholas, you've been a ghost for over 500 years. Myrtle's only been one for 54 years, and you are about to fill a need I don't think she even knows she has. You may be angry at yourself, but personally – I think she will be grateful, if somewhat confused at first. And whoever gets the job will have all of eternity to watch an eleven year old learn and grow emotionally."

The Gryffindor Ghost patted Danny's shoulder. "Thank you for your wise words. Now, you should be off to Charms."

* * *

During Tuesday's afternoon office hours, Vlad was more nervous than he was when he realized the people of the Far Frozen were set against him. This had ramifications that were much more personal. He knocked on Professor Snape's door. "Come in," the Potions Master called.

Vlad closed his eyes, steeled himself, and entered. "Professor Masters! This is a surprise."

"Yes, well… I've come to speak of something very personal and private."

The last time Professor Snape saw Professor Masters looking so very vulnerable was October 1. He was intrigued beyond measure. "Please have a seat."

Vlad took out his wand. It was useless, but it gave his hands something to do. "Are you aware that this Thursday is Thanksgiving?"

Professor Snape sneered. "How interesting that you care to inform me of an American holiday that celebrates the beginning of the ultimate separation of the States from Britain."

Vlad rolled his eyes. Now was a heck of a time for a wizard to remember to be patriotic to his Muggle country. "Indeed. And an interesting piece of history you might or might not know is that Daniel has ancestors who were Puritans who sailed on the Mayflower."

Severus looked like he unexpectedly bit a lemon. Of course he knew that. He himself told Daniel of John Fenton-Nightingale's discovery of the uses for Blood Blossoms. He forgot to connect that fact to the conclusion that Daniel might have emotional ties to the day. And even if the boy's family was not so closely related to the historical event, it is an American holiday that Daniel probably celebrated and no longer has his family to celebrate with.

Sincerely, he replied, "How careless of me to forget. Please forgive me. Go on."

The acrimony in the Potions Master's voice evaporated. This was a useful surprise. "Daniel is keenly aware that this year he will be without any of his family connected to him by blood. While the Statute of Secrecy barely tolerates myself and Daniel, I'm almost certain the Wizarding World at large will have no use for Daniel's aunt, Alicia." This was entirely too true. Poor Daniel!

"I doubt that it was a conclusion he came to all in a day, but since his actual family no longer exists, he's made a few logical leaps in the concept of family. He has me, of course. But he brought to my attention that – interestingly enough – he has begun to see _you_ as family."

"Me?"

"It was actually a brilliant deduction on his part. Since he has been redefining the concept of family to include me, he has decided that his new concept of family involves anyone who cares about him as deeply as his parents might have. Oddly enough, that makes me many times closer as family than his own Aunt Alicia."

Severus agreed. This was a fascinating tack for the boy to take.

"And while it is true that you care for all students under your tutelage, and you give a special loving care to your Slytherins, Daniel has observed that you care about him far more than most." With an uneasy smile, Vlad continued, "After all, as Daniel noted, you haven't made one of the most important decisions in your life based on the home life of just any Slytherin student."

Severus hung his head in thought. Daniel came to this conclusion, did he? He was far more observant than anyone gave him credit for being, and this has nothing to do with the boy's exquisite hearing or eyesight.

"Out of curiosity – how _does_ young Daniel see me?"

"He hasn't been able to articulate it beyond the fact that it is clear you are far more to him than a simple teacher, and that no one cares about him as much as you and I, in no particular order."

Severus peaked his eyebrows. "You mentioned Thanksgiving. I'm sure you had a reason for bringing it up."

Vlad sighed. "Indeed. Yesterday, I spoke to the Headmaster about a private family dinner in my quarters. When I brought this up to Daniel, and it was clear that Alicia couldn't come, he specifically asked me to invite you and Harry to our private dinner Thursday night."

Severus raised his eyebrows. "Alright. I understand Daniel's reasoning about me. How did Harry get involved?"

Vlad rolled his eyes. "After the great leap of logic to get you included, I would have thought that Harry is obvious. Harry is as much family to you as Daniel is to me. And if you are included in Daniel's new concept of family, your actual new family should be a foregone conclusion."

"Right, then." Severus furrowed his brows and gave a mirthless laugh. "This will be Daniel's first family holiday without his actual family. Ironically, this will probably be Harry's first inclusion in a family holiday, involving his own family, such as it is." He shook his head. How much more could his life be turned upside-down? "By this logic, I suppose we should invite Remus Lupin, too?"

Vlad gave his own mirthless laugh. "Not for this Thursday, but definitely put it on your schedule for New Year's Eve."

* * *

On Thursday, as they set up for Potions, Harry said, "Danny, yesterday during my Occlumency lesson, Professor Snape said something I wanted to ask you about."

Danny looked up from his preparations. "You are taking Occlumency? It sounds cool." Well, scary, really, but Harry was learning to protect his mind from an invading wizard. "When did that start?"

With a half-smile, Harry answered, "Three weeks ago. Professor Snape liked the idea of spending time teaching me something only he could teach me, kinda the way Professor Masters spends a lot of time teaching you things that mean a lot to him."

Danny smiled. "I was right. I knew it! It's beautiful."

"What?"

"Family. It's a beautiful thing. So when are these lessons?"

"They are 8:30pm on Wednesdays." Danny sighed happily. Of _course_ they would be at 8:30 – it freed up Professor Snape if he had to come to his Powers Training session at 7:00.

Danny shook himself out of his happy daze and continued his Potions prep.

Harry was confused. Apparently, Danny had a better handle on things than he did. Professor Snape wasn't here yet, so he tried again. "Like I said before, Professor Snape said something about you and a family dinner or something. What is this about?"

Danny felt like… he wasn't sure what. How could he tell Harry what he didn't understand himself? "It's hard to explain. But tonight is an American holiday that has strong family tradition, and it means a lot to me in general. It means even more that you and the professor are coming."

Harry felt awkward. He focused a bit more on slicing the slugs in front of him. He wasn't sure if he hit an emotional sensitive spot for Danny, but one was hit for him. "You know, last Christmas, the Weasleys and Hermione came with me to Sirius's house." He grabbed the next slug roughly. When he squished it, he rolled his eyes at himself and took another one. "It was the first time I ever celebrated a family celebration for real. The Dursleys never…" He sighed, and moved on to the next ingredient.

From what Danny could tell, these Dursleys sounded like real pieces of work. These remnants of Harry's living family did their absolute best to let Harry know he was in no way a part of their family. They didn't include him in family celebrations? What was wrong with these people?!

They tried to 'deprive Harry of happiness,' they denied him the fun and freedom of make-believe (when they could), the adults verbally assaulted him, and if he understood the hidden message, his aunt and uncle encouraged his cousin to bully him viciously. Danny might be a few inches shorter and a few months younger, but he suddenly felt very protective of his friend, as a big brother might. He was glad that Professor Snape decided to take charge and be the family Harry never had.

"Well… I'm looking forward to having you at _my_ family holiday," he said fiercely. His eyes almost flashed green, but he caught himself in time. Then he realized… Why were these feelings so difficult to explain? "But it's not so much like you're going to Ron's, but more like you're going to Sirius."

Harry knitted his brows. "What are you talking about?"

"Don't worry about it." The tension left Danny's shoulders.

Before Harry had a chance to ask his next question, Professor Snape walked in. "Mr. Fenton and Mr. Potter – be sure to see me after class. The instructions are on the board. Get started."

Harry remained puzzled while Danny's excitement grew, but they stayed focused on Potions. It made Harry curious how Danny could keep such a single-minded focus, when his emotions were obviously on the evening's celebration. Their internal focus on their emotions and Potions made both dark-haired boys oblivious to the casual stares, glances, and glares sent in their direction.

At the end of the class, Harry and Danny came to Professor Snape's desk, where they were joined by Ron, Hermione, and Draco. Severus rolled his eyes impatiently. "Can I help you?"

Hermione said, "Yes, sir. What do you want with Harry?"

Not to be outdone in his show of concern, Draco asked, "And what's going on with Danny?"

With a withering glare, Professor Snape answered, "This is none of your concern. And since none of the rest of you answer to the name of Potter or Fenton, please state your concern and be done with it. The three of us have business elsewhere."

Ron protested, "But Professor, it's dinner time. You can't keep them from eating dinner!" He remembered that the Dursleys had no problem starving Harry, and while Harry seemed to have a better relationship to Snape than he used to, Ron still didn't trust the professor.

Snape studied Ron as if he considered how to use the boy's parts as potions ingredients. Ron shivered. "I can assure you that no one will go hungry."

Severus found it interesting that Harry didn't see fit to explain this evening to his friends. Then again, Daniel himself would be hard-pressed to explain this, and this event, in its entirety, revolved around him. And there was the idea that Harry and Daniel had a somewhat closer connection than Harry's close friends of five and a half years.

After this reflection, it was no longer puzzling why Harry would refrain from telling Mr. Weasley and Miss Granger why he would be missing at the Gryffindor table during dinner.

"But Harry's done nothing wrong," Ron persisted.

"I am aware of that, Mr. Weasley." Draco's eyes widened. He knew that the relationship between his Head of House and Harry Potter had changed, but it was still weird to see Harry singled out without promise of punishment. "This is not a punishment of any kind." Draco felt oddly vindicated.

Still, whatever this was, it wasn't involved in class, or the other Potions teams would have been involved. "But sir!" Draco complained. "You said that Danny and I are supposed to be involved in a project." He didn't mention Crabbe or Goyle, as he didn't know if Professor Masters released that information.

This tested Severus's patience, but Draco did deserve an answer. "So I did, and so I shall. But this is not that moment. I don't foresee an exchange of points in our appointment. However, I can arrange for a point deduction from anyone who continues to keep us from our appointment."

Danny's face fell. "I'm sorry. I never meant for all of this to happen. I didn't want all this…" He looked up tearfully at his professor.

"Nonsense. You have done nothing wrong." Snape glared at Ron and Draco. Hermione looked away, as she realized quite a bit earlier on that even though she didn't know what was going on, Harry and Danny would be safe with Harry's guardian and Danny's Head of House.

Severus heard rumors to the effect that what he was about to try garnered immediate results. "And I understand that Professor Masters will be most displeased if you keep us from our appointment, in which event you will have to deal with the wrath of _both_ of us." He crossed his arms.

Both Ron and Draco looked stricken. "Sorry sir." Looking to Danny and Harry, Ron said, "I hope it goes okay for you all." Draco paled and nodded. Severus did not give a hint to his thoughts, but he was somewhere between wildly amused that Vlad's very name struck terror in the hearts of these students, and a little insulted that he no longer commanded that terror on his own.

Hermione said, "We'll see you back in the Common Room, Harry," and grabbed Ron's arm, dragging him out of the Potions classroom.

Draco patted Danny's shoulder. "I'll see you when you get back later tonight." He nodded respectfully to Professor Snape, rolled his eyes at Harry, and left for the Great Hall.

Once they were alone, Severus smiled sardonically. "It must be satisfying to have friends who care about you so deeply." Danny colored. Harry patted his shoulder. Danny wasn't looking for a fuss. He wasn't sure what Danny wanted, but this private 'family dinner' meant a lot to him. Harry could respect that.

Danny led the way to Ravenclaw Tower. Harry felt a little guilty, as he thought of the last time he climbed these stairs. It was in an effort to help Danny, true, but he was pretty sure the conversation he and Draco overheard was not one intended for anyone but the uncle and nephew.

Professor Snape was more than a little curious. Every professor's quarters were private, and the fact that he and Harry were invited was truly an honor, not to go unnoticed.

Danny knocked on Vlad's door. "Come in, gentlemen." A dining table had been set for four, but the elves seemed to have outdone themselves. A roasted and glazed turkey graced the table, as did a bread pudding, cranberry sauce, mashed potatoes, various dishes featuring a variety of squash and other vegetables, the ever-present pumpkin products, and a cornucopia full of fresh fruit. That was to say nothing of the selection of beverages.

Vlad and Severus sat next to each other, surrounded by their respective wards. Vlad asked, "Daniel, did your family have any specific customs?"

Danny said, "Well… It's Thanksgiving, so everyone took a turn to mention something we should give thanks about."

Vlad raised his eyebrows. That was it? He was sure that someone of Jack's illustrious ancestry might have involved mentioning family members from centuries gone by, showing off his lineage. But that was not the case. Jack might not have been able to keep from crowing about his personal successes, but he didn't make an inordinate fuss over things he was _not_ responsible for, like his lineage. He inwardly sneered. Jack and his family put a lot of the arrogant highborn pure-bloods of the Wizarding World to shame. For a moment (but only for a moment), Vlad was proud of Jack Fenton.

A similar notion came to Professor Snape, who commented, "What a lovely custom. Would you like to start us off?"

Danny looked around at the three people who mattered most to him and said, "Okay." Danny thought about how to say this all day. "I am thankful for people who care about me. Not long ago, I once had a very loving family that loved me very much." Looking squarely at Harry, he continued, "_You_ once had a loving family that cared about you. And even though the reasoning is really different, we found people who care a lot about us more than the family we have left does. So I am truly thankful for my _new_ family. (Even though I miss Aunt Alicia.)"

Vlad and Severus sat in awe for a few moments. Harry sat back for a moment or two, and then said, "Danny, you just expressed my thoughts precisely (except for your Aunt Alicia). Do I have to come up with something on my own, or could I just say 'Ditto,' and be done with it?"

Danny smiled. "The only real rule was that it had to be heart-felt. I'm sure my parents had a lot of fun seeing what Jazz and I came up with as kids. Mom kept a journal of the responses of everyone present at Thanksgiving dinner in the bookshelf in the living room. Some evenings on the weekends, when she wasn't working on inventions…"

"Daniel…" Vlad warned.

Danny continued. "She would read it out loud. When we were little, it was a lot of fun. As we got older, it was more embarrassing. But on those nights, Dad looked away from his needlepoint and told us how much he loved us. Then, after a round of hugs, I tried to escape to my room, because… well… It wouldn't take long before he said something romantic, and I got away before I burst in embarrassment." He thought about saying 'die of embarrassment,' but realized how insanely inappropriate that would be.

Harry cocked his head. "Your father did needlepoint?"

Danny shrugged. "He said it was artsy and relaxing. He also made action figure plush dolls of his heroes and other people he admired."

Vlad raised an eyebrow. He knew Jack did that sort of thing in college. He wasn't aware that Jack kept up with it until his dying day.

Vlad handed a bottle of apple cider to Danny, who poured for himself and Harry. Vlad smiled at Severus, opening a bottle of wine from 1980. "I propose a toast," he said as he filled both his and Severus's wine glasses. "To new family!"

The other three smiled. "To new family."

As Vlad started to carve the turkey, Severus picked up the bottle. "It's from 1980? I _know_ this is not a part of the Hogwarts kitchen inventory."

Vlad smirked. "Of course it isn't. I wasn't about to ask for an entirely separate menu from the school's fare without paying for it. I am glad the elves prepared it, once purchased. And this evening is a special occasion."

Intrigued with the idea of Danny's father (as this was the most Danny spoke of his parents to ANYONE), Harry asked, "And what did your mother do?"

Danny said, "When she wasn't working, she invented different types of cookies, and generally kept the house well-stocked with homemade sweets. It was a hospitality thing that we all enjoyed. But her work took up a lot of her time." Vlad shot him a warning glare, and Danny quickly became more involved in serving himself.

Harry observed, "That wine is sixteen years old. It had to have been expensive."

Danny shrugged. "Yeah. I did say that Uncle Vlad is quite a bit more wealthy than my parents were."

Harry thought for a moment. "You know, my mother was a Muggle-born. But my father was from an old, wealthy Wizarding family. I've seen part of my inheritance in Gringotts. But I would give away every Galleon I had to have one real memory of my parents."

Danny sighed. "I know." Harry nodded. He had the feeling if he explained things to Danny that he would understand. Whereas Hermione would fuss endlessly (though well-meaning), and Ron might express disbelief or outrage, Danny seemed to know where he was coming from. If he didn't feel bound to secrecy about the Horcruxes, he might have spoken about that with Danny, too.

Thinking of this reminded him of something important. "Professor Masters?"

"Yes, Harry?"

"I just wanted to get your thoughts on something. We don't have to do anything yet, but…"

Vlad smiled. "Calm down, Harry. Speak your mind."

Professor Masters was a lot less intimidating in a personal setting. That went a long way to ease Harry's worries. "Last year, I started a club for studying the practical application of Defense Against the Dark Arts. While everyone I know agrees that you are the best DADA teacher since Professor Lupin, and the psychology stuff we focus on gives great perspective, it's also true that we don't focus on casting offensive and defensive spells.

"Last year, I started the club in secret because our professor… had an allergy to me telling the truth about Voldemort's return." Severus looked at him. That was an interesting way to put it. "You really know what you're talking about. I wanted to know how you felt if I started it up again." Harry looked down self-consciously. "This time, I thought of opening it to students from all four Houses. We could all use the practice."

Vlad sipped his drink. Harry's proposal was a good one. "I would say that such a thing is well-reasoned, and well-thought out. I think it's a great idea. I'll need to discuss it with a few professors, and we may be able to come up with some faculty sponsorship and direction. From what I understand, it was student run. There's no reason it can't be again. But having a professor on hand to help with technical difficulties, or make suggestions, or even to help provide demonstrations when necessary might be useful. I'm for it."

Harry smiled. "Thank you, sir."

Something caught Vlad's attention. "I'm glad you decided to open it to all four Houses. Why would you have considered doing anything otherwise?"

Squirming uncomfortably, Harry explained, "Well… last year, Slytherin was excluded. Considering that the Inquisitorial Squad, which was Umbridge's hit squad that was out to get me, was entirely made up of Slytherins, I don't think my decision was unfair, at the time."

Vlad exchanged a glance with Severus, who said, "Dolores Umbridge, the Senior Undersecretary to the Minister of Magic, served in a number of capacities in this school last year. All of them served to undermine Professor Dumbledore and make life miserable for Harry." Turning to Harry, Severus continued, "And I didn't help to make your situation easier, for which I apologize. I suspect I owe you quite a few, but…" He shook his head. "Considering last year's circumstances, I think Harry's decision was reasonable. And his suggestion for this year is a mature decision."

Harry raised his eyebrows. "Thank you for saying so, sir." While they were definitely getting somewhere in their attempt to learn more about each other and get emotionally closer, Harry was still very often surprised when Professor Snape apologized for doing things that were hurtful in the past. It made sense, but that didn't mean it was less surprising.

The four of them enjoyed companionable amiability for the rest of the evening. Vlad was pleased that his simple plan to ensure Daniel's happiness, comfort, and consolation was successful.

34


	35. Chapter 35

Happy October! This round of Jewish holidays round about the New Year is almost over, and I want to wish everyone health, happiness, and offer caramel apples, pumpkin tea, and a seat at the table in the temporary shelter I've built in my mind for this wonderful holiday. I want to thank all the readers, reviewers, and people who placed this story (and me) on your favorite and/or alert lists.

Spartan Commander deserves the credit for giving me a very serious insight… Our three favorite Gryffindors should not be allowed free rein with any and all information about Danny Phantom. I have dealt with it. Thank you for your very insightful review!

Disclaimer: I do not own _Danny Phantom_, _Harry Potter_, or Shakespeare's 'As You Like It.'

Chapter 35

When Harry got back to the Gryffindor Common Room after dinner, Ron and Hermione noticed that Harry was happy and relaxed.

Hermione asked, "Harry? What happened? Where did you go?"

Harry smiled. "Danny and Professor Masters invited Professor Snape and me to a private family dinner. They said it was an American holiday, Thanksgiving. I guess I was thankful for Professor Snape giving me the family I never had. But I was also thankful that Danny decided to include me, or us, really."

Ron was hurt. "Harry, we're your best mates. What about…"

"We _are_ best mates, Ron. That hasn't changed. Danny's the one who mentioned family."

Hermione gazed at both boys. "I think I get it." Harry smiled. Ron gave her a sidelong glance. "Look – I'm not sure how it started. But let's think about this. Danny is brave, and one of the nicest fellows we know. Maybe it's because he's from America, or something, but he doesn't react _at all_ to the fact that Harry's famous, or any of the insanity that comes with it."

She cocked her head to the side. "Ron, sometimes you get lost in the attention Harry gets, or the money he has, or things like that."

"Hermione!" Ron knew she was right, but she didn't need to put it so baldly.

"When Danny came, he didn't look to compare himself to anybody. He didn't know what the rivalries of House affiliations were about. He was just looking to be normal, or find a new normal. All Harry's ever really wanted was to be normal. The Dursleys never gave him a chance. Hogwarts never gave him a chance. We try, but… we have a different sense of normal. I think Danny and Harry have more in common simply by just trying to figure out what normal is."

Harry nodded slowly. "I don't think I'd ever put it quite like that, but I think you got it in one. Not to mention that… His relationship to Professor Masters is kind of similar to my relationship to Professor Snape. You know, the whole guardian/ward thing."

Ron frowned. Hermione might be right, but he didn't think it sounded fair. Hermione put her hand on Ron's and said, "And you might stop to consider that Danny decided he felt closer to Harry than Draco."

That was different. Danny chose Harry over Malfoy. Ron decided he had a whole new respect for Danny. With a half-smile, Ron admitted, "At least he's got good taste in friends." He looked at Harry, who smiled broadly.

While Harry was specifically happy with the evening's events, he remembered something important. "You know, on our way out of Professor Masters' quarters, Professor Snape pulled me aside. He told me that…" He peered around and lowered his voice. "We should keep our findings about Danny Phantom private."

Hermione raised her eyebrows. "Why?"

Harry shrugged. "I don't know. But Professor Snape said that both Phantom and his mentor would prefer to keep information on him private."

Hermione said, "Okay. Danny Phantom likes to keep his secrets. I don't get it, but we can do that." That doesn't mean I won't think about him and his mysteries, though.

Ron was preoccupied by an earlier thought. "Danny has Professor Masters as a guardian, who is a really scary teacher. And you have Professor Snape as a guardian. I still think you're a little barmy because you can't deny how scary Professor Snape is, but there you have it. That does make you a bit more similar. It's weird. Are you sure about all this?"

Harry countered, "All what? Professor Snape?"

Ron furrowed his brows. It was more complicated than that, but he wasn't sure how to articulate it. He mulled it over, but not coming to any real conclusion, Ron just nodded.

"Yeah. I'm pretty sure about… well, something good will come of that." At that moment, Harry thought of something else that connected him and Danny. "Speaking of, Professor Snape said something after we came back from Hogsmeade last Saturday. About Christmas…"

Ron sat up, horrified. "He didn't…"

Harry forged ahead. "Well, after our run-in with the Death Eaters, Professor Snape said I can't leave Hogwarts without him." Harry felt a warm flash of emotion.

Ron gulped. "He said you can't come to the Burrow?"

Harry tensed. "He said I _can_ come to the Burrow if he can come, too."

Ron's eyes flew wide open. "You're kidding!"

Harry slumped his shoulders. "Not really. Christmas is supposed to be about family, right?"

"But this is Snape you're talking about!"

Harry cast his gaze downward. This was hard, but what could he do about it? He looked up sadly and reminded Ron, "That's why Danny's more like family than you, Ron. I'll always love you and Hermione, but Danny understands why Professor Snape has become so important to me."

Ron recoiled as if Harry smacked him. He blushed guiltily. "I… I never thought of it quite that way. Of – of course I'll ask. I'll send a letter with Pig tomorrow."

Ron looked away. Some kind of best mate he turned out to be. Professor Snape might be a snarky git, but now he was _Harry's_ snarky git. This will take some time to assimilate, but if Danny was able to figure this out about Harry… Maybe Harry's right. Ron may be his best mate, but Danny was something else.

Harry patted Ron's shoulder. "That would be great, Ron. You and your family's still the best."

Ron wasn't sure what to do with this emotion. Danny _wasn't_ taking Harry away from him. His eyes glistened. "Except for Percy. He's still a right git."

Both Harry and Hermione laughed.

* * *

Vlad decided to cancel all lessons for Thursday night, but hugged Danny tightly before he left. "I love you, Daniel. Good night."

"I love you, too, Uncle Vlad."

Professor Snape pulled Harry aside, but sent Danny on his way down to the Slytherin Common Room. Danny thought this evening was a complete success. Professor Snape and Vlad got along far better than he thought they would. Harry… Danny was really glad that Harry had a good time. Danny worked out a few things in his mind, and he decided what he would give Vlad as a Christmas present.

When he got to the Slytherin Common Room, Draco waved him over. "Danny! You are back later than usual."

Danny smiled. "I know."

"What kept you?"

"Well… Tonight is the American holiday, Thanksgiving. Uncle Vlad planned something special for a family celebration."

Draco thought Danny's answer was interesting, but he wasn't sure how to proceed. His mysterious friend was never the most forthcoming on anything that had to do with family. So he tried another tack. "What was with your appointment? The last time Professor Snape and Professor Masters worked together, it earned Slytherin 120 points." Danny smiled. No one knew that he earned that extra 100 points. "What did they want with you and Harry?"

Danny thought about this. There was no way he could answer this question honestly that would not hurt Draco. "It's complicated to explain. I couldn't tell you." Danny didn't lie, but he was perfectly aware of how unhelpful he was being. As a friend, Draco deserved better. But there was no way to explain this.

Draco deduced, "But Harry knows."

Danny felt helplessly trapped. "Yes he does."

Draco noticed something was wrong. When Danny first entered the Common Room, he was elated. Now, he looked troubled. Wait a minute.

"Danny, you said this was a family thing."

"Yes, I did."

"I… I'm sorry your family isn't here."

Danny froze. Draco wasn't angry. He just didn't put the clues together to get the right answer. He closed his eyes. Danny may have to tell Draco the truth at some point. This week wasn't it, however. Unless Draco figured it out on his own, Danny didn't intend to try to explain things he wasn't sure he had words for.

Danny opened his eyes. "Thanks, Draco. It means a lot to me that you said that."

Draco released a breath he wasn't aware he was holding. Danny was happy again.

Danny cocked his head. "What was that project you were talking about for Professor Snape?"

The blond boy smiled. He had Danny back.

* * *

At lunch on Friday, Professors Snape and Masters decided to meet in front of the gargoyle leading to the Headmaster's office during afternoon office hours. When they ascended the spiral staircase, Professor Dumbledore welcomed them warmly. "Professors!"

Both looked happy and eager. Apparently, last night went well. Further, both Severus and Vlad happy concurrently would mean something impressively fascinating was about to occur. "Please have a seat. And take a lemon drop." It seriously amused Albus that Severus rolled his eyes, and Vlad took one and politely thanked him.

"So what is going on, gentlemen?"

Vlad answered. "Yesterday at dinner, Harry suggested restarting a club on the practical application of Defense Against the Dark Arts."

The old wizard raised his eyebrows. "Did he?"

Severus smiled at Professor Dumbledore's reaction. "Indeed. It was a call for a revitalization of the DA, but this time, he intends to open it to all four Houses."

Albus's heart melted, and a tear or two came to his eyes. He murmured, "Dumbledore's Army." The younger men gave him a moment to collect himself. "It is a wonderful idea. I believe that last year, it is the only way that most Fifth Years passed their Defense OWLs. And considering that this year no one is making a concerted effort to attack either myself or the single most experienced student in Defense Against the Dark Arts, it makes the project all the more worthwhile. Whose idea was it to open the club to all four Houses?"

Severus smirked. "Harry decided this."

Dumbledore smiled. "I'm not surprised."

Vlad studied both wizards for a moment. Harry Potter meant a good deal to both of these men. And now, he meant a lot to Daniel. He might need to discuss a few things with the Headmaster later. As for now… "As the professor of Defense, it makes sense that I would be the one to logically sponsor the club. However, there is no way for me to demonstrate the spells."

Professor Dumbledore sobered immediately. "Yes, of course."

"It sounds like a worthy club, deserving of faculty sponsorship. I am unsure of how to proceed."

Albus nodded in acknowledgement. "Severus, what are your thoughts?"

Professor Snape furrowed his brows. "At first, I thought of a joint sponsorship between myself, Vlad, and Filius." Looking at Vlad, he clarified, "Filius is a championship duelist and his input in such a thing would be invaluable." Vlad nodded.

"But why do things half-way? A sponsorship from all four Heads of House as well as Vlad would encourage maximum student participation. However, on a general basis, no fewer than two professors would be on hand at any occasion." He rolled his eyes. "And no one would be able to claim favoritism or bias. This is supposed to be student run. With student leadership, the idea is that the professors would monitor progress, perhaps making suggestions or acting as a sounding board, and perhaps to help with demonstrations if such things are warranted."

Professor Dumbledore's eyes twinkled. "You've put a great deal of thought into this."

Severus tilted his head. "It is a worthy activity. Further, it is an opportunity to see Harry's leadership skills in action."

"Indeed. Later, I will call the four Heads of House to discuss this. Vlad, perhaps you can join us here after your classes with Danny."

"Of course, Professor."

* * *

Saturday morning after breakfast, Danny decided to visit Myrtle. He knocked on her bathroom door. She poked her head through the door. "Danny!" She tackled him in a hug.

Danny pulled himself into a sitting position, though not yet extricated from Myrtle's embrace. In a slight daze, Danny said, "It's good to see you, too, Myrtle. What brought this on?"

Myrtle giggled. "Only the best thing that's happened to me since I died. Besides meeting you."

Danny blushed. That much high praise… it was nice, but he wasn't sure he deserved it. "Care to share?"

"Of course, Danny. On Tuesday, the Grey Lady brought me to the third floor, not far from where Hagrid kept Fluffy in Harry's First Year." Danny decided that might have more meaning to Harry. Considering what animals Hagrid liked, Danny couldn't imagine…wait. That was the Cerberus. Fluffy?

"And all four House Ghosts looked very sad, but Sir Nicholas asked me if I would like a mentor. I kinda had an idea of what he meant, but not really. So I asked him. And he told me that a mentor was kind of like a teacher, and kind of like a parent. Kind of like Pla… I mean, Professor Masters is to you now." She looked around. No one was in the corridor besides them, but Myrtle realized that could change at any moment. Also, Plasmius is how she thought of him when he was doing something mean. Mentoring Danny was a _nice_ thing.

She sat up a bit more soberly. "I miss my parents, Danny. I haven't seen them since I died. They were Muggles, and couldn't come visit me. At first, I was busy with Olive Hornby. Oh, did she regret teasing me! But then… that was it." She sighed sadly. "Professor Dumbledore told me when my parents died. He made the Ministry let me go to their funerals. He came with me. He said I had to stay invisible, but I was glad I could pay respects. I found out we were all in the cemetery together, in the Duncan family plot. I was sad when they died, but they didn't become ghosts."

Danny hugged her. She needed comforting. "I'm sure your parents loved you very much. But they finished their jobs here. My parents aren't ghosts, either. But I don't think I'd want them to be. I miss them a lot, too."

Danny and Myrtle shared a moment of commiseration, but then Myrtle perked up. "So they asked if I wanted a mentor, and I said yes. The Grey Lady is going to be my mentor! But the other House Ghosts said they would look in on me."

Danny smiled. "That's great, Myrtle! Are you going to learn anything special?"

Myrtle shrugged. "I don't know. The Grey Lady and I are gonna spend more time together. We're gonna talk to different portraits, and visit the Forbidden Forest, and all _kinds_ of things." Her eyes shone with excitement.

"It sounds like you'll be busy."

"Yeah. And Sir Nicholas said that giving me a mentor was _your_ idea!" She hugged him again.

Danny blushed. "Well… I came up with the idea that if you had a mentor, you might be happier. Harry's the one who asked why you didn't have one." After all the praise she heaped on him, Danny needed to give credit where it was due.

Myrtle thought for a moment. "Then I'll have to thank him later. But no matter what happens, I'll never forget that _you're_ the one who made Sir Nicholas think about it."

"I do what I can."

"Danny, you're my hero!" Danny sighed happily. This was an easy victory, and everyone came out ahead. He savored the moment.

* * *

Monday at dinner, Professor McGonagall sat next to Vlad. "Professor, I need to make an appointment with you."

Vlad was floored by the invitation. "Yes, of course. After Daniel's lessons this evening will be fine. We use the Room of Requirement as a classroom. Unless there's somewhere else you prefer…?"

Professor McGonagall smiled. "That will be fine. It is more of a parent/teacher conference."

Vlad furrowed his brows. "But you're not…"

"I'm not one of his professors, true. But… As the deputy headmistress, I serve as a dean of students, of sorts. And you are serving as a guardian or parent."

Worried, Vlad asked, "Is anything wrong?" He looked out at the Slytherin table. Daniel chatted merrily with Draco and Blaise, and Crabbe and Goyle listened attentively.

"Nothing is wrong. We just need to talk."

"As you wish."

* * *

Danny and Vlad spent time discussing the theory of opening a portal of their own creation. Neither of them could do it yet, but they thought they were getting closer. Danny had a question about Rosalind pretending to be a boy pretending to be a girl in 'As You Like It.' The complicated ruse didn't make as much sense to Danny as simply acting like herself. This spurred on an interesting discussion on deception, hiding motives, and possible reasons and means for subterfuge. Danny was sure this conversation was far more in depth than anything Mr. Lancer might have discussed, and Mr. Lancer was the head of the drama department. Their math lessons progressed. Vlad decided that a review on weight, volume, and multiplication was in order. When trying to calculate how much weight Daniel carried when he rescued those people from Ember and Youngblood, Daniel came up with 'more than a ton.' The students themselves weighed more than a ton! Really… but that was why they needed to work on it.

Danny opened the door to leave for the evening to find a surprise. "Professor McGonagall!"

"Good evening, Mr. Fenton. I'm here to speak with your uncle."

Vlad smiled. "Ah, good evening, my dear!" He invited her in. "Give me a moment."

He stepped outside and hugged Danny. "I'm not sure what this is about yet, but if it is pertinent, I'll be sure to tell you tomorrow."

"But…"

"She assured me you aren't in trouble. That's what is important for now. But you have a good night, little badger."

Danny was curious, but he did have homework to do. Still, it couldn't hurt to listen…

"And before you get any ideas, I've ghost-proofed the room. It's amazing what one can make this room do with a little imagination."

Danny huffed indignantly. Vlad was getting to know him _too_ well. "Good night, Uncle Vlad."

Shutting the door, Vlad chuckled. While he did love Daniel, frustrating him was still fun. Professor McGonagall conjured two chairs and a table, and was already seated. Vlad took the other seat and asked, "So, Professor, what is this about?"

"I'm sure you are aware that this Saturday is the Ravenclaw/Hufflepuff Quidditch match."

Vlad's smile broadened. "Of course." He looked forward to having Daniel accompany him again.

"I heard that at the last game, you invited Danny into the Teachers' Box."

Waving a hand, Vlad said, "It was the first sporting event we've attended together. It was only fitting to have him with me. Further, the social pressure the students put on him for spending time with friends from Gryffindor or Slytherin was enough to try the patience of a saint."

Minerva raised her eyebrows. Both were valid points. "I appreciate your protectiveness, your possessiveness, and your desire to bond with your ward. Relieving that pressure was very thoughtful of you." Vlad glowed at this praise. "However, it is also true that no game shares the same tension of the Gryffindor/Slytherin match. Even though Danny has friends in both Ravenclaw and Hufflepuff, I can't envision there being quite so much pressure for a student from Slytherin."

"Okay…" Vlad wasn't sure where this was headed.

"There are many benefits to keeping Danny away from other students in your general habit. However, part of the reason you are both here is to become lost in the crowd. There are enough ways Danny stands out – and all of them are good. However, I think it is in Danny's best interest to allow him to sit with the students, come game time."

Vlad frowned. "Perhaps. But I enjoy his presence."

"And I'm sure the feelings are mutual. At least, allow him the option of sitting with the other students. That way, he won't be alienated by too great a detachment from his peers. At least, try it for one game."

Vlad drummed his fingers on the table in consideration. He _did_ want Daniel's company. However, the good professor made a valid point. After all, the goal was doing what was in Daniel's best interests. "Very well, Madam. I'll speak to Daniel about this tomorrow." He wasn't happy about this, but he could mention it. This still might work in his favor. But he would not willingly endanger Daniel. Not any more.

"Thank you for taking my suggestion into account. Do you have other questions or concerns?"

Vlad was at a loss. "I can't think of any, off-hand."

"Then I want to remind you to call me if you need anything, and to wish you a good night."

* * *

Tuesday morning, Vlad had mixed emotions. He knew what he wanted, and it merely took him to do nothing to get it. Still, Professor McGonagall said that such a choice for Daniel would be for his benefit. At breakfast, he grimaced with indecision. This was distasteful, and he had no desire to do it. But he promised he would. "Fine," Vlad murmured to himself. He sent an invisible duplicate in human form to the Slytherin table.

Danny explained the concept of 'school closing on snow days' to Draco when he felt a tap on his shoulder. Danny jerked his head, but Vlad said, "Daniel, it's me. Please come to my office during your afternoon break, and we will discuss what Professor McGonagall told me last night."

Danny gave a quick nod. "Okay."

Having accomplished his mission, Vlad dispelled the duplicate. Danny looked at the Head table, and Vlad met his eyes and nodded grimly. He was curious, but Danny would find out what this was about in due time.

By the afternoon office hours, Danny's curiosity was piqued. He knocked on Vlad's door. "Come in, Daniel."

Danny came in and took a seat. "What's this about, Uncle Vlad?"

Vlad pressed his lips together. He was going to do this, but he didn't have to like it. He sighed, realizing that petulance was undignified. "You know that this Saturday is the next Quidditch game."

"Yeah. No one's made a big deal, although both Terry and Ernie are getting excited about it. They asked me to come, and they were perfectly friendly about it."

"Were they?" Darn – with no tension, this was not an easy fix.

"Yeah. I'm still going to wear neutral colors again. House rivalries do tend to make people nuts, even when they _aren't_ Slytherin or Gryffindor."

"That is strategically sound, Daniel." Vlad was stuck for it. He sighed again. "Considering the lack of pressure… you may choose to sit with your classmates, if you wish. But your seat with me is still open."

Danny smiled. "Thanks, Uncle Vlad." The way Vlad worded the option, it was obvious which choice Vlad wanted him to make. Still… Danny didn't want to hurt Vlad. "Um, if you don't mind, I'd like to sit with Harry and Draco this time. Watching the game with obsessed fans is supposed to be an interesting experience." Vlad closed his eyes. "But this is only one game. We can switch it up for other games, you know."

Vlad tried to hide the hurt in his eyes. "Alright, Daniel." He did the right thing. Why did the right thing have to hurt so much?

"Thanks, Uncle Vlad. And I meant it – we'll see about other games. And you know… I'm kinda looking forward to going to games not connected with school with you." A flash of inspiration hit Danny. "You know, I've never gone to a Packers game."

Vlad's eyes glistened with happy tears. "Then we're going to correct this situation when we get back to the States, now won't we?"

Danny smiled. He struck gold. "I was kinda counting on it."

* * *

On Wednesday at lunchtime, a sign in the Main Hall caused a general stir.

_Introducing…_

_The Defense Association_

_A Student-Run Club in the Practical Application of Defense Against the Dark Arts_

_Faculty sponsors: Professor Vlad Masters, and all four Heads of House_

_First meeting: 4-5:30pm Sunday, December 8, Great Hall_

Harry, Ron, and Hermione stood to the right of the sign and observed the reactions of the other students. Students belonging to the DA last year were exultant. Most chattered happily, discussing fond memories. Cho Chang and Marietta Edgecombe were pensive.

Every Gryffindor from the DA smiled at the trio; some punched fists of victory and excitement in the air. The Ravenclaw students beamed; the DA was the reason those old enough to take them passed their DADA OWLs. Four of the Hufflepuff students smiled and assured Harry and crew they were coming. Zacharias Smith glared. He might have done better on his OWL than he would have otherwise, but he still didn't trust Harry. Ron glared back at him.

Most Slytherin students were confused at this exuberant display of emotion. Draco studied the sign. "All four Heads of House are faculty sponsors. Interesting."

Terence Higgs, a Seventh Year Slytherin, scoffed. "A club for this? The stuff we're learning is useless. If this club is more of the same, who needs it?"

Crabbe and Goyle looked at each other. Goyle asked, "What is making all those Gryffindors so excited?" Crabbe shrugged.

Danny found the sign and smiled. "Good going, Harry. It looks like it's coming together."

Harry smiled back. "It's gotten a great reception."

Draco pointedly ignored Harry, Ron, and Hermione. "If Professor Snape is among the sponsors, it has to be a worthy club."

Pansy sneered. "I'm sure people from all four Houses are making similar observations, deciding that _their_ Heads of House make it worthwhile." Turning to Danny, she said, "I wonder what's gotten into the Golden Trio? It's almost like they're taking possession of it."

Harry rolled his eyes, Hermione glared, and Ron spat indignant imprecations at the epithet 'Golden Trio.'

Draco stood up to his full height. "I'm in. This looks like it can use some useful student leadership." Ron glared at him. Draco smirked.

Crabbe and Goyle agreed to follow Draco's lead. Draco looked at Danny. "So, are you coming?"

Danny jumped. It was a logical question. "I don't know." Vlad might like him to join, but what use was there in his joining this club when he wouldn't be any more successful than he was this summer when Harry tutored him?

Draco nudged him. "You'll like this, Danny. It's _Defense_ Against the Dark Arts. There's nothing to worry about."

Danny jerked his head. "What are you talking about?"

Harry elbowed Draco in the ribs. Crabbe and Goyle narrowed their eyes, but Draco waved them off. He flushed pink at Harry's glare. "What I mean is, you spend so much time on it with your special lessons with Professor Masters. You'll be a natural."

Danny fidgeted. "I…"

Goyle looked away from Harry to Danny. "Look. We're going. They," he pointed his thumb at Harry and friends, "are going. Your uncle and Professor Snape will be there. Come on."

Danny still looked lost. Crabbe folded his arms. "Students will be there from all four Houses. Why wouldn't you want to be there? You earn us 20 points any time you do something in your uncle's class. Here's a chance to really shine."

Hermione raised her eyebrows. "That was really observant of you, Crabbe." Vincent rolled his eyes.

Danny said, "It sounds like fun, but I don't know about this."

Harry grabbed Danny's shoulder. "Danny, please come. It will mean a lot to me if you do."

Danny looked at Harry, Ron, and Hermione, and back to Draco, Crabbe, and Goyle. All of them nodded encouragingly. Danny sighed, blowing his bangs off his forehead. "Fine. I'll come. But I'm not making any promises besides that."

All six of Danny's immediate friends were puzzled by his reluctance, but were glad that their attempts to encourage their mysterious friend worked.

Draco knocked Harry's hand away and threw his own arm around Danny's shoulders. "Come on. Let's get something to eat." Danny remained distracted as Draco steered him into the Great Hall. Draco turned his head, smirking at Harry in silent victory, and disappeared into the Hall.

Ron glowered after them. "What a git. At least Danny's coming to the new DA."

* * *

Saturday morning at breakfast, Draco asked Danny, "So, are you coming to today's game of Quidditch?"

Danny smiled. "Yeah. I…"

"Are you going to sit with the students, or with your uncle, like last time?"

Danny shrugged. Sometimes Draco seemed interested in what he had to say, and sometimes Draco only wanted what Draco wanted. It reminded him of Vlad in one of Vlad's less than pleasant moments. "This time, I'm sitting with the students. Which team's colors will you be wearing?"

"Ravenclaw. While I favored Cedric Diggory over Harry as Hogwarts' Tri-Wizard champion in Fourth Year, I mostly have no use for Hufflepuff. Duffers, the lot of them."

Danny figured that 'duffer' was part of British slang he didn't recognize, but he understood that it wasn't especially flattering.

When the team captains collected their teams, Draco said, "Come on. If we hurry, we'll get the best _student_ seats available."

Danny frowned. "Draco, let it go." The imperious Slytherin sighed as they headed back to their room to bundle up.

By the stairs of the stands, Vlad stood resplendent in his red robes, and waited for Danny to surface. Draco had an arm around his shoulder, and was joined by Harry. Different students wore blue and bronze or yellow and black, and the split was about even. As Danny said earlier, he wore his thick black, woolen cloak with his black and gray scarf. This did not cease to amuse Vlad.

Before the Slytherin blond and the raven-haired Gryffindor could manhandle his ward into a place they could feel possessive of him, Vlad stepped forward. "Daniel." From fifteen yards away, Blaise and Dean sighed. Vlad raised an eyebrow and grinned at them. Draco relinquished his hold and Harry stood back. Vlad patted Danny's back. "Enjoy the game."

Danny smiled at him. "Thanks, Uncle Vlad." Both Harry and Draco released breaths they didn't realize they were holding. Climbing the stairs but turning to look at the students surrounding Daniel, Vlad chuckled.

Draco found what he decided were 'the best seats,' and Danny sat on his right. Danny peaked his eyebrows. Harry rolled his eyes and sat on Danny's other side. The girls who felt most proprietary about them claimed the seats on their other sides, Ginny next to Harry and Pansy next to Draco. Ron glared at Crabbe and Goyle, who sat behind Draco. Hermione said, "Let it alone, Ron," and placed herself between Crabbe and her boyfriend.

The tension around them was palpable. Danny asked, "Does the insanity usually run this high?"

Hermione answered, "No – usually your seatmates are either in the air or on opposite sections of the stands."

Danny closed his eyes. Great – he was an inter-House political football. Just what he needed.

Terry and Ernie found their way in front of the motley crew. Hannah took a seat near Ernie. Michael, Terry's buddy, found him. "Hey, Justin!" Ernie called. Justin and Susan sat right below Ernie and Hannah, and Lisa and Mandy smiled back at Terry and Michael.

Harry's heart was warmed by the closeness of the former and soon to again be DA members. Danny knew everyone around them at least from Charms and Herbology, if not elsewhere. Beyond that, there were too many people to keep track of.

Harry pointed out, "Cho Chang is Ravenclaw's Seeker."

Draco nodded. "Mark her well. You might notice her moves and take action in January."

Terry looked back at Danny. "That's right. You're the Reserve Seeker for Slytherin, aren't you?"

Danny said, "Yeah." Draco beamed. Besides Crabbe and Goyle, no one around them had seen Danny's record-breaking catch of the Snitch. The Gryffindor Golden Trio might know of Danny's flying abilities, but none of them knew about Danny's eagle eye when it came to the Snitch.

The audience filled in around them. Cormac McLaggen tried out for commentator. The sound of his voice made Danny recoil for a moment. Then he rolled his eyes at himself. After Cormac introduced the members of Ravenclaw's team, an eagle shrieked, the sound filling the stadium.

Draco sneered, "Loony Lovegood and her loud hats. I don't know what's more annoying – her eagle hat or her lion thing."

"Hey – leave her alone!" Danny defended.

A few eyes turned on Danny. Lisa said, "But it's only Luna. She's just…"

"She's just enthusiastic in her patriotism for her own House team. I think the hats are kinda cool." Danny didn't understand what these people had against Luna.

Hermione whispered, "That tone and timbre of voice… it's familiar."

Ron said, "Of course it's familiar. It's Danny."

"No…" Hermione tried to remember. She had it! But for the echoing quality of Phantom's voice, Danny sounded just like him. He defended the dignity of… no, _Phantom_ defended whoever needs defending. Danny knew Phantom. This gave her something to think about.

Draco raised an eyebrow. "Danny, you like Luna?"

Danny shrugged. "I don't know. But she doesn't deserve your scorn."

If anyone had any doubt about what made Danny different than the other Slytherins, this conversation marked and highlighted the difference.

As close as Terry and Ernie seemed to be with Danny, they didn't talk about Quidditch very often. Danny had to work with the names he heard Cormac mention most frequently, which were Bradley and Chambers, two of the Ravenclaw Chasers, Cho Chang, Ravenclaw's Seeker, Zacharias Smith and Cadwallader, two Hufflepuff Chasers, and Summerby, Hufflepuff's Seeker.

Danny had to hand it to McLaggen: while commentating for these two teams, he seemed fair and balanced. He found it odd, though, that he didn't mention the Ravenclaw or Hufflepuff Keepers. That _was_ the position he sought for himself on Gryffindor's team. Danny wondered whether Cormac tried out for Gryffindor's Keeper because he really wanted the position, or if he just wanted to take the position from Ron.

Harry observed how much Danny seemed to love the game. After every successful save, Danny made some comment, like "Nice save!" and cheered for every goal. Now that there was no pressure, he just enjoyed himself. Terry and Ernie focused on Danny's open frankness. Danny didn't know the players, but he liked the game, even when one missed save made Justin say a word that made Susan gasp, "Justin!"

Draco told Danny to notice how Cho looked for the Snitch, but sometimes focused on Summerby's movement. For once, Harry found himself agreeing with his long-time rival. Draco said, "She's got keen eyes, but one thing she takes in more than anything is the movement of who she deems as a worthy Seeker. Summerby couldn't find the Snitch if it danced in front of his nose. Cho knows that, so when Summerby feints, Cho looks but is rarely impressed. However, when she's up against me or Harry, she takes much more interest in where we are headed."

Danny commented, "It helps to be practically undefeated." Both Harry and Draco snickered.

The assembled students were boisterous in their own way. Danny started murmuring, "Come on, come on…"

Harry asked, "What's wrong, Danny?"

"Come on, Cho, it's right over your head. Just reach for it."

At once, seven students were put on high alert. Harry and Draco stared at Cho, trying to follow Danny's gaze. The four Ravenclaw students and Ernie stared from Danny to Danny's line of sight. Most vaguely remembered that Danny said he had heightened senses, and this was the first time they saw this in action.

Michael looked at Terry. "I hear they're putting Danny in as Seeker next game."

Draco smirked. "We are."

Terry looked at Danny, who kept urging Cho to reach for something no one else could see. At last, the Snitch slowed down enough that the other players could see it, too. Cho caught it, and the Ravenclaw team and fans were ecstatic.

"It's about time," huffed Danny.

Draco smiled. "The score is 190-60, Ravenclaw. That means, in order to tie Ravenclaw, you're going to need to wait until we're up by six goals. If we are scoring well, you should wait 'til we're up by ten. Mislead Miss Chang, and then take the Snitch at your leisure."

Danny nodded. "That should work."

Terry bent closer to Michael. "He's going to demolish us in January, you realize."

Michael grimaced. "I do, indeed."

17


	36. Chapter 36

I want to thank everyone for the holiday well-wishes. The holidays were wonderful!

I also want to thank everyone for reading, reviewing, and for the placement on your assorted lists. Have a cup of apple cider and pumpkin pie. It means a lot to me, and I'm sincere in my thanks.

Disclaimer: I do not own _Danny Phantom_, _Harry Potter_, or Shakespeare's "Macbeth."

Chapter 36

In anticipation of the Defense Club, students started trickling into the Great Hall as early as 3:00pm. The tables were against the wall, with the exception of the Head Table and five chairs. On the floor were pillows big enough to be seats. Former DA members milled about, not quite cliquishly, murmuring about what was learned last year. Slytherin students from Fifth through Seventh Years were curious if this would be anything like Lockhart's failed Dueling Club. For the most part, students from Gryffindor, Ravenclaw, and Hufflepuff intermingled, following the example of last year's DA members, although no one knew what their common bond seemed to be but themselves. The Slytherin students mostly found seats separate from the other students.

Draco, Crabbe, and Goyle sat in front and center, as Draco had every intention of showing off and leading. With them sat all the Slytherins from Professor Masters' Sixth Year class, _sans_ Danny. Other Slytherin students sat closer to the exit. This might be interesting, but many held Terence Higgs' perspective – if this club was more of Professor Masters' DADA class, they were leaving.

Harry, Ron, and Hermione pulled a reluctant Danny from the library, dismissing his excuse for not coming on his own: "I'm working on the paper for Uncle Vlad's class tomorrow." The paper would wait – Danny promised to come to this first meeting, and so by 3:45, the four of them made their way towards the front.

Danny noticed the arrangement of students. Turning to Harry, he asked, "Am I supposed to go over there?" as he nodded at the self-segregated Slytherins.

Harry put a hand on Danny's shoulder. "Sit where you like. This is a club. If it's anything like last year, everyone will move around a lot, changing partners as necessary. Don't worry about it."

Danny sighed and tried to be inconspicuous. He sat near Harry and waited.

At five minutes to 4, the professors drifted in, taking their seats. Vlad sat in the middle, between Professor Snape and Professor McGonagall. Professor Flitwick sat next to Professor McGonagall, and Professor Sprout sat next to Professor Snape.

Vlad observed the students. It intrigued him that every House other than Slytherin had no problem enjoying the company of students from the other Houses. Daniel looked like he tried to hide behind Harry. He was curious to see how this played out.

At four o'clock precisely, Vlad stood up, and the excited murmurs became silenced. "Good afternoon, and welcome to what will be the Defense Association. Over the course of the club's duration, any combination of at least two of us will be here and available to assist or offer advice. But this is a student run affair. As such, we will turn the floor over to the originator of the idea for the club, this year. This is your Club, but we will be on-hand. In order to guarantee that we are not going to unduly influence you (for today), we will… Disillusion ourselves." He glared momentarily. "But you _will_ be orderly and civil. We may be invisible, but we are still here. Harry, the floor is yours."

With that, he nodded to his fellow professors, who waved their wands at themselves and their table and chairs, all of which disappeared. Vlad waved his 'wand' at himself and turned invisible.

Harry stood up and looked to Hermione and Ron. They grinned at him, encouraging him. Harry cleared his throat and began. "Last year, a few of us decided that Defense Against the Dark Arts was not complete without practicing and training. Many of us have faced the consequences of the great evil out there. Lives have been lost, families have been destroyed, and we need to be prepared to fight it.

"Last year, I let it be known that Voldemort has returned." Many students gasped at Harry's mentioning of the Dark Lord's name. "The Ministry did everything it could to suppress the truth. But now…" He scanned the audience. "Everyone deserves the opportunity to learn the skills we need to fight Voldemort and the Death Eaters." Many Slytherins' eyes hardened, but others flew wide open. _Everyone_ deserved an opportunity, and Harry Potter, of all people, was including Slytherins.

Ron said, "Out of all the students here, Harry's had to fight evil more than anyone. He's more practiced in Defense Against the Dark Arts than any other student can claim. Like he was last year, I nominate Harry as our leader."

The Hall burst into cacophony, students clamoring both for and against Harry's nomination. Harry raised a hand to no effect. Seamus stood up, put two fingers in his mouth, and gave a piercing whistle. The room became silent. He sat back down.

Harry grinned. "Thanks, Seamus. Look – this is supposed to be student-run." Looking significantly at the Slytherin section, he said, "Like last year, we will put it to a vote. Last year, I was voted for unanimously. Something different might happen now. That will be our choice. ALL our choice. Ron nominated me." Last year's DA nodded. "Are there any other suggestions?"

Pansy Parkinson said, "I nominate Draco." There was a general eye-roll, but no one really expected her to say anything different.

Draco stood up and eyed the students. The leader of this club had to be good at DADA, no question. But the leader also had to be able to connect with people from all four Houses. While many students in Slytherin might agree that he was qualified, he already knew that people from other Houses would dismiss him. Still… a Slytherin really should be a leader. He came to a decision.

"I thank you for the nomination, but I must decline. The leader of a Club such as this definitely needs someone familiar with the Dark Arts and the Defense Against it." Every Slytherin head nodded. Other students agreed. "But if this is going to be effective, it needs the cooperation of students from all four Houses. There is one of us who has been able to get that better than any other. I nominate Danny Fenton."

There was applause and happy chatter at this from all four Houses. There were a few students who glared at Danny as a Slytherin on principle, but the majority of everyone present cheered. Vlad beamed invisibly, but he was curious to see what Daniel would do.

Danny looked at both Harry and Draco, and they each grabbed a hand and pulled Danny to his feet. Danny gulped. He waved his hands and the audience became quiet.

"Listen, guys. I thank you for your vote of confidence. I do realize what an honor this is, especially since I'm new this year, and extra-especially because I'm in Slytherin." He looked at his Housemates. "Sorry, guys, but you know that it's true."

Danny took a breath. "But as cool as that is, I can't lead this club." He closed his eyes. "Anyone in my class can tell you that I have trouble in Charms."

Professor Snape clenched his eyes and fists, and whispered, "No! You never admit a weakness publicly!"

Professor Sprout murmured back, "He's being honest, and a true leader knows when he's not necessarily the best one for a job."

Danny continued, "But I've seen Harry do amazing things. Like Ron said, he's got more real life experience than the rest of us put together. And besides, is anyone else here confident in your own skills enough to train other students to cast a Patronus?" He turned to look around. "No one, huh? Not only can Harry cast a corporeal Patronus, he tutored last year's DA and many students learned to do it. If we are going to learn Defense skills from a fellow student, I'd want to learn from Harry."

There were many people who agreed with Danny. Even Slytherin students who were anti-Harry found themselves realizing that as a student teacher, Harry would probably be most effective. Zacharias Smith folded his arms and huffed. He belonged to the DA last year and still couldn't produce more than a little silvery vapor when he shouted '_Expecto Patronum!_'

Hermione stood up. "Right, then. By a show of hands, who here is in favor of Harry leading this year's Defense Association?" With a handful of abstentions, Harry won by a landslide.

Vlad grinned madly. He practically burst with pride. There were any number of reasons Danny might not have wanted to lead the club and teach the students. While Daniel opted not to be the group's figurehead, there was no doubt who pulled all the strings. Daniel unified the student body in solidarity with Harry Potter. Vlad said, "I am so proud of my boy."

Professor Snape said, "You should be."

Harry raised a hand, and the room became quiet again. "Okay. Last year, we started with a simple Disarming Spell, so we'll start with that again."

Terence Higgs sneered. "That's not all that flashy. Anyone can do it. Why would you do something like that?"

Harry rolled his eyes. It was interesting to note that a Seventh Year would have dismissed this very useful spell. "You're right. It's not flashy. But we have First and Second Years here who have not yet learned the spell. But more to the point, we haven't exactly had a steady DADA education, what with a different teacher every year. Many students might be unfamiliar with it. Further… It might be simple, but I've used _Expelliarmus _against Voldemort to save my life. _That's_ why I would do something like that.

"And you might want to remember something. Last year I also worked with people older, younger, and the same age as me. It might surprise you to know how many students have not mastered that spell." Harry raised his eyebrows. "Care to have a go?"

Terence gave him a sidelong glance. "Are you serious?"

"Absolutely. We'll start with a demonstration. Why not?"

Terence shrugged. "Okay." The students between them cleared a path, allowing them to walk towards each other.

"Upon my mark, you cast _Expelliarmus_ and I'll cast a shield against you. See if you can disarm me." Harry counted down from three, and Terence's Disarming spell hit Harry's shield and rebounded on him. He flew through the air from the force of his own spell and landed on a pillow.

Harry offered a hand to help Terence back up. "You see? No harm done. None was intended. But if we pair everyone up and practice the technique, everyone will have the skill, perhaps by the end of today's session. And if not, we've got plenty of time. For now, the twenty-four members of the DA from last year who are still students, including me, will help the others learn the spell, correct your technique, and see about who among the new members can help the others."

Harry was a natural leader, and with the confidence he gained from last year's DA experience, he was an excellent teacher who could delegate responsibility. Professor Snape said, "And he did this type of thing last year. And everyone has been properly included. I'm proud of him."

Vlad murmured, "You should be."

* * *

At dinner, the professors spoke about the Defense Club with excitement. Professor Dumbledore asked, "So how did it go?"

Professor McGonagall beamed. "I have rarely seen students so excited to learn. Harry Potter was elected the leader of the club. Further, I've never seen students from all four Houses cooperate quite so smoothly."

Vlad was smug. "It also helps that Daniel showed a good deal of logic when he offered his support for Mr. Potter."

Professor Dumbledore smiled. "And how was the club received?"

Professor Flitwick's eyes twinkled. "There were over a hundred students, some from each year in each House. There was a great preponderance from Gryffindor, but there was a respectable showing from the other Houses. Once they decided that Harry should lead them, the students whose names were on the list for Dumbledore's Army last year helped tutor the others. By the end of the session, there was not one student besides Danny who had the slightest difficulty with _Expelliarmus_, and every student cast a _Protego_ with ease."

Professor Sprout said, "It was interesting to watch. Harry insisted that yearmates be placed together, but that often meant mixing and matching students from different Houses. Most Slytherins were distrustful (and were distrusted in return), but they all cooperated. I was very impressed."

Professor Snape seemed to ignore the merry chatter at the Head table, watching the Slytherin table intently. Many faces showed anger as students glared at students from the other Houses. Many students were happy and excited. Some students looked unhappy, as they didn't want to upset their friends. And Daniel looked hopelessly lost, and refused to look at anyone else. Snape shook his head, coming to a decision.

"Severus, is everything alright?" The Headmaster heard from everyone but the one he wanted to hear from more than any other, this evening.

"Professor, I'm going to need to call a House meeting. There isn't… no, it has to happen before things get out of hand. Professor Masters, may I have your permission to have Daniel back in his Common Room after your tutoring session?"

Both Vlad and Albus raised their eyebrows. The fact that Severus asked Vlad's permission rather than dismissing his thoughts on the matter out of hand made the old wizard realize that the respect Severus had for Vlad increased astronomically.

Vlad recognized the difference immediately: Severus lorded the fact that he took Daniel from him early on September 1 over him, and here on December 8, Severus asked his permission. Vlad wasn't sure if it was because of respect, or the fact that he recognized the importance of the growing familial bond between ward and guardian. Snape wouldn't want his growing bond with Harry disturbed, and maybe he acknowledged that Vlad wouldn't appreciate that type of disturbance, either.

"Is it important?" Vlad picked up on Severus's worried tone.

"Very."

"Then I'll send him back to the Common Room at 8:00."

Professor Snape nodded. "Thank you. I'll be right back." He left the Head Table to announce the House meeting. From what Vlad could see, a collective not-quite sigh of relief seemed to come from the students at the Slytherin table. Danny looked up at Vlad, who gave a concerned nod. Some tension seemed to leave Daniel, but all was still not right.

* * *

Professor Snape entered the Slytherin Common Room, and noted the polite expectation, as well as everything he saw at dinnertime. "Good evening, my beloved Slytherins. I noticed quite a few of you at the Defense Club, and what I saw today made me very proud." A few frowns relaxed, and a few more smiles blossomed.

"I also noticed that there are a few issues that have made quite a few of you unhappy. Perhaps many of you share similar concerns. There might be a few issues you would like to keep private. For the private things, I will be available after this meeting for as long as you need. But for now… Let us see what we can do." Many students nodded.

"Who would like to begin?" More than a few students looked ready to burst.

Theodore Nott exclaimed, "Harry Potter, sir!"

Professor Snape nodded patiently. "Fair enough. We will begin by discussing Mr. Potter. At the meeting, Mr. Fenton raised some very valid points. I was rather surprised that more than a few of you voted for Mr. Potter to head the Club, but I was quite pleased that you largely kept an open mind."

Blaise folded his arms. "I'm not sure I want to be in a club that he's the head of." Several students murmured in agreement.

"I can understand why you might feel that way. But I have a few thoughts on the matter you might consider before you decide to drop this very worthy club. Mr. Potter specifically intended it to be open to students from all four Houses."

Pansy said sourly, "And everyone knows that Potter is friends with Danny."

Danny blushed furiously, but Professor Snape headed off his comments with a raised hand. "This is true. Daniel and Harry are close friends. But the club is not open to Gryffindors, Ravenclaws, Hufflepuffs, and Daniel. It is open to _all_ Slytherins. From what I could tell, every student was treated as an equal." He paused for a moment. "Is there anyone who felt slighted by inattention or offense? Please tell me, and we will correct the situation."

Astoria Greengrass said, "That Hufflepuff Smith said something nasty. I was paired up with Cynthia Gale. He corrected my partner's Shield Charm, but I couldn't do mine right until Katie Bell saw me get Disarmed too many times."

Professor Snape frowned. "That is the type of thing that needs to, and WILL, be changed. Who was out of line, Mr. Smith, or Miss Bell?"

"Smith, sir. Katie helped me as soon as she saw how much trouble I was having. Smith told me I deserved what I got." There was an angry murmur. Danny looked a bit angrier than most.

The professor took two deep breaths. "I will speak to him tomorrow, and Professor Sprout will be notified. If Mr. Smith cannot tutor students equitably, he will be defrocked of his mantle of authority and leadership. Make no mistake about that." The Second Year Slytherin was mollified at present.

"If anyone else has similar complaints, I would like to address them privately. In my office, I will record any grievance so there will be _no_ repeats of their necessity." Eight students sighed with relief. The professor stored that information for later. "Punishment will be swift, but not tonight. Tonight I will be here for you.

"I am of the mind that, if the student teachers do their jobs well, any of you who attend can and will benefit. But if you don't agree, I want you to weigh and balance the pros and cons, and decide whether being in or out of this club is in your best interest. And, of course, there is no reason you can't have study sessions to practice what some of you might learn in this club." More students nodded and looked relaxed.

"What else is bothering you?" Professor Snape asked gently.

Millicent said, "They said they had this club last year. How come no one told us?"

"Very good question, Millicent. Do you remember who was the leader of the DA last year?"

Millie frowned. "Harry Potter."

"Indeed. And as a member of Dolores Umbridge's Inquisitorial Squad, surely you remember the temporary Educational Decree Number Twenty-four."

She nodded. "No team, group, or club Professor Umbridge didn't approve of was allowed."

"And did Dolores Umbridge approve of _anything_ Mr. Potter said or did?"

"No. Actually, we _ended_ the club." She stopped for a moment and understanding came to her.

"Considering your cooperation with the Ministry's High Inquisitor, what do you think would have been Mr. Potter's logical course of action?"

Millie pulled on a loose thread on her robes. "I guess I can see why Harry didn't include us last year." Most Sixth and Seventh Years, especially others who were on the Inquisitorial Squad, huffed indignantly, but reluctantly agreed.

Terence Higgs announced, "I think it's great that we're finally included in something on a nominal, if not actual, equal footing with students from other Houses that isn't strictly confrontational. Quidditch is always fun, and we have a superior team, but most students are all against us. Here, Harry himself worked with me. I never thought I'd see the day I'd say this, but Harry's not a bad bloke. Even if I think what we're learning with Professor Masters is rubbish, if Harry's going to…"

Urquhart interrupted, "Don't know if you remember, Higgs, but Potter totally tossed you."

Terence responded, "Yeah, he did. And I don't know if _you_ remember, Urquhart, but Harry made it clear he wasn't out to humiliate me. He wouldn't let me alone until he said my _Expelliarmus_ was as good as Ron's. If this is the way Harry teaches, I'm for it."

Pansy scoffed, "Huh. Equal footing. Slytherin students are better. We should have had a Slytherin leader." She glared at Draco, but especially at Danny.

Danny shrugged. "Are we better? From what I understand, in the past five years, Harry fought and either defeated or drew a stalemate with the Dark Lord no fewer than four times. I've also been made to understand that most people don't get to fight the Dark Lord more than once and live. With Harry's track record, I would think that any student willing to hone his or her skills in the DA would like to learn from a guy who's proven himself over and over, rather than someone you might be best buddies with but can't cast a spell to save his life."

"Sounds like someone's stuck on the hero-worship of Saint Potter," Tracey Davis quipped.

Danny looked askance. "No, it sounds like I've had to fight for my life, teaming up with people who've hated me when we weren't fighting a common enemy." Danny crossed his arms and looked away from everyone, at the nearest fireplace.

Everyone in the room dropped whatever train of thought they had before and stared at Danny. Draco, who sat closest, snuck an arm around Danny's shoulder. In his anger, his mysterious American friend revealed more about himself in one moment than he had in the rest of the three months they knew each other.

Professor Snape realized this, too. But before he could say anything, a younger student, Malcolm Maddox, asked, "You fought for your life? Why would anyone want to hurt you?"

Goyle didn't need to see Danny's horrified face to realize how badly shaken he was by his inadvertent admission. "That's Fenton's business. Don't ask. You don't need to know." He glared at other students in the Common Room as if daring them to challenge him on this. Their bald looks of curiosity died away, but that didn't mean they wouldn't scheme about it at a later time.

"Thanks, Goyle," Danny whispered.

"No problem."

Professor Snape studied the faces of his troubled students. Resentment against Harry Potter leading the DA seemed to have evaporated as the curiosity about Daniel set in.

"Gregory is right. Mr. Fenton deserves his privacy. Mr. Malfoy will cheerfully take points from anyone who tries to delve too deep into Daniel's background, and that says nothing about what _I_ will do. My job is to protect _all_ of my Slytherins, and speaking about what happened in America is too painful a topic for Mr. Fenton." Many shoulders drooped. Professor Snape _never_ threatened to take points away from his own House, unless there was a danger that some Slytherins would harm their Housemates. Further, the good professor allowed no one intra-House to punish other Slytherin students besides himself or a prefect. There was that incident that happened a few years ago that Marcus Flint was called upon to redress… No one wanted to think about that. The message was received: hands-off Danny Fenton.

"Does anyone else have any thoughts you would like to share about the Defense Association?" There was no more burning anger that needed to be defused. Many students looked pensive with their own concerns. "Very well. I want to remind all of you how very proud you have made me. Personally, I believe that it will serve your best interests to sharpen your Defense skills in this club, but the choice is ultimately yours. As I told you on September 1, I will support you, _regardless_ of the choices you make. For now, I know some of you need and want private appointments. Come to me at your leisure. I will be waiting for you."

* * *

Professor Snape was a little surprised that Danny was the first to come to his office. "Welcome, Daniel." Danny took a seat. "What is on your mind?"

Danny clasped his hands and stared at them for a few seconds. Then he met Professor Snape's gaze. "I don't want to join the club."

Professor Snape's eyes widened. He hadn't expected that. "Alright. May I ask why?"

"I can't do magic, Professor. It's bad enough that I sit in Charms and don't accomplish anything. I mean, yeah, I pay attention to the wand movements and stuff. We're spending more time on wordless spells. But all I need is one more place to show my complete failure to produce a single spell. It's humiliating, and I don't want to do it."

That is logical, Snape mused. "Then why did you work so hard to advocate Harry's leadership?"

" 'Cause he's the best one there is. He knows what he's talking about, and he's an awesome tutor. I meant all those things I said about him. But I never said I wanted to join the club. I said that if people wanted to sharpen their skills that Harry makes the most sense to student teach."

Danny folded his arms. "I'm a Muggle, plain and simple. And unless Desiree shows up and turns me into a wizard (she can do that, you know. Don't mess with a wishing ghost's magic), all I'll do is foolish wand waving, full of sound and fury, signifying nothing."

Snape blinked. Danny shrugged. "Uncle Vlad and I read _Macbeth_ earlier in the semester." Ah. That explained it.

"Daniel, your objections are valid and more than fair." The professor narrowed his eyes in thought. "Daniel, let me ask you this. Is your main objection against the atmosphere, the appearance of failure in the eyes of other students, or something else?"

"I don't want them thinking that I'm a failure. I don't want them to call me a loser." Danny had Spectra to thank for _that_ lovely flashback.

Professor Snape gave a small smile. "Fair enough. Although I doubt anyone would even _think_ of calling you a loser, Daniel. You must know you are the most widely sought after student. For the next few days, a few of our Housemates might fuss over your support of Harry Potter, but _you_ have enough supporters that those few days will be all the time they have before your friends help them change their minds. Forcefully, if need be."

"I have supporters?"

Severus smiled. "Indeed."

Danny sighed. "And if I don't go, I'll have other problems."

This was a line of thought the good professor didn't anticipate. "What problems do you mean?"

"Uncle Vlad is really excited about this club. I mean, it really _is_ a good idea. I just think it will hurt his feelings if I don't go."

Snape's eyebrows shot up. "Daniel, your uncle may be the head of Defense Against the Dark Arts, but he is very much aware that both of you are Muggles. Why do you think this club has the extensive faculty sponsorship it does? He knows that he can't cast spells to demonstrate them. He is well aware that you can't, either."

A temporary distraction was in order. "Your guardian is particularly proud of what you did today."

Danny jerked his head. "What?"

"He crowed about how what you did was worthy of him."

Danny's eyes grew wide. "What do you mean? What did I do? My ectoplasmic glass in place of _Protego_ is okay, but he can form something small in his hand – say, the size of a fly-swatter – and mentally project it into a _much_ bigger form. I can't do that yet."

"Daniel, with a well-reasoned argument, you turned the entire anti-Harry contingent of the student body to Harry's favor. While many Slytherin students weren't thrilled at the idea (and I will most assuredly hear from them soon), they saw the logic of your arguments."

Professor Snape smirked. "It was gentle and benign, so please don't take offense at what I'm about to tell you." Danny cocked his head curiously. "Vlad is particularly pleased because you manipulated the students who disagreed with you into seeing things your way. There weren't many, but there were a few Ravenclaws and Hufflepuffs – Mr. Zacharias Smith is an odd one who needs to be dealt with – who shared the general anti-Harry sentiment. Using logic and their own emotion against them (you may or may not have noticed the curious or almost greedy expression that came over many when you mentioned Harry's ability to not only produce a Patronus, but to teach others to do it)… The non-Slytherin anti-Harry contingent unanimously changed their minds. The Slytherin anti-Harry contingent is still a mixed bag of reviews, but many voted for Harry because of you."

"Me?"

"You. They 'know' that you are the nephew of the Defense instructor, and the Slytherins are aware of your daily extra lessons with him. Whether some agreed with you because they believe you have a serious edge in the field, or they agreed with you because your logic bowled them over, or they agreed with you because they think if they got on your good side you'll share more of your secrets with them…"

A horrified look crossed Danny's face. "No way! That's… that's… completely nuts!"

Severus's smile broadened. "Never underestimate the deviousness of the Slytherin mind. Including your own."

"But…"

"Vlad is thoroughly pleased that even though you are not the leader Draco wanted you to be, you were much _more_ of a leader by having the audience agree with you so thoroughly that even if they didn't want Harry, they had a supremely difficult time coming up with an attractive alternative. You, yourself, might have been one, but you expressed why Harry was infinitely better. It would thrill his sense of irony if you brought the students under your sway to your decision and then did not show up. It would be a successful, complete manipulation."

"But…"

"And I know how he feels, because I'm just as proud. Not because you highlighted the more impressive qualities of my ward (although you did), but because you knew what you wanted – a lack of recognition in Defense Against the Dark Arts. You deflected attention to someone you felt was a worthier target, and you settled into the background, where you desired to be in the first place.

"There are all kinds of ambition. Power, recognition, fame, and fortune are the most easily recognizable forms. But getting what you want as you want it is a different kind of ambition. It isn't necessarily harmful to others, as it can be completely benign. In this instance, you put Harry in the spotlight, and took yourself out of it, which ultimately benefits everyone involved. Very nicely done."

Danny beamed. He wasn't sure he liked the idea that he manipulated people, but a diadem-sponsored moment of inspiration made him realize that in one fell swoop, he got several things he was looking for. Harry was the leader of the DA, as he should be, Vlad was proud of Danny for helping Harry to get there, Professor Snape was proud of him for removing himself from undue attention gracefully, and no one would particularly care if he didn't show up at the next meeting. This was great!

Severus smiled. Daniel was in a much better mood than he had been since the club. But the boy wasn't the only one capable of manipulation. "I would like to revisit an idea we discussed earlier. You said earlier that your main objection against belonging to the club is the appearance in front of the other students."

"Yeah."

"But we know you can come, and you wouldn't appear to be there at all."

Danny raised his eyebrows. "You're saying I should come, invisible, and probably intangible, to the DA?"

Bright boy. Snape figured Daniel would get there, eventually. "Absolutely. The spells that are practiced would be infinitely useful to know. There will be two professors on hand at any meeting. You can observe the spells and how they're used, and you can observe which students have mastered the spells. All of the sponsoring professors know you are a ghost, so if you ask questions invisibly, nothing will be given away. We may have something new to discuss during our morning meetings. What do you think?"

"I think I like the idea." Danny was quiet for a moment. "Would it be okay if I went to talk to Uncle Vlad? I just… I don't know. I just want to talk to him."

Today was an emotional day. It was a perfectly reasonable request. "Go ahead, Daniel. Take as long as you need, but try not to come back too late."

"Thanks, Professor."

13


	37. Chapter 37

First of all, I want to thank the people who have read, reviewed, and put this fic (or me) on your favorite and/or alert lists. There are many more of you, and I want to welcome you aboard. In thanks, I offer you pumpkin pie and butterbeer.

Anyone who can figure out which line I lifted (and gave a slightly new context) from _Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban_ gets an extra doughnut of your favorite flavor.

Disclaimer: I do not own _Danny Phantom_, _Harry Potter_, or Shakespeare's "King Lear" or "Romeo and Juliet."

Chapter 37

Monday morning, Zacharias Smith left Professor Snape's office rather worse for the wear. His face was bright red, and he trembled. Professor Snape acidly listed all eight students he was distinctly unhelpful towards, gave him detention every night this week, and told him that if there was any hint of a repeat performance, he would _not_ be among the student teachers any longer. And all of that was aside and apart from the verbal filleting he received from the Potions professor. Zacharias did not want to know about a second violation penalty.

With this in mind, he was startled as he heard a voice call out, "Ah, so the high and mighty Hufflepuff from last year's DA has graced us with his presence."

Zacharias saw Pansy Parkinson and Tracey Davis leaning on the wall on either side of the office door. Pansy's arms were crossed, and though he learned a lot in the DA last year, he recognized that he might be in trouble.

He straightened up and stared down the two Slytherin girls. "Professor Snape just finished with me, so yeah."

Tracey glared at him, putting her hand within easy reach of her wand. "And what, pray tell, had little Astoria done to you that she 'deserved what she got' and was beneath your notice as a tutor?"

Zacharias sighed. "Nothing, really. I just…" He threw his hands in the air. "Arg! What's the use? You won't listen anyway," he complained angrily.

Pansy narrowed her eyes. "You're probably right, but answer the question. There's no one in this hall to help you, and I'm sure the good professor won't mind if we distract you a bit."

Zacharias blew out a breath. "Fine. It wasn't personal against her. The fact is I don't like Potter. He's never answered certain things to my satisfaction, and while lots of people learned things… I don't know. I'm descended from Madam Hufflepuff, and it bothers me that Potter's Muggle-born best friend does better than I do."

In all honesty, he knew his excuse was lame. Justin didn't bother him, and he was just as skilled and Muggle-born as Hermione. Still, there was something about the Granger girl that irked him.

Tracey put her hands on her hips. "So the Mudblood is better than you. And this has _what_ to do with Astoria?"

"Don't you see? Potter's trying to unite everyone. So, I figured I'd disturb Potter's program. Considering that the only House that's been left out until now was Slytherin, messing with the Slytherins was the path of least resistance."

Pansy stroked her chin. "Interesting. Tracey, I think we can work with this."

Both Tracey and Zacharias looked at her. Furrowing her brows, Tracey asked, "What are you talking about?"

"Well, there are a million reasons to mess with Saint Potter, not least of which is that he's thick as thieves with Danny."

Tracey stared at her. "But Professor Snape said…"

"Professor Snape doesn't seem to notice that his current favorite student takes all of my boyfriend's spare time and energy. Draco's hulking idiots Crabbe and Goyle will like whoever Draco tells them to, but at this point, they like Danny well enough on their own. But Draco's mine."

Tracey raised her eyebrows. "Interesting." Then she gave a knowing smile. "Right, then. It's good to know it's not just me, but it bothers me that a Slytherin actually recommended Harry Potter for anything. Just for that, we should give Danny a hard time."

Zacharias just looked at them. "What's Danny ever done to you?"

Tracey raised an eyebrow at him. "And what's Astoria ever done to _you_?"

Pansy grinned nastily. "Hmm… We'll think of something to fix Harry _and_ Danny. And you _will_ go along, Smith, or…"

"I don't want to know. Breaking Potter's concentration won't make me lose any sleep. Tinkering with Professor Masters' nephew, on the other hand…"

Pansy snapped her fingers. "See, that's why it's best to leave the thinking to a Slytherin, Smith. The general idea you came up with is a good one, but for planning, you're useless."

"Hey!"

Tracey sneered. "We'll let you know when we come up with something. But now we've got Charms." She poked him in the chest with a finger. "Not a word to anyone, or you'll regret it."

"Fine." Zacharias sighed. In for a Knut, in for a Galleon. If toying with Danny was the price of ruining Potter's plans… he would do it. Now he was committed.

* * *

Monday at dinner, Harry looked thoughtful. Hermione asked, "What are you thinking about?"

"Danny's Shield Charm. I asked Professor Snape about this, but he seemed reluctant to get back to me on it." Ron stifled a negative comment about the professor. "Hermione, are Charms the same everywhere?"

She looked at Harry. "How do you mean?"

Harry furrowed his brows. "Well… Does a spell manifest the same way everywhere? I mean, would it be the same here, on the Continent, in America, and elsewhere?"

"Of course it would, Harry. That was kind of the point of the Tri-Wizard Tournament. You and Cedric were able to pull off the same spells as Fleur and Viktor." Ron scowled, and Hermione rolled her eyes. "Those classes from Beauxbatons and Durmstrang were in the same classes as our Seventh Years."

Harry asked quietly, almost to himself, "Then why is Danny's _Protego_ different than ours? I thought it was because he's from America. Now…" Harry's eyes went wide. "We need to talk somewhere private after dinner."

Hermione and Ron looked at him strangely. Ron asked, "What's wrong, Harry?"

Harry shook his head. "It's not so much that something's wrong, but we need to talk, and Professor Snape made it very clear that this topic has to be kept private, and I don't want to chance being overheard in the Common Room."

Hermione peaked her eyebrows. "Okay. We'll find an unused classroom after dinner."

When dinner was over, they waved at Danny as he left for his lessons with Professor Masters. Harry, Hermione, and Ron settled on a little-used classroom on the fourth floor. They found seats around a table. Ron asked, "Okay, Harry. What's this about?"

Harry took a deep breath. "I've been thinking a lot about Danny. And Danny Phantom. They just… seem very similar."

Hermione nodded slowly. "I've thought about that, too. I remember when Phantom…" She blushed, but said, "Well… he defended Myrtle against my disrespect of her. Danny sounded just like that when he defended Luna at the game on Saturday. And Harry, I remember when you said how similar Phantom sounded to Danny when they told you they didn't want to get you in trouble."

Ron thought for a moment. "So both Dannys are decent people who stand up for the rights of others. It's a beautiful thing. So what's the problem?"

Harry answered, "There is no problem, besides our curiosity about Danny's mystery. At dinner, I mentioned Danny's Shield Charm." The other two nodded at him. "His shield doesn't look like anyone else's. But when I saw Danny Phantom working with Professor Snape, Phantom produced a shield – not so much a Shield Charm, but a ghostly powered shield – just like Danny's."

Hermione shook her head. "What are you saying?"

Harry stared back blankly. "I don't know. They have similar gestures, similar voice patterns, similar attitudes. Ron, I don't think Fred and George are as similar as Danny Fenton and Danny Phantom, save their coloring, Phantom's echoing voice, and the fact that Danny Fenton is alive and Phantom is a ghost."

Ron snickered. "From what you're saying, the two Dannys are practically the same person."

"Ron!" Hermione cried. "How can you say that?"

Shrugging, Ron said, "I didn't mean anything by it. But it's an interesting game to think about. I mean, they're never in the same place at the same time."

"That we've seen so far," Hermione reminded. "Anyway, Phantom can duplicate, so that isn't a proof of anything."

Harry said, "They are so similar, they seem like they are the same person. But Danny is alive and Phantom is a ghost."

Hermione said, "The shield thing bothers me. I'm not sure why, yet."

Harry shook his head. "Wait a minute – there's one more thing. The Room of Requirement looked the same when I called it up for Danny and Professor Masters as it did when Professor Snape tested Danny Phantom." He stopped. "Oh. My. Word. NO!"

Hermione put a hand over his. "What is it, Harry?"

"If… Danny Fenton and Danny Phantom are the same person… Danny Fenton can't cast a Charm to save his life. But Danny Phantom has all kinds of insane powers that go beyond any magic I can imagine. Some of the powers Phantom displayed could have been lethal, if they were used against a living person. Both of them are afraid of turning Dark. Danny Fenton's magic doesn't make sense when you heard how frightened he was when he talked about possibly turning Dark. If Phantom was that afraid… it would make a LOT more sense."

Ron said, "That makes sense, except for two small things. Danny looks just like you, Harry. Phantom has white hair, and sometimes doesn't even have legs."

Hermione pieced it together. "If the Dannys were the same person, somehow, that would make him half dead and half alive. A kind of… half-ghost. But that doesn't make sense. How can a person be half-dead and half-alive, and not be in a coma?"

"Hello? They still look different," Ron reminded.

Harry thought for a moment. "Animagi look different when they are in their other forms. If Danny is this 'half-ghost,' maybe he looks different when he's more alive, or looks more like me, than when he looks more… like a ghost."

Ron gasped, "Merlin!" This whole idea of a half-human/half-ghost person was beyond his experience, and it took his breath away. "So… let's say we're right. What do we do with this information?"

"Absolutely _nothing_, Ron. If Danny has kept this secret so far, he has a reason for it. That would explain why Professor Snape told me not to spread this information." Harry frowned sadly. "The Wizarding World isn't kind to hybrids, Ron."

Hermione mused, "You know… If we're right about this, that would explain… a lot. Danny said that Professor Masters was interested in _what_ he was. And Professor Masters' whole DADA curriculum focuses on understanding partial humans. I wonder if he was getting Hogwarts ready to understand someone like Danny."

Harry sighed. "Yeah, that makes sense, among other things. Terry and Ernie seemed to figure out there's something different about Danny." He took a deep breath. "Danny, Professor Masters, and Professor Snape are not going to want _anyone_ to know. Not Draco, not Ginny, no one. If Danny decides to talk about it, that's one thing. Otherwise… As far as he's concerned, this conversation never happened."

Ron sat up. "Harry, if everything we've talked about is true, Danny's not going to want to come to the DA."

"Of course not. You're right, Ron. He's a Muggle ghost. I figured that out about Phantom when he talked about the Muggle reaction to ghosts in America, and Casper, and Star Wars, and… If he's a Muggle, why is he in Slytherin?"

Hermione whispered, "I don't know. But no one can know this. Danny could be in real danger."

Harry realized that now, something else Danny said made more sense. He said he was different and worried because a ghost who worked in his school called him an 'unlovable freak.' Phantom said that ghosts at home were not fond of him.

Harry got angry on behalf of his half-ghost friend. Sir Nicholas and Myrtle think of him as a hero. And people despised him for being a ghost. Danny was probably as much a hero as he was. That interesting revelation explained why Danny was able to relate to him so well on an interesting, new level. Harry decided to keep that to himself at present. Or, he might share his thoughts with Professor Snape, but NO ONE else.

Harry observed, "Between Horcruxes and Danny's secret, we have a LOT of responsibility to keep these things to ourselves."

* * *

It was Tuesday afternoon, and Vlad allowed his mind to wander after he finished marking the current batch of papers. Daniel came to him Sunday evening, which _still_ surprised him, to discuss his thoughts on the House meeting, and his private meeting with Severus. Daniel didn't want to attend the Defense Association as himself, but after Severus connived him, Daniel consented to attend invisibly and probably intangibly to learn all _kinds _of things about Defense Against the Dark Arts.

Foolish boy! Of _course_ it was a much better policy not to attend publicly. Vlad cringed when Daniel admitted his poor performance in Charms, and agreed with Snape's whispered objection, but it was that very truth that struck a very deep chord within him. He and Daniel were Muggles, and this club could be their undoing, if they weren't careful. But it touched him deeply that Daniel was worried about _his_ reaction when he told Vlad his decision. The boy worked so hard for his approval. Severus's speech on October 1 rang in his ears.

Vlad didn't deserve the treasure that Daniel was, he admitted to himself. But when has deserving something really meant anything when it came to Vlad's acquisition? He smiled to himself. He was probably the luckiest man alive to have the love of a boy he had no right to have, other than at the boy's own choice.

The smile broadened. It was time to spring the first of two major Christmas surprises on the lad.

At dinner, he watched his charge's face. Danny sighed with relief. Vlad decided they needed to talk very soon. Oh, he had plans, but after or around this evening's classes, he intended to find out about a few things.

After they got to the Room of Requirement, Vlad finally was able to open a rudimentary portal. It only lasted a few seconds, but it worked. Daniel was also able to do it. At first, the boy was nervous, but after a few false starts, Daniel closed his eyes, concentrated, and opened a portal. It stayed as long as he pleased. Vlad wasn't sure how he felt about this ability they shared that Daniel was so much more able in performing.

Danny shrugged. "I knew I could do it this time because I'd already done it. Does that make sense?"

Vlad stared. "When did you do it?"

"Well… My evil future self opened a portal and shoved me in. That 'future self' was really a combination of you and me, but mostly me. And if that version of me could do it, I realized that _I_ could do it." Danny looked down. "And I figure that you'll be able to get it soon, because… well, because."

Vlad could restrain himself no longer. "Now that you've opened the portal, we still have half an hour before we work on English. But your mention of your 'evil future self' reminds me of something I've been meaning to ask you for a while. You have met Clockwork, and you have made mention of alternate realities. How often has this type of thing happened to you? Who is responsible for these things?"

Danny called up a couple of chairs, a table, a pen, and paper. Sitting down, he thought about it. Danny kept a running tab on this on the paper as he spoke. "Well, the first time that an alternative reality rocked my world, Desiree was involved. Sam and I got into an argument, and she wished we never met. For a while, I was back to being a normal human (well… as normal as I ever was) for a bit. It was complicated, but Sam managed to wish us back to what passes for normality, with me back in control of my powers, and no one had a memory of my… dealing with Desiree, but Sam, Tucker, and me. I feel like I'm forgetting something, but it doesn't feel important.

"The next time that time got weird on me involved Clockwork and my evil future self. I already told you all about that." Danny shuddered, and Vlad put his hands over Danny's.

"The time after that, Tucker ran for class president. We got caught up with that mummy ghost Hotep-Ra, and that sphinx, and the scepter. That whole mess actually centered on Tucker, and it probably wouldn't have happened if Sam and I paid more attention to him. That time, Tucker made the scepter grant a wish, and he wished that life went back to normal, but only the three of us remembered the whole adventure."

Vlad observed, "You seem to have a lot of opportunities to 'wish' life back to normal."

"Yeah, well, there has to be _some_ level of fairness in the universe. Some of the messed up things that happen to me aren't my fault, and if the ghosts or magic involved worked hard enough to make life difficult, it's only fair they set things to rights again." Danny grew quiet. "However, Clockwork gave me a second chance. For that, I'll forever be grateful." A few tears leaked from his eyes.

Vlad said, "And _I'll_ be forever grateful that you gave _me_ a second chance, Daniel. Truly." They looked at each other warmly for a moment, and Vlad cleared his throat. "So… were there any more incidents where time or reality was rearranged on your behalf?"

Danny thought for a moment. "Only twice more that I remember." There was _no way_ he was telling Vlad that he went to an alternative time line where Vlad was married to his mother! "Um… Clockwork showed me what happened when you first had your accident. That's how I learned what was necessary to cure you, Sam, and Tucker from the ecto-acne."

Vlad blushed deeply. "I cannot apologize enough for that incident, Daniel. I…"

"Don't worry about it right now." Danny realized they might need to talk about this more extensively at a later time, but right now, he needed to finish this.

Danny sighed. "And the last one happened at the start of last summer vacation. Mom and Dad planned to take Jazz and me, and Sam and Tucker on a cross-country road trip. We were going to Cape Canaveral, in Florida, Gotha-palooza in Nevada, and a major comic book convention in California."

Vlad furrowed his brows and tilted his head in thought. "The Foleys love you like a family member. I could see that. But I've seen what the Mansons are. How in the world did you get permission for Samantha to go with you?"

Danny blushed. "I, um… overshadowed her parents. I told Sam 'I got under their skin'." Vlad laughed. "Anyway, all the plans got cancelled because Freakshow showed up. He somehow got out of prison from when he enslaved me and a bunch of other ghosts and the crimes he had us commit…" Danny shuddered violently, and Vlad got up and hugged him.

When Danny seemed to calm down, Vlad took his seat and encouraged, "It's alright, Daniel. Go on."

Taking a deep breath, Danny continued. "Like I said, Freakshow got out of prison, and he used something called 'the Reality Gauntlet.' He…"

"It was real? I read his book, but I thought it was only theoretical."

Danny shook his head. "It was real. And somehow, my secret got exposed on national television. EVERYONE knew about it. The Guys in White were relentless in their pursuit of me all over the country. Surprisingly, the students at Casper High were really supportive of me, and helped me, Sam, and Tucker get away from the Guys in White.

"Freakshow kidnapped Jazz and all of our parents… It was a mess. Only three good things came from this. I apprehended Freakshow and gave him back to the Guys in White, I turned reality back to as normal as it ever gets and I destroyed the Gauntlet…"

"You did WHAT?"

"When I got home, and everyone was safe and sound, and had forgotten my secret, I. Destroyed. The Gauntlet."

"But the power… I must have been out of country…"

"Vlad, focus! Freakshow kidnapped the three of our parents and Jazz, and perverted the whole world. And I didn't want ANYONE to have that kind of power. So yeah, I destroyed it. Good riddance."

Vlad almost pouted, but decided it wasn't dignified. "And the third good thing?"

Danny fell silent for a moment. "My parents told me they were proud of me, whether I was a ghost, or a boy, or something in between. I was so afraid they would hate me if they knew, but they were proud."

"Of course they were, you foolish boy. They loved both you and your sister more than life itself. So, why didn't you let your parents remember?"

Danny raised an eyebrow. "You're joking, right? Ghosts – and Freakshow! – used my friends as targets to distract me or as bait to trap me. YOU used my friends as bait. If my parents knew about me, what might _you_ have done?"

Vlad grimaced as if he bit a whole lemon. "Right." While their relationship was growing, trying to dismiss their tempestuous past was _not_ going to happen.

A topic change was in order. "Daniel, this evening at dinner, you appeared happier than I've seen you since before Sunday. May I ask what happened?"

This was a quick shift, but Danny saw nothing wrong with it. "Sure. During the afternoon break, I found Harry in the library. He deserved to know that I didn't intend to come back to the DA. I was worried that he would be offended, because he said how important it was to him that I went to that first meeting. But Harry was totally cool with it."

"Was he?"

"Yeah. He didn't ask about it, but he sounded like he understood me." Danny thought for a moment. "It was almost like he expected it." Vlad raised his eyebrows. "I guess my argument from Sunday made him sympathetic. He's seen me in Charms. He also tutored me in Defense over the summer. I think he gets it."

Harry apparently 'got it' more than Daniel did. Vlad decided that he needed a conversation with young Mr. Potter. There was no need to worry Daniel over it, though. The boy did nothing wrong.

Danny watched the mercurial mood shift change his guardian's expression. "Um… Uncle Vlad?"

Smoothing his features into a simple, pleasant expression, Vlad said, "I imagine Harry's easy cooperation was an unexpected but useful surprise."

Danny nodded. "It was."

"And now I shall give you one of your two Christmas surprises." Danny blinked. "You and I are going to Hogsmeade this Saturday."

"Really?" That was the last thing he expected Vlad to say. Danny's excitement was tempered with concern. "But you said…"

"I know what I said. And it occurs to me that this will be the first time since July 21 that we will have spent time together that wasn't in or geared for school. Further, the fact that we will be together will reduce the danger you may be in. But mostly… You were right. I've been all over the place, and you haven't left the Hogwarts grounds since we went shopping in London. I thought you might appreciate a change in scenery."

Danny's eyes shone in glassy-eyed delight. "Thanks, Vlad. It means a lot to me."

Vlad smiled broadly. He struck gold. Vlad realized the last time Daniel looked so happy was at Thanksgiving dinner. He would have to attempt to achieve this again. He hoped he would when Christmas actually came. "And now, you have one more choice. Which would you prefer to do first? _King Lear_, which has more graphic violence than any play we've read so far, or _Romeo and Juliet_, which resembles a comedy until Act Three?"

* * *

On Wednesday after Defense Against the Dark Arts, Vlad asked Harry to come to his office after Harry's class in Transfigurations. Harry had the idea that Professor Masters liked him, but he had no idea about what the professor had in mind. Harry knocked on Vlad's door.

"Come in, Harry, and have a seat." Harry sat and looked up curiously.

Vlad said, "I hear that Daniel isn't coming back to the DA."

"That's what he told me, sir."

Vlad drummed his fingers on his desk. "Daniel told me that it meant a good deal to you that he attended, but when he told you yesterday he couldn't come, it was no big deal."

Harry looked uncomfortable, but answered, "As he said, his Charms aren't very good, and I didn't want to embarrass him."

Vlad raised an eyebrow. "Don't prevaricate, Mr. Potter. It doesn't become you, and you don't do it well. Daniel is just as successful in Charms this week as he was last week. What really changed your mind?"

Harry gulped. Professor Masters wasn't going to like this. "Professor, I figured a few things out about Danny. When Professor Snape told me not to tell people about Danny Phantom, I realized that Danny has his reasons for keeping his secrets. I… figured out that Danny Fenton is Danny Phantom. And that as many impressive powers as he has, he is a Muggle." Vlad's anger flashed in his eyes, though they stayed blue. Harry spoke quickly. "I spoke to Ron and Hermione when I figured it out, and we realized that this is _Danny's_ secret. I spoke to Professor Snape about it, and he agreed that we should keep this to ourselves."

With narrow eyes, Vlad studied Harry. A shiver shot through Harry, but he sat still. "When did you figure this out?" Vlad asked quietly, dangerously.

"Hermione and I noticed anomalies all year, sir. I mean, Danny's shield. A Shield Charm is the same, whether a wizard is from England, or America, or France. But Danny's shield is different. I've been curious about that since July. But after I saw Phantom's shield, I think he called it 'ectoplasmic glass,' that I finally understood why it was so different."

Vlad sighed. "I suppose I shouldn't give you _too_ hard a time, considering your tolerance for folks who are not-quite human."

"Sir, my friends are _people_ first. I didn't know that Remus was a werewolf until Hermione said so in the Shrieking Shack in Third Year. The actual circumstance is hard to explain. But the point is, Remus was one of my Dad's best mates, he was one of the _best_ DADA instructors I've ever had, and he's a good friend." Harry grinned. "Why should his 'furry little problem' change any of that?" Vlad blinked. 'Furry little problem?' That was one way to put it.

"Hagrid was my first friend. He told me that I was a wizard. Until he did, I had no clue about why unusual things happened when I got angry or scared. Since my eleventh birthday, he's always been there. I was more surprised about the fuss made over the fact that he's a half-giant than the fact that he was one." He rolled his eyes. "And I wear glasses. Who cares?

"If Danny is a… half-ghost, or whatever, he is still the great fellow who's helped me in Potions, who is great to talk to about appreciating Professor Snape, and he's still the fellow who invited me to your family dinner to officially be included in his family. Whatever else he is, well… that's bonus. And," he looked Vlad in the eyes, "Danny understands how weird it feels to be thought of as a hero by fans, an enemy by people he hasn't even met yet, and only wants to be thought of as normal, whatever that is. He's probably the only bloke I know who understands _exactly_ what I'm going through, on any number of levels.

"Being a hybrid in the Wizarding World has got to be hard. Being a Muggle in Slytherin is probably harder. I haven't figured out how that one's happened, considering the general anti-Muggle sentiment in his House, but I never claimed to understand how the Sorting Hat works. I can respect Danny's need to keep his secrets, and my best mates will help me do just that. Not even Danny knows we know. Ron and Hermione don't know that I've discussed this with Professor Snape. Danny's secret is safe with us, sir."

Vlad thought Harry's speech was educational. At once, he realized that Harry truly understood the lesson he ultimately intended for his Defense class. He would respect Daniel's secrets. He was also thrilled that this perceptive child did not make the connection that Vlad was as much a half-ghost as Danny.

Vlad relaxed a little. "Thank you for respecting Daniel's privacy. Besides being personal, this information could risk his security here."

Harry nodded. "I understand that Danny is as much a target for Voldemort as I am."

"Harry, I've noticed that you actually call Voldemort by his name. Most students don't."

"Most _people_ don't, sir. But Professor Dumbledore says that fear of a name only increases the fear of the thing or person named. Voldemort may be an evil man, a truly evil wizard who has 'taken steps' to try to be immortal, but in the end, he's only a man."

Vlad was impressed. Harry actually _was_ as brave as advertised by the Headmaster in their many discussions since they got here. And, from the sound of it, his hero complex was as big as Daniel's. Joy.

"Harry, I want to thank you again for your pledge to keep Daniel's secrets. Now, tell me what you had in mind for this Sunday…"

* * *

On Saturday morning, December 14, Harry saw Ron off to the grounds. "Hey, have a good time," Harry said. He wanted to go, but was resigned to the fact that he was constrained to stay here. Professor Snape was just as stuck here as he was. As was…

"Danny!" Vlad let Danny greet his Gryffindor friends before setting out to the wizard village, as Harry bounded over to them. "I thought you couldn't leave Hogwarts."

Danny gave a half-smile. "I thought so, too. But as long as I'm _with_ Uncle Vlad…" He shrugged.

Harry was filled with a few emotions: a pang of jealousy, relief and joy at his friend's boon, and concern. "Um, about that. Be careful. I thought I was safe with Professor Snape, and we got attacked by Death Eaters." He looked up at Professor Masters, who was beginning to get impatient. "Well, anyway, have a good time."

"Thanks, Harry." Danny shook his hand, and then trailed after Vlad.

Once they got to Mr. Filch, Vlad simply looked at the caretaker, throwing a possessive arm around Danny. "He's with me."

"I garnered that, Professor." Mr. Filch lowered his Secrecy Sensor. If a student left in the company of a professor, the professor must know what the student was about. Further, this was Danny, whom Argus considered the most trustworthy student he'd met during his entire run as a caretaker of Hogwarts. "Have a good time, lad."

"Thanks, Mr. Filch."

Vlad beamed. While he considered VIP treatment a privilege he had come to expect, Vlad procured the start of his wealth that earned him such treatment by undetected grand larceny. Daniel managed to come by his privilege honestly. Vlad was prouder than expressible of his precious charge.

The students making the trek to Hogsmeade gave Danny and Vlad a wide berth, because no one wanted to get on Professor Masters' bad side. "So, Daniel, have you given a thought to where you'd like to go?"

Danny shrugged a shoulder. "I don't know. I haven't been to Hogsmeade since Hagrid brought us here so we could go to London."

Vlad stared down at him incredulously. "You never sought to go while I was away?"

Danny said, "Well, no, but I thought about it. There was that first time you left for America. I wasn't happy about being stuck in Hogwarts, and Draco told me that the Shrieking Shack was haunted by a malevolent ghost. If there _was_ a ghost causing trouble, I would have taken care of it, with or without permission."

He walked in silence for a few moments. "There wasn't, though. No ghost was ever there. Harry told me that Professor Lupin used to go there to transform into the wolf every month while he was a student. Since it was before the invention of Wolfsbane Potion, the transformations were very painful. Remus howled and made all kinds of noise in pain. Because the access to the Shack was a secret passage from Hogwarts, no one was ever seen entering or exiting the Shack. People made up a rumor that some unsavory ghosts had taken up residence there, and Professor Dumbledore encouraged the rumor to protect Remus."

"Fascinating." Vlad was floored by Daniel's obedience. And the only real thought of disobedience came to Daniel when his hero instincts kicked in. "Daniel, you never cease to amaze me."

They continued to walk and talk until they got to the village. Ron and Draco spotted them and came at them from different directions. "Danny!" Draco exclaimed.

"Professor," Ron acknowledged.

Draco radiated his delight. "It's great to see you here, Danny. What made you change your mind, Professor?"

Vlad was amused by these students. "Christmas shopping."

Danny's eyes went wide. Vlad handed him a bag of coins with a drawstring. "This is for you to spend as you like."

"Thanks, Uncle Vlad." Wow… Danny was speechless.

Ron asked, "So, what would you like to see first?" He assigned himself the role of official tour guide.

Draco narrowed his eyes at Ron. "There's the Shrieking Shack I told you about. You agreed that it would be interesting to see…"

Vlad cleared his throat. "Gentlemen, if you don't mind…" Danny looked stricken. It was his first time out of Hogwarts, friends wanted to spend time with him, and Vlad acknowledged (at least to himself) that he fully intended to monopolize the boy's time. Vlad sighed.

"I suppose we can see this Shrieking Shack. You could pal around while we do a little shopping, but when we head to the Three Broomsticks, I expect you to leave us alone." The light that filled Daniel's eyes made Vlad realize he did the right thing. And this time, it didn't even hurt.

Ron and Draco were ecstatic, and Vlad found it intriguing to watch both boys operate with an almost proprietary air with _his_ boy. They sent occasional dirty looks at each other, but refrained from anything overtly hostile in front of their mutual friend and – almost more importantly – their most fearsome professor. Draco grabbed one of Danny's arms, leading the group in the direction of the Shack.

Danny asked, "Where are Crabbe and Goyle?"

Draco shook his head. "They have detention with Professor Flitwick. Apparently, they got caught casting some nasty jinxes at Zacharias Smith in the halls while we were elsewhere." He snickered. "No one in Slytherin has completely forgiven him for his implied threat to Astoria."

Ron looked puzzled. "Who?"

Draco rolled his eyes. "Astoria Greengrass, a Second Year who seemed to be beneath Smith's notice. Smith corrected her partner's technique, but gloated when Astoria failed to defend herself properly. He told her 'she deserved what she got'."

This was news to Vlad. But no one present expected Ron's reaction. "That… unmitigated prat! The point for opening the DA to everyone is to have unity against a common enemy – You-Know-Who. That… that…" Only looking back at Professor Masters made Ron stop to reconsider his word choice.

Ron took a breath. "When Harry first mentioned opening the Club to all four Houses, my biggest objection was the misuse of spells against other students." Ron blushed, to what Draco decided was an amusing effect. "I kinda suspected that Slytherins would use the spells learned against the rest of us. It never dawned on me that a member of last year's DA would misuse spells on or withhold information from anyone."

Danny raised his eyebrows. Draco was about to comment, but Ron viciously kicked a stone in the road. "However, after Marietta last year, I should have realized that being in the DA last year was no guarantee of loyalty to anyone."

Danny put a hand on Ron's shoulder. Ron was genuinely hurt and betrayed to know that anyone in last year's DA would use what he learned against another student. Draco decided that it wasn't politic to mention the fact on the Hogwarts Express on the way home, he, Crabbe, and Goyle experienced the handiwork of the DA when they attempted to ambush Harry.

Danny asked, "So Ron, where's Hermione?"

Ron smiled at the mention of her name. "She decided to stay behind with Harry to work on a lesson plan for tomorrow. Besides, she finished all her Christmas shopping in October. Mental, that one is. She plans all _kinds_ of things in advance. But…" He grinned. "That makes it easier to get something for her without her knowing."

They stopped at a rickety wooden fence, looking over it to see a boarded up, dilapidated house. Draco announced, "_That_ is the Shrieking Shack, the most haunted house in all of Britain."

Ron smirked. Vlad raised an eyebrow and crossed his arms. "Is it, now? Besides the House Ghosts, there are over twenty ghosts in Hogwarts alone. What makes _this_ house _more_ haunted?"

Draco's mouth dropped open. Logically, he knew Professor Masters was right, but that's what he was always told for as long as he could remember.

Vlad chuckled. Discomforting students could be such fun. No one noticed the rat with a silver paw that saw them and scurried off.

Draco thought for a moment. "Well, noise hasn't been reported from that house for years, so… maybe it's changed."

Draco had enough of this amusement at his expense, and he led the merry band on a tour of Hogsmeade. Ron glared for a moment, but relaxed and enjoyed the trip. He sighed when they passed Zonko's Joke Shop. "Fred and George were thinking of buying out Zonko's and putting a second shop here, but it doesn't help when the proprietors have closed shop due to Death Eater activity."

Vlad raised his eyebrows. "Indeed. How old are the twins, Mr. Weasley?"

"They're 18. They'll be 19 this April."

Vlad murmured, "Quite the entrepreneurs. And they are successful."

Danny looked up sharply. "Uncle Vlad, leave it alone." Ron and Draco stared at Danny and wondered at his audacity.

Vlad considered Danny. "Magical amusements are profitable, but you're right, Daniel. I have other things to worry about." Danny sighed with relief. Ron and Draco looked at each other – they had no clue about what the uncle and nephew were on about.

The boys exclaimed over their explorations and purchases from Scrivenshaft's Quill Shop, Dervish and Banges, Honeyduke's Sweet Shop, and the Quidditch shop. Vlad decided that it was an interesting experience to play the chaperone for a handful of teenagers at leisure. He wondered what Maddie would think of the job he was doing. He sighed to himself as he made his own purchases.

At about 1:30, Vlad said, "Alright. I believe now is the time. Come, Daniel. Good afternoon, gentlemen." Vlad led Danny into the Three Broomsticks, where they took seats. Before they ordered lunch, Madam Rosmerta served them drinks. "So, Daniel, how have you enjoyed your day so far?"

"It's been awesome, Vlad. Thank you. I…" Many of the thoughts he had were too emotional to express. "I was able to get presents for all kinds of people. Could you bring something to London to mail to Valerie and Mrs. Manson?"

"Not a problem, Daniel." It was nice to see the boy this peaceful outside of a school setting. This was actually a first – he and Daniel were alone together, and the boy was _not_ angry, depressed, or resigned, which were all emotions Vlad recognized Danny had in his presence before and even since the ordeal in July. Sighing in contentment, Vlad drank in the mood of the moment. "Who did you get gifts for?"

Danny smiled. "Today, I got something for Harry, Ron, Hermione, Draco, Crabbe, Goyle, Terry, Ernie, Valerie, Luna, Mrs. Manson, Professor Snape, Professor Flitwick, Hagrid, Firenze, and Mr. Filch. I already have your Christmas gift. I _really_ hope you'll like it." Danny smiled enigmatically. "Oh! Before we go, we have to go to Gladrags so I can get something for Dobby. The other elves will be happy if I just visit them."

"Fair enough." Vlad and Danny enjoyed happy chatter about nonessential things.

Neither of them noticed the large blond man two tables away. Thorfinn Rowle watched them with a great deal of interest. He murmured to himself, "So the rat was partially right. He mentioned that he saw someone who looked like the Potter brat. The boy _isn't_ Potter- he's the kid from America. Daniel and his Uncle Vlad, huh? Our Lord will be pleased. I'll inform him of the names of our targets. Daniel… the rat said he was friends with Malfoy's son."

While the blond Death Eater went unnoticed, Vlad's fastidiousness and sense of propriety filled him with disgust when he saw a rat on the floor. Vlad rolled his eyes. "Hmm… The medieval quality of the Wizarding World loses its charm when the sanitation is just as medieval. Vermin crawling everywhere…" Off-handedly, Vlad blasted the rat that squealed in pain before it died.

"Damn!" Rowle exclaimed.

The dead rat, which should have garnered no attention, drew every eye in the pub as it expanded into a man.

Danny stared and whispered, "Isn't Voldemort's 'right-hand rat' an Animagus?"

"It is, indeed. Let's get out of here, Daniel. We'll eat when we get back. I believe we have to speak to the Headmaster about this."

In the hullabaloo over the appearance of a dead man on the floor of the Three Broomsticks, no one noticed the disappearance of the two men and their packages, leaving behind nothing but a puff of pink mist and a small pile of Galleons on the table.


	38. Chapter 38

I want to thank each and every one of you who read, reviewed, and placed this story (and me) on your assorted lists. Last chapter has one of the highest number of reviews of all of them. So far, only two other chapters have more, and one other has the same number. Thank you for all of your support. I wish to offer you all caramel apples and pumpkin Frappuccinos. (Starbucks comes up with some interesting drinks.)

Of the many reviewers, six of you took up my challenge to find the transposed quote from _Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban_. FantomoDrako, Embers of Inspiration, , aryaneragon4ever, and lydia all get chocolate donuts for correctly identifying it as: "I knew I could do it this time because I'd already done it. Does that make sense?" Harry told Hermione that he could cast a Patronus, and that was why he had the confidence that he could indeed do it. Danny told Vlad he could open the portal, and had the exact same reason for his confidence.

AlexiaStorm guessed that my reference was to Remus's 'furry little problem.' That was actually mentioned by Remus at Christmas time in _Half-Blood Prince_. It was a good guess, and a good catch. You get six chocolate doughnut holes for playing.

Cynthia wrote the initial scene at Malfoy Manor. I rewrote it, but she deserves credit for giving me something to work with.

Disclaimer: I do not own _Danny Phantom_ or _Harry Potter_.

Chapter 38

Vlad and Danny showed up in Vlad's rooms, depositing their packages on a table in the sitting room. Vlad started to pace. "We need to talk to the Headmaster. What do we tell him?"

Danny took a seat in one of the chairs and watched Vlad. "We tell him the truth. It wasn't intended, but you killed a Death Eater."

Vlad stopped for a moment to consider. "Yes, I did, didn't I?"

"Professor Dumbledore seems to know more about these people…"

Vlad sneered. "If your favorite professor is to be believed, _he_ knows more about Voldemort and his Death Eaters than anyone."

Danny thought about this. "Professor Snape might know more stuff about the Death Eaters, but Professor Dumbledore is head of the Order, the organization built to take Voldemort down."

"You're right, I suppose. Let's surprise him. Come."

Danny shook his head. "Wait a minute. We don't know if he's in his office. Today _is_ a Hogsmeade day. Maybe we should talk to the gargoyle." He stopped. "Man, that sounds weird."

"Alright. Come and turn invisible." Danny did as Vlad instructed. Vlad put an arm around his shoulder and they teleported to the gargoyle.

When they turned visible, the gargoyle exclaimed, "Hello, now! What is this? Where did you come from?"

Vlad peaked his eyebrows. The idea of speaking to a statue was still a bit beyond him. "That's not important. What _is_ important is knowing whether the Headmaster is in his office. Is he?"

The gargoyle grumbled. "Didn't answer my question. Yeah, he's in. But you have to guess the password."

Rolling his eyes, Vlad said, "Enough toying with inanimate objects. Daniel, we have places to go and people to see."

The gargoyle began to object. "Not if you don't… Hey!" It exclaimed indignant imprecations when Vlad turned himself and Danny invisible and intangible, and they walked through the wall behind the gargoyle.

Danny almost told Vlad that what he did wasn't very nice, but he suspected that Vlad already knew that and simply didn't care. They flew to the top of the spiral staircase. Vlad knocked.

"Please come in." Professor Dumbledore knew it was either Vlad or Danny. Peeves would never come to his office.

Vlad and Danny entered. Danny looked shaken, but took a seat. Vlad sat next to him, laying one hand over Danny's. "Professor. We've been to Hogsmeade today."

Professor Dumbledore took in this fact. It could have interesting implications, but at present, he nodded for Vlad to continue.

"While visiting the Three Broomsticks, hmm." How did he continue this? "I do believe I told you of my intention to join your effort to destroy Voldemort."

Albus said, "You did."

"I unwittingly gave my opening salvo." Vlad sniffed imperiously. "I was offended by a rat. After I killed it, I discovered it was Voldemort's pet Animagus."

Albus raised his eyebrows. "Indeed." He took a deep breath. "That is an interesting development. I will have people to inform." His mind raced as he thought about the consequences. The Order will have to know. The Aurors will have to be informed. Harry and Remus will especially appreciate knowing. There were more dangerous Death Eaters at large, but not so many carried this much personal baggage. Poor Peter.

Danny, however, was absolutely distraught. This, Albus determined, took precedence. "Danny, what's wrong?"

Danny turned pale. "Vlad… killed… a human."

Vlad was taken aback. "I didn't intend to. You knew that, and you said so yourself. You saw, as I did, a rat on the floor of the pub. I did a little pest control, and ended up killing a Death Eater. Which amounts to the same thing, really."

Danny gripped the arms of his chair so hard, his knuckles turned white. "You've threatened, you've planned, and sometimes you almost but didn't quite succeed in killing… people.

"I've fought ghosts, and some of the mindless ones disappeared into the ether. But of all the humans, or even sentient ghosts, I've ever fought, death was never an outcome. Obviously, I wouldn't hurt my parents. But between Valerie, the Guys in White, even Freakshow… Dude, even my most fearsome enemy wasn't killed. I captured him, and Clockwork has him stored in a Thermos somewhere. But even when they were hurt, I never hurt a human badly. You… killed… a… human." Danny trembled.

Vlad looked helplessly at Professor Dumbledore. There was nothing he could say to make this better. The wizard got up from his desk and hugged Danny. "Listen to me, Danny. The Wizarding World is at war. Unfortunately, there are casualties."

"But I never…"

"Danny, listen. The Death Eaters who massacred your hometown didn't care who they killed."

"They didn't. But I don't want to be like them. I hate this! I don't want to have anything to do with this!"

Professor Dumbledore stood up from where he had knelt. He needed to think. Turning to a painting, he said, "Professor Dippet? Could you ask Severus and Harry to come here?"

"Of course. At once." With that, he left his frame.

Albus turned back to Danny and tried again. "Danny, would it help if I told you the man your uncle killed was actually a mass murderer, who killed twelve innocent people, who revealed the secret of where the Potters were in hiding, purposefully bringing about the murders of Harry's parents, and who knows how many other atrocities in the service of Voldemort?"

"I don't know!" Danny looked around the room wildly. There was no where for him to go. He couldn't escape this nightmare.

Vlad got up and put a hand on Danny's shoulder. "Daniel, Death Eaters are the people who killed your family and friends. Apparently, they've killed many other people. They are the reason we are in hiding."

"Yeah, but…"

"Daniel, stop a moment. Remember on September 2, when we practiced with Professor Snape? You objected to using your powers against humans, but Professor Snape agreed with me."

"What did I agree to?" Professor Snape and Harry entered Dumbledore's office.

Vlad jerked his head, and remembering that Danny didn't yet know that Harry knew his secret, he had to word his response accordingly. Daniel was in enough distress. Discovering that Harry and his friends figured out his secret would present far too much stress for the boy to handle currently. "That when you helped Daniel in one of our specialized sessions, you told him that his talents were worthy, particularly when used in defense against Dark wizards. Even when said talents were particularly destructive to life and limb of the enemy."

Professor Snape raised his eyebrows. So we are still pretending Harry doesn't know about Daniel, are we? So be it. "Your guardian is absolutely correct, Daniel. You would do well to remember that this enemy seeks to destroy you. Even if the temporary plan of which ever Death Eater wasn't slated to be fatal, it is not unfair or unwise to think of the situation as a 'kill or be killed' circumstance." He did hope to be better informed soon. All he was working with was Professor Dippet's sputtering that Daniel was devastated when Professor Masters inadvertently killed a Death Eater.

Danny sat miserably, though he stopped shaking. At this point, tears streamed down his face. The three adults he currently trusted most were trying to convince him that killing humans was okay. He wasn't having it.

Harry looked at Danny. "Hey. What happened?"

Vlad was about to explain, when Severus put a hand on his arm, shaking his head and mouthing, 'No.' Vlad cocked his head and watched the two boys interact.

Danny took a breath. "Uncle Vlad killed the rat Animagus."

Harry's eyebrows shot up. "Professor Masters killed Wormtail? Wow. Sirius would have been glad to know about that. He wanted to do it himself, you know. Actually, Remus really will be glad."

Danny took a few deep breaths and tried to process this. "How can you say that, Harry?"

Harry put what he intended to be a comforting hand on Danny's arm. "Look – this is hard, and it only gets harder. I don't know what dangers you faced at home, Danny. But let me tell you a bit about this war against Voldemort.

"When I was in First Year, a _professor_ tried to kill me at Voldemort's behest, at least twice. In the end, he was killed. I'm not entirely sure how, as I was unconscious at the time. But one of us was slated to die that day. I'm glad it wasn't me.

"In Second Year, Voldemort managed to possess Ginny Weasley." Danny's eyes flew wide open. "It was a nasty bit of magic that leeched her soul from her into an enchanted diary. If I didn't kill the soul piece of Voldemort from the diary, Ginny would have died. Considering that Voldemort just sicced a Basilisk on me and nearly killed me, I wasn't too bothered by the fact that I destroyed the diary with a piece of Voldemort's soul in it.

"Third Year, so far, was the only year of school that I wasn't actually attacked by Voldemort in one way or another. But that year, I learned that Wormtail, the man Professor Masters killed, actually murdered twelve Muggles in cold blood. There was no reason for that. That insane amount of murder was meant as a mere distraction for Sirius from accosting him for having betrayed me and my parents by telling Voldemort our location. That… piece of filth is why I have no parents. Sirius and Remus wanted to kill him, but…" Harry sighed. "I told them not to. They were going to bring him to the castle so that Aurors could arrest him, and let the Dementors take care of him. I didn't think my parents would approve of two of their best friends killing the third, even if he _did_ betray us.

"Fourth Year was the Tri-Wizard Tournament. Part of the story I didn't tell you (or much of anyone, really) was that at the end of the third task, Cedric Diggory, the other Hogwarts champion, and I took the cup that was a trophy at the same time. It turns out that another evil professor (we've had at least three of those, but only two were Death Eaters in disguise) turned the cup into a Portkey that brought us to Voldemort.

"Wormtail killed Cedric. True, Voldemort told him to do it, and it still haunts my nightmares. Voldemort told him to 'kill the spare.' They needed me – well, my blood – to get Voldemort properly reborn. Wormtail killed Cedric for no reason, other than Cedric was superfluous for Voldemort's purposes.

"While I don't think I would have been able to do it myself, I won't lose any sleep over the death of Wormtail. You shouldn't, either."

Danny wiped his eyes with his sleeve. "I've never killed anyone. I don't want to."

Harry gave a half-smile. "That's good. But this is war. Bad things happen, and people die." He looked up at Professor Dumbledore and then back at Danny. "There is a prophecy that says that I have to kill Voldemort, or he has to kill me. I'm not looking forward to it, but I do know that after all the things he's done, I can't let him win."

Danny nodded, and Harry continued. "I don't know what you will end up doing. All I know is that you are as much a target for Voldemort as I am. Right now, your job, like mine, is to stay safe. If that happens to change, know that you're not alone." Harry looked up and smiled at Professor Snape. "It's taken me a long time to learn that, but you need to know that now."

Danny smiled. "Thanks, Harry. But what if…"

Harry held up a hand. "Don't worry about what if. Just do your best, and do what you need to do to protect people." Harry sighed. "Now if I can only take my own advice…"

Danny asked, "How did you get to be so insightful?"

Harry smiled ruefully. "Practice, Danny. Practice."

* * *

Voldemort stood at the window in the Malfoys' sitting room. The window gave a magnificent view of the rolling lawns, fields, and orchards of the grounds, with an occasional albino peacock to break the monotony when the view of green became too overwhelming. The Death Eaters behind him stood in silence, awaiting his attention or pleasure.

A knock interrupted the silence. "Come," Voldmort commanded as he turned towards the door. The door opened to admit Thorfinn Rowle, one of the British Death Eaters involved in the attack in America. The large blond radiated his excitement. "What news do you bring me, Rowle?"

Thorfinn bowed. "My Lord, I have seen the boy. There was no mistaking it. Further, this boy is young Malfoy's friend Daniel."

The Dark Lord raised a finger to his lips. "Daniel Fenton?"

The blond wizard answered, "He didn't say his last name, but he was with his Uncle Vlad."

Bellatrix rubbed her hands. "Then Draco has made a useful connection. We had suspected, but now it is certain. Danny Fenton is the nephew, and Vlad Masters is the uncle."

Voldemort smiled. He had the beginning of a plan, but he knew that with patience, all would be revealed. "Good work, Rowle. I will think up a suitable reward at a later time."

"I am duly honored, my Lord." He beamed. This could only be for the good.

"So tell me. What does this uncle look like?"

Rowle furrowed his brows. "He is about your height, my Lord, and he has white hair pulled into a full, shoulder-length ponytail. His eyes are blue, and he has an aristocratic air about him."

Voldemort raised an eyebrow. "Indeed. This Vlad Masters is the current professor of Defense Against the Dark Arts. Some of the children of my servants have reported that he does not teach spells. I wonder…"

Rowle bowed again, and asked, "My Lord, a question. The raid on Amity Park was done with the understanding that there are no witches and wizards present, not even Mudbloods. If Daniel is from Amity Park, he has to be a Muggle. How is it possible for a Muggle to be a student at Hogwarts? How is it possible for a Muggle to have lived through _Avada Kedavra_?"

Bellatrix perked up. "How is it possible for a Muggle to be in Slytherin?"

Voldemort countered, "How can we be so sure that there were no witches and wizards in that town?"

Thorfinn said, "My Lord, the American Death Eaters were in contact with their Ministry. There were no Traces of underage magic. There were no sales of wands; there is no record of Disillusionment Charms of magical creatures, plants, or anything like that. There are no Obliviations on record for magic done in front of Muggles. There are ghosts, but there is no attempt of any Ministry to hide them from Muggles."

"Is it possible that Mr. Fenton is Muggle-born?"

"Anything is possible, my Lord. But bursts of underage magic would have been detected by _someone_. Furthermore, at his age, this… Fenton boy should have been contacted by a magic school."

Voldemort stared at Thorfinn, who felt his skin crawl. "You just discovered the boy's name for certain. Have you checked his name against the more local American schools?"

The blond trembled. "Not yet, my Lord. But I will get on it. Immediately."

"Be sure that you do, Rowle. Your news has pleased me. Don't let me down."

"As you wish, my Lord." He was not yet dismissed, so Rowle stayed where he was.

Voldemort did a quick headcount of the Death Eaters present. "Where is Wormtail?"

Rowle blushed furiously. "He is dead, my Lord. Masters wandlessly killed the rat."

The Dark Lord chuckled. "Did he? Pity. Wormtail was useful. But the cowardly rodent won't be widely missed. It is a waste. But now… I'll have to focus more attention on the Malfoy boy. I'll have to think on it." He nodded at the big wizard. "You have served me well, Rowle. For now, that will be all."

* * *

Sunday afternoon, students started to gather once again in the Great Hall for the DA. Harry nodded to Professors Flitwick and Masters, who sat in armchairs around a card table. Both professors had short stacks of parchment in front of them – during a lull in the action, there were papers to be marked.

Today, there were even more students than there were last week. Excitement regarding Harry Potter leading this Club spread like wildfire. The entirety of the House of Gryffindor turned out. Almost as many Ravenclaw students came – for or against Harry, an opportunity to learn was never something to pass up. Among the Hufflepuffs, there were more than last week, but there were some students who didn't return. Slytherin was the only House where the number of students was static, but there was a reshuffling of which students came and didn't come.

Draco was determined to become at least as good if not better than Harry. He may or may not succeed, but he would put in his best effort. Crabbe and Goyle agreed with Professor Snape that this Club could do wonders for practicing for their upcoming Defense OWLs. However, Draco couldn't seem to find a certain dark-haired Slytherin.

Walking up to Harry, Draco demanded, "Where is Danny?"

Professor Masters informed Harry that Danny would be about and taking in the lessons. But Draco had no need to know this. "Danny's not a part of the Club." Harry smirked. "It was actually quite Slytherin of him."

Draco narrowed his eyes. "Meaning?"

"Danny supported my leadership, for which I thank him. But he never actually said he wanted to come. He explained _why_ I would be a useful leader, not whether he would choose to be led by me. He's got his reasons." Draco's jaw dropped. "You're his partner in Charms. You know of his sketchy spellwork. It's all very logical why he would choose not to be here. He told me during the week."

Draco didn't think of that. He just figured that Danny would want to spend time with his assorted friends. Wait a minute. Danny told Harry he wouldn't come to this meeting of the DA, but he didn't tell Draco? "Bloody…" He pointed at Harry accusingly. "You… you… Gryffindor!"

Harry smirked again. "Thank you for noticing. I didn't know you cared." Harry looked to the professors' table, where Vlad nodded at him. "Seamus, if you would…" Seamus whistled the piercing whistle that got everyone's attention again. "Thanks. Last week, we covered Disarming and Shield Charms, and by the end of the session, just about everyone got it. We'll take the first fifteen minutes to review and help out our newcomers. Then we'll move on to _Stupefy_ and _Impedimenta_, and the releasing and reviving spells."

Draco glared at Zacharias, and thrilled when he blasted the Hufflepuff to the pillows. If he wasn't keenly aware of the professors at the head of the Hall, Draco might have used the opposite of a Cushioning Charm on the pillows near by, and told his partner as much. Zacharias sighed. This would be a long DA meeting.

* * *

Professor Flitwick watched the students. "They certainly are enthusiastic. Many students seem to work harder here than in Charms."

Vlad said, "They can see the practical application immediately. Levitating a feather is whimsical, and the skill demonstrated is useful, I'm sure. But when you take a threat seriously and you have a way to learn Defense against it… It's logical."

Danny drifted invisibly between them. "How come some spells are ended by a _Finite Incantatem_ and others are released by an _Ennervate_?"

The tiny wizard squeaked in surprise, but looked towards Vlad. Vlad smiled. "Apparently, I forgot to inform you that Daniel was coming. Address your answer to me, and the students won't have a clue of his presence."

Professor Flitwick got over his surprise and clapped in delight. "Good show!" His eyes twinkled. "Nicely done, Mr. Thomas!" Dean turned to smile at the Charms professor. And in a much lower tone, Flitwick said, "And good work, Danny. I remember working with you on some of your impressive talents, though I had forgotten about your invisibility." After looking out at the students gathered for the Club, Filius turned back to Vlad. "As for the answer to your excellent question…"

* * *

Pansy and Tracey were partnered and practicing, after Anthony Goldstein gave them a few pointers. He watched them until he was sure they were capable of firing all four spells, the new jinxes and their counter curses, before he praised them and moved on. Tracey asked Pansy, "So, have you seen Danny?"

Pansy stopped aiming for a moment. "I asked Draco, and Harry told him Danny wasn't coming." She ran a hand through her hair. "That's at _least_ an hour and a half they are apart."

Tracey successfully cast _Stupefy_, and after reviving Pansy, Tracey asked, "Why does that matter so much to you? Danny's not in Transfigurations, he has extra lessons with Professor Masters every night, he doesn't go to Quidditch practice. Why does it bother you that Danny's Draco's friend?"

Pansy aimed an Impediment Curse at Tracey, who blocked it with a Shield Charm. Pansy swore under her breath. "Draco doesn't _have_ friends. He has bodyguards, he has connections, he has acquaintances, he has rivals, he has enemies, and he has me. Draco spends time with me, and Crabbe and Goyle, sure. But when that Potter look-alike enters a room, Draco forgets I'm there."

Pansy cast something, but Tracey simply dodged out of the way. Pansy huffed, "This is ridiculous!" She crossed her arms and dropped onto a pillow to sit. Inwardly, Tracey smirked – she was much better at this than Pansy. She joined Pansy on the floor.

The jealous girl spat, "Professor Masters is fair to a fault, so Danny is worthless as a connection. He's a foreign student, so Danny isn't even useful as a rung on the social ladder. He has no apparent value, except as _Harry's_ friend, and I hear he has passable skills in Quidditch. But otherwise, nothing. What _else_ could Draco want from him?"

Tracey ran her fingers on the material of her pillow. "I'm not thrilled with the Fenton-Potter connection, but that is more of an anti-Potter thing. But whatever else you say about him, Danny has integrity. He won't cheat, and he won't tolerate anyone around him who cheats."

"And so where is he? He turned all eyes to Harry for leadership and then he didn't bother to come. He stuck us with Saint Potter and left us to him. That _is_ cheating."

Tracey shook her head. "I'm with you on that last bit, but that's not cheating. He tricked us, and it's worth being annoyed at him for it, but the DA voted for Harry fair and square."

Pansy growled. She was about to spout something back until Lavender Brown stood over them. "Hey, are you okay?"

Pansy tightened her folded arms and looked away. Figuring that Lavender wouldn't appreciate the whole truth, Tracey smirked. "She's mad because I'm better at this than she is."

Lavender offered a hand to help them up. "Everyone develops at a different rate. Anthony told me…"

Pansy pushed off the floor, yelling, "Shut up! I had enough! Just… Arg! I'm out of here!" She stalked off and out of the Great Hall.

Tracey took pity on the puzzled Gryffindor, who only came to be helpful. "I'd better check on her. I'll be back on a different day, though." With that, she bolted after Pansy.

* * *

Vlad noticed the two girls who ran from the Great Hall. "What was that?"

Professor Flitwick saw the student teacher shake her head in confusion. "We'll ask Miss Brown when this session is over, or if she passes in this direction again."

Observing the students' progress, Vlad asked, "How common is it that younger students perform as well as older students?"

Filius thought for a moment, watching a pair of First Years exchange a volley of spells. "Older students usually have more patience, and have a better grasp of the theory behind it. But if they are taught well, or are properly motivated, younger students have as good a chance to know and use the spells as well as older students do." He smiled in memory. "Younger students who are skilled and motivated enough use what they know in innovative ways. I heard that in his First Year, young Mr. Weasley helped to defeat a fully-grown mountain troll by levitating its club above its head and dropping the club on him, knocking it out. Professional troll-handlers have other ways of doing things, but I had just taught the students _Wingardium Leviosa_ that day."

Vlad turned fully to Flitwick. "Ron fought a mountain troll? What in blazes was a troll doing in the school?"

Filius shivered at the faculty betrayal. "Quirinus Quirrell was a professor who was dedicated to He-Who-Must-Not-Be-Named, not to the safety of the students and staff of the school. During the Halloween Feast, Quirrell let a troll into the dungeon." Anger flashed in his eyes. "He tried to kill Harry Potter! Honestly, if Mr. Potter were any less of a person, it wouldn't have been unreasonable for him to fear for his safety each year, based on what he's been through."

Vlad quirked an eyebrow at him. It wouldn't have been unreasonable for _anyone_ to fear for his or her safety with what Harry explained had happened to him. Especially Harry.

Vlad looked out at the students, his eyes falling on Harry. He patiently worked with a pair of Fourth Years, comforting the younger boy who wasn't as successful as his partner. Harry truly was an extraordinary young man. "How is it that students fought that mountain troll?"

Filius frowned. "To be honest, I don't believe I have the right of it. Mr. Weasley, Mr. Potter, and Miss Granger were found in a girls' bathroom. Miss Granger is reported to have said that she tried to go after the troll on her own. Considering the company she keeps ever after, it wasn't an unreasonable excuse. But Miss Granger wasn't at the Gryffindor table at the start of the Feast. She wasn't present to hear the announcement about the troll."

"From what I've seen, Harry doesn't look for trouble. He spends time defusing it, if possible."

Professor Flitwick sighed. "It isn't that Harry looks for trouble. It's more that trouble looks for him. He-Who-Must-Not-Be-Named and the Death Eaters have been after him. And if that's not bad enough, last year the Ministry refused to believe that He-Who-Must-Not-Be-Named was back and did all it could to discredit the Headmaster and Harry." He huffed indignantly. "Rather than face You-Know-Who, they set a full Wizengamot trial against Harry for use of underage magic when the boy defended himself and his Muggle cousin from Dementors. Really! And last year was truly untenable. Remind me to tell you about the horrors that Dolores Umbridge perpetrated against Harry and the rest of the school."

Flitwick stared at the students in an effort to calm himself. "The DA was started by Harry last year because in some misguided measure to avoid dealing with He-Who-Must-Not-Be-Named and the fear his return would bring, that Umbridge hag didn't bother to teach anything but Ministry pap and propaganda." He fumed. "Imagine – the whole Ministry set against one fifteen-year-old boy!"

Vlad could imagine it all too well. He winced as he thought of all the trouble he caused for Danny.

Flitwick watched the students again, and continued speaking. "The only year besides this year that Harry hasn't had to deal with some form of You-Know-Who was his Third Year. And then, he had to deal with Sirius Black."

Vlad stared at him. "I beg your pardon?"

The wizard answered, "Sirius Black, an accused (and posthumously exonerated) mass murderer stirred some trouble in the Gryffindor dorm. At the time, everyone thought he was there to harm Harry, but the one he was after was Peter Pettigrew. I understand you took care of that quite handily, though Professor Dumbledore only informed the Order that Pettigrew was dead."

Vlad wasn't sure how to respond, when Filius continued. "It can't be easy for Harry to be the Boy Who Lived. He was famous before he could put complicated sentences together. But he keeps defeating You-Know-Who, year after year. He's earned his reputation many times over."

The half-ghost was reminded of Harry's lament that he longed to be normal, and realized that Professor Flitwick probably didn't intend to be, but he was one of the many fans who thought of young Harry as a hero, forgetting he was a child. He shook his head and sighed.

Vlad sucked air through his teeth as he saw a particularly big Seventh Year fall, unconscious. He didn't notice his tablemate studying him. Filius asked, "Professor, how would these spells affect you as a half-ghost?"

Whipping his head to glare at the tiny wizard, Vlad demanded, "Why do you want to know?"

Holding his empty hands up, Flitwick answered, "Simple curiosity. I know that Danny – and by extension, you – has a myriad of talents, many of which are heretofore unknown by the Wizarding World. I only know of the talents you've let him show me, and I know nothing of how either he or you would respond to these jinxes, curses, or cures."

Vlad considered. It wouldn't do to let wizards in general know his and Daniel's boundaries. It was bad enough that Severus knew. One or two facts probably couldn't hurt, however. Lowering his voice, Vlad murmured, "When we're intangible, neither of these spells can affect us. When we're tangible, we can be caught by these spells, like anyone else. But turning intangible will nullify the Impediment Curse."

Flitwick nodded. "That makes sense. And how is Danny doing?"

Beaming, Vlad answered, "He is far more talented and powerful than even I anticipated. And he shall only become more so with practice and training."

Professor Flitwick smiled. "Like these students."

Vlad closed his eyes and nodded in pride and pleasure. "Indeed. But you will forgive me – I have no intention of cataloguing the full extent of our strengths and weaknesses for the sole purpose of learning and filling idle curiosity. Professor Snape, who is Daniel's Head of House, has all kinds of need to know. And therefore, he does." His expression turned hard. "Don't ask."

Taken aback by Vlad's sudden ferocity, Filius simply stared. "As you wish."

* * *

It took about an hour for Tracey to calm down Pansy, who filled that hour with invective against Danny, Potter, and males in general. They sat together in the empty classroom they found. While Professor Snape probably wouldn't mind their messing about with a Hufflepuff who abused Slytherins (already punished though said Hufflepuff might be), the professor almost certainly wouldn't approve of their railing and subsequent scheming against Danny.

A thought came to Pansy. "I think I've got it. I know what we can do. It will upset Harry and get Danny out of the way. And no one will be the worse for the wear, but Harry and Danny. Particularly Danny."

Relieved that her friend wasn't about to start a new tirade, Tracey asked, "What do you have in mind?"

Pansy ran a hand through her hair as she thought this through. "Harry keeps fighting the Dark Lord, and saving any number of people in the process. It would hurt Harry most if you hurt someone he cares about."

Tracey nodded. "And Danny is really close to Harry. But so is Ron and Hermione."

Pansy drawled. "Yes, they are. But the other members of the Golden Trio are almost as good at Defense as Harry is. Danny, on the other hand, can't cast spells worth beans. Draco's noted as much before. Further, Danny admitted as much to the entire DA last week."

Tracey's eyes widened. "What are you thinking?"

Pansy shrugged. "Oh, we won't hurt Danny. Much. It's more along the lines of rendering him helpless and putting him somewhere he won't be found."

Tracey began to have second thoughts about this. "Pansy, I thought this would be a prank that would humiliate Danny. What you are saying sounds dangerous."

Standing akimbo, Pansy demanded, "Do you want a fair prank, or one that will work?"

"I want it to work, obviously, but it sounds like…"

Pansy looked askance. "You don't know _what_ it sounds like, because I haven't told you the details. But I know what timing would be perfect."

Tracey sighed. She wasn't sure she wanted to do this anymore, but she was intrigued. "What's on your mind?"

"Getting Smith and letting him know we have use of him. If any of us will know enough spells that won't specifically _hurt_ Danny, but… he would."

They headed back to the Great Hall, where the majority of students left, but the student teachers, last year's DA members, were held for a meeting to discuss progress, student development, and thoughts for the next meeting, as well as whatever the professors had in mind. When this smaller meeting broke, the students broke into more intimate groupings as they walked away from the Great Hall. Zacharias Smith went his own way, and the scheming Slytherin girls collared him.

"Smith, we've come up with a plan." Tracey's eyes went wide again, but only for a moment. Pansy was accrediting the cleverness of the plan to both of them. Or, she was sharing the blame if the plan went south.

Zacharias slumped, feeling put upon. "Please tell me that whatever you have cooked up isn't scheduled for today." Draco was much better at DADA than Zacharias was aware of, and Professor Snape was clear – today he would not act as a leader, but as a student like anyone else. Next session… well, he was on probation. Zacharias was soundly thrashed magically by one Slytherin, and he wasn't prepared to deal with these two at present.

Pansy raised an eyebrow, and was tempted to tell him today was the day, just to increase his anguish, but that would be counterproductive. "What's the matter, Smith? Draco bested you during practice, didn't he?"

Zacharias put a hand on his pounding head. "We practiced all the spells from both this week and last week. Apparently, Professor Snape gave Draco express permission to test my Shield Charm with other spells. When I objected, and Professor Masters stepped in to correct the situation, Draco announced that Professor Snape said 'I deserved what I got.' Professor Masters agreed, but told Draco not to do anything that couldn't be healed in time for class tomorrow."

The two girls fell into helpless peals of laughter. When Tracey caught her breath, she asked, "What did Draco do to you?"

"I don't want to talk about it. If it means so much to you, ask him later."

Pansy's eyes teared with mirth. "Will do. But for now, we have a plan."

Zacharias looked up. "What is it?"

A gleam in Pansy's eyes danced. It would have been a pretty effect if Zacharias didn't feel he was in imminent danger. "That all depends. What type of spells can you do to incapacitate, but not harm someone?"

"Well…" The boy considered. "There is everything we worked on today and last week. There is a Binding Spell that creates physical, tangible restraints…"

"Good. That type of thing should work nicely. And would you know of a place to put something you don't want found?"

The boy was surprised not only by the question but also with the girls' different reactions. Tracey looked nervous, but Pansy looked almost hungry. "Yes. I know of such a place."

Pansy clapped. "Very good! You are far more useful than I thought. And now the timing."

"But what are we doing?"

"Wouldn't you like to know? I'll tell you when we get closer to the actual time, which will be before the DA meeting when we get back from Christmas Break."

Tracey looked at her. "Really?"

Pansy explained, "No one will expect it, and it will take some time before anyone realizes he's missing."

Zacharias felt ill. "I'm not sure…"

"Don't worry about 'being sure.' You just leave the thinking to me. Show some of that Hufflepuff loyalty. You signed onto this. You're in for the long haul."

Zacharias felt trapped by his sense of pride: pride in himself, pride in his House… And he couldn't tell anybody, because he didn't really know what the plan was. "I guess I am."


	39. Chapter 39

First of all, I want to thank everyone for your reading, your reviews, your alerts, your favorites, your pokes, and your patience. I've been working on this chapter (which was, after careful consideration, split from the next chapter) since the first week of November. This fic was in no way abandoned; it was just time consuming to come up with the material. I hope it (and the next chapter, eventually) is worth the wait.

I want to wish you a Happy Chanuka, and I expect there will be more time for further holiday greetings before I finish publishing NEXT chapter, as I'm almost done writing it. (Famous last words, but I've made some lovely headway into it.) I give everyone gifts of chocolate coins in gold colored foil, jelly doughnuts, potato latkes (with sour cream and/or apple sauce for your condiment pleasure), and dreidles to spin.

CynthiaW, my partner in crime, helped me write the article in Hermione's explorations. She wrote the scene, but I rewrote it and adapted it to suit my style and to correct details.

Disclaimer: I do not own: Butch Hartman's _Danny Phantom_; J.K. Rowling's _Harry Potter_; Dale Wasserman, Joe Darien, and Mitch Leigh's _Man of La Mancha_; Stan Lee's _The Amazing Spiderman_; Douglas Adams' _Life, The Universe, and Everything_ and _The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy_; Shakespeare's _Hamlet_, _Macbeth_, _Julius Caesar_, _Midsummer Night's Dream_, _Much Ado About Nothing_, _As You Like It_, _King Lear_, and _Romeo and Juliet_; George Orwell's _1984_, or C.S. Lewis' _The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe_.

Chapter 39

Sunday evening, Vlad started having Danny review his physical manipulation of ectoplasm. At dinner, Professor Snape relayed to him Daniel's words, expressing Vlad's ability to mentally project a small item of ectoplasm into a much larger one. Apparently, Daniel never forgot the glass flyswatter Vlad used on him at the start of the bounty-hunting expedition. With a wry smile, Vlad realized that the fact this image stuck in the boy's head was one more good thing to come from their former enmity. So Vlad took it upon himself to teach this skill of manipulation and projection to Daniel.

Danny's ectoplasmic glass was still rough around the edges, but was a worthy effort. The fact that he could create a mentally projected image and turn it to reality on the first shot was nothing less than amazing. The burgeoning talent that came with the unruly hormones of puberty was mind-boggling. It was only a matter of time before the boy's body caught up with his powers. Vlad hoped. How _did_ becoming a half-ghost affect physical development?

Severus asked Vlad about it before the first Quidditch match of the season, and Vlad was embarrassed to say that he honestly didn't know. His own accident happened in college. At that moment, his black hair turned white, and it never changed. His physical features didn't change – his bearing did. His hair needed to be cut, and his beard did eventually come in, but that was only because he let it grow for a more distinguished look. 'The Lord protects His barbers, and He makes the stubble grow,' Vlad mentally hummed.

Would Daniel actually grow? Vlad assumed so, but surely it was unusual for a teenage boy to stay that small at age 15. Well… The boy's birthday was in April. If there was no change by then, he might consider giving Daniel growth hormones. Would they help, or did becoming a ghost arrest the aging and development process?

The idea that Daniel stopped developing was ridiculous – his powers developed far faster than Vlad's own. But was that a product of having a mentor teaching how to use these powers more effectively, or might that have happened on its own? This question of nature versus nurture bothered him. Perhaps he would discuss this with Severus later. But big or small, Daniel was his, and that was all that mattered.

"It's 8:00. We're done with our lessons for today." Danny relaxed as Vlad pulled up a couple of armchairs and a table. Once both were situated, Vlad asked, "So, how did you like today's session of the DA?"

"Well," Danny began, "now that I didn't have to worry about how this looked to anyone, I think I learned a lot more than I did last week. Neither of the spells anyone learned today can hurt us as long as we're intangible, right?"

Vlad nodded. "Exactly. Or, if we use any of our shields."

Danny thought for a moment. "Most of the students were pretty enthusiastic, and got it after a few minutes. Some groups got it faster than others, but it had nothing to do with how old they were. The ones who looked determined seemed to get it faster. People who looked like their friends bullied them into coming got it, but were easily defeated by their partners."

Vlad raised his eyebrows. Daniel's powers of observation never ceased to amaze him. "Anything else?"

Danny smiled. "Yeah. The people from last year's DA were amazing. Mostly. Marietta Edgecombe looked nervous, but knew she had it in her. She did well. Zach…" Danny sucked air through his teeth. "Draco threw a lot more at him than we learned this week and last week."

Vlad smirked. "Indeed. He deserved what he got."

Danny furrowed his brows. "Dude – I realize that Zach is a jerk, but between all the grief he's been getting, is all that necessary? Zach complained to Draco about the spells Crabbe and Goyle ambushed him with. He probably deserved some of what he got, but come on."

"My dear boy, you _live_ by the creed 'With great power comes great responsibility.' Mr. Smith abused his power. Therefore, he suffered the consequences."

Danny looked askance. "You're one to talk."

"Daniel…" Vlad warned.

Danny sighed. He looked thoughtful as he searched for another topic. "The Creevey brothers are really good at this. But did someone spike their pumpkin juice with Pixie Stix? I _know_ that casting spells gives you a rush." Vlad sat back. Daniel didn't mention that feeling in October. "But they are the definition of hyper."

Vlad glowed with pleasure. 'The boy and I think so much alike, it's beautiful. The Creeveys' exuberance seems to annoy him almost as much as Jack annoyed me. However, Daniel is more likely to simply tune them out. Jack made me want to throttle him. Still… Jack's excitement did lead to some interesting adventures. There was the Backwash incident…' He shuddered, but relaxed into a less manic smile.

Vlad's lack of response made Danny cast about for another topic. "Vlad, I'm not sure what you have in mind for Christmas plans, but what are we going to do with Morph?"

Shaking his head as he woke from his reverie, Vlad said, "Yes… what?"

Danny wasn't sure what to make of this reaction. "Well… You said that where we're going is completely safe from Death Eater danger. But I've never had to make holiday plans, figuring out what to do with a pet. We got a carrying case, but that doesn't mean I know what we need to travel with a cat."

"Glazed French crullers! I hadn't thought of that. You might check in the book I got you, or you might speak to a friend you've made who has a cat."

Danny thought for a moment. "Hermione has a Kneazel, which is a weird, magical cat."

Vlad frowned. "Yes. Don't remind me. That beast took a distinct dislike to me. I've never done anything to antagonize her cat."

Danny smirked guiltily. "Um… I think Crookshanks decided you were 'unsavory and suspicious.' It's a trick of the breed." As Vlad's face flushed, Danny said quickly, "Hey, don't look at me. Magical animals have their own deal. Hagrid's Crup didn't like me, either, for all that it looks like a dog. Crups don't like Muggles. But it also picked up on the fact that I'm a ghost. It didn't know what to make of me. But some point after that first class, I made sure to remind Hagrid not to introduce our class to animals that react badly to Muggles or ghosts."

Vlad's dignity was still injured by knowing that a mere animal was a judge of his character (and blast it if it wasn't right). "Yes, well… you would probably do well to ask Miss Granger about her travel habits regarding her… Crookshanks. I may have a word with Hagrid later."

"Uncle Vlad," Danny tried to soothe, "Hagrid hasn't slipped like that since the first class."

Vlad grimaced and raised his eyebrows. "Perhaps not. But didn't you say that Mr. Boot and Mr. Macmillan were among those who figured out that _we_ are not quite human?"

Danny bared his teeth and scrunched his face. "Yeah, about that…"

Vlad sighed. "Well, what's done is done. They've managed to keep their lips sealed over that discovery." And you made me promise not to harm them or I might have… It seems the Kneazel was right.

Inviting Danny to play a game of chess, Vlad deflected the conversation from some of the deeper thoughts he had over their vacation plans. Yes, vacation plans… He needed to meet with Severus some time tomorrow.

* * *

On Monday, Vlad found Severus marking papers in the faculty lounge. The staff room was mostly abandoned, as each professor had his or her own way to tie up loose ends before the semester officially ended, and many chose to mark papers in their own offices or classrooms. Therefore, Vlad was clear to have a private conversation with the Potions Master.

"Severus, what are your holiday plans?"

Looking up, Professor Snape said, "Harry and I are leaving for the Weasleys Saturday afternoon. After our disastrous Hogsmeade visit last month, the usual public transportation presents far too much danger. We will arrive by Floo at about four. We intend to stay until January 5. What are your plans?"

Vlad glanced around the otherwise empty room. "There is an annual party in the Ghost Zone on Christmas Eve. There is also the time honored Christmas Truce – any and all potential ghostly antagonists will bite the bullet and be pleasant."

Snape cocked his head. "But both Sir Nicholas and the Bloody Baron were clear on the point that Daniel is a hero."

Vlad raised an eyebrow. "He is indeed. Precisely because he _stopped_ the plans of any number of ghosts who might hold grudges against him."

"Ah." Severus could see why that might cause the boy difficulty.

"Once we're in the Ghost Zone, there are any number of stops to make, ghosts to visit, that type of thing."

Professor Snape stopped for a moment. "What is this 'Ghost Zone' you've mentioned?"

Vlad sat up straight. As little as he knew about magic, he certainly knew about ghosts. There was no reason not to tell Snape. "It is a different realm, or an alternate dimension, if you will, where ghosts who have no Earthly haunts dwell. In and of itself, it is a dreary green (that same shade of green of Daniel's ecto-energy), but it has doors to the lairs of resident ghosts, asteroids, islands, and other bizarre geographic features, as well as portals to the outside world, leading to different places in time and space. Gravity doesn't count for much, unless one is near an island, or some such thing. It holds untold mysteries and items of power beyond imagination. There is a lot more to it than that, but that is enough to get on with."

Professor Snape's eyebrows shot up. "Really!"

"Indeed." Vlad smirked. It was good to be able to throw his colleague so far off balance, and this time, it didn't involve either pain _or_ humiliation. 'Let's see how far I can go with this,' he mused. "Close to Thanksgiving, I made mention of New Year's Eve. What are your thoughts?" It had the desired effect: Severus looked lost for a moment before he regained his mental equilibrium.

Professor Snape thought for a moment. His extreme curiosity about the Ghost Zone was not worth the indignity of revealing his ignorance in the half-ghost's presence. He might ask Daniel later; the boy would not hold his ignorance of ghost culture (was there such a thing?) against him.

Severus cleared his throat. "Since Christmas Eve is the full moon, Lupin won't be able to properly celebrate anything. He'll be dosed with Wolfsbane, and he'll probably spend the night at the Order's headquarters. He should be sufficiently recovered to enjoy New Year's Eve. Although Harry would appreciate any time he can have with the wolf, it occurs to me that New Year's will be particularly meaningful." Severus grimaced. "Remus will enjoy spending time with Harry. And… It won't be easy to be gracious."

Vlad realized that he was on the cusp of learning more about this insanely private man. But more to the point, he realized that this current problem between Remus and Severus centered on Harry, and… Vlad had nothing to do with this, but he somehow felt responsible. He closed his eyes for a moment to think of how to proceed. Vlad opened his eyes and asked, "Why are you so set against Mr. Lupin?"

Severus looked at his papers and realized they were a lost cause for this period. He shoved the stack of parchment into a bag and sat back. "When we were in school, Potter's father, godfather, Lupin, and the rat formed a group that took great pleasure in tormenting me. Potter and Black were the twin ringleaders. Pranksters, jokers, persecutors… They did everything together. Lupin, ever self-conscious because of his condition, was never quite as bad as Sirius and James. Pettigrew was a useless cheerleader." He stared off into space for a moment, lost in a memory.

Vlad listened in frank curiosity and a hint of compassion. He waited patiently for Snape to continue. His patience was rewarded.

"Of the four of them, Lupin was the least objectionable. In our Fifth Year, they pulled a prank on me that nearly killed me, but they swore it was all Black's fault. That… Anyway, I realized as early as Second Year the pattern to Lupin's disappearances, but I didn't know why. In Fifth Year, Lupin's cohorts figured it out and became Animagi. They accompanied him when he disappeared.

"I was curious, and one month, Sirius asked me if I wanted to know where Lupin went. He knew that, by following him to that Shack, I would come face to face with a fully-grown feral werewolf. At the last moment, Potter pulled me back to safety. I incurred a magical life debt to that idiot, because his partner in crime almost had me killed, or worse, turned." He looked away. "I suppose it's not actually Lupin's fault, but… he could have…" Snape closed his eyes.

Vlad frowned. His own anger at Jack was far less justifiable than Snape's anger at his schoolboy tormentors. He asked gently, "Who invented the Wolfsbane Potion?"

Severus sighed, eyes still closed. "Damocles Belby, the uncle of the Ravenclaw Fourth Year Marcus Belby. Damocles received an Order of Merlin for it. Think of it like a Nobel Prize for accomplishments in the magical world. Once I learned of it, I've made it faithfully for Remus and any other werewolf I know about. If a werewolf is in control of his mind, the actions he takes the night of the full moon would be his own responsibility."

Vlad peaked his eyebrows. "That's some story. If you like, I can arrange for Daniel and I to come so… you have someone else there whose company you, perhaps, detest less."

Severus opened his eyes and lifted his head. "That… would be appreciated. I'll Floo Molly Weasley after dinner to let her know you will be calling. I'll… set it up for this evening after Daniel's lessons. Would you prefer to meet here, in my office, or the Room of Requirement?

* * *

During the afternoon break on Tuesday, Harry and Danny worked on their Potions essay in the library. Danny observed, "Either Professor Snape really wants to make sure we know this stuff, or he's a severe masochist. How much paperwork does he really want to deal with before vacation?"

Harry chuckled and answered in a low tone. "I would say both. Nothing would please him more than a bunch of teenage dunderheads actually accomplishing something in his field of passion. But as a former Death Eater, I'm assuming that he was either really open to pain, or really, really organized. Either works as a logical guess."

Danny flipped through his text in silence. He did not know that Professor Snape was a former Death Eater. He supposed a few odd comments the professor made over the months they've known each other made more sense. 'I was not always the fine, upstanding wizard you see before you.' Apparently not, if he was once an evil wizard terrorist. 'I know the evil Voldemort is capable of. There is no one in this school who is _more_ familiar with what that man is capable of.' Danny's favorite professor worked for him; such familiarity came with the territory. Danny was momentarily freaked out.

Then Danny's brain caught up with him. Professor Snape was a _former _Death Eater. What was it he said when yelling at Vlad? 'I would not willingly allow _any_ student, professor, or other individual into the clutches of that madman.' The mere idea that someone – well, Vlad, anyway – would dare mention it as a possibility made his professor promise permanent bodily harm. (Professor Snape kept his word. Danny didn't see him making idle threats.)

The whole Death Eater thing made a lot more sense when he described what tortures and curses the Death Eaters favor. He raised his eyebrows as he flipped through the pages of the textbook. 'Professor Snape and Vlad have a _lot_ more in common than I ever knew,' he thought.

Still… The off-handed manner that Harry mentioned it made Danny realize that this information was not for public consumption. Harry shared a confidence with Danny. It was an indication that Harry felt as close to Danny as Danny felt to Harry. Cool! Harry was kind of a long-lost cousin. Did that mean Professor Snape was kind of an uncle? Considering the gift he intended to give Vlad for Christmas, it was oddly appropriate.

Danny decided this was too much emotional information for a study session. He said, "This morning, I asked Hermione about pet care for holiday travel. She said that she'll give me an itemized list of what she takes and does tomorrow. Should I be scared?"

"Be afraid. Be very afraid, Danny Fenton."

Danny peaked his eyebrows in fear for a moment. "Excuse me?"

Harry paused. "Danny, it's Douglas Adams. You know, _Life, The Universe, and Everything_?" At Danny's blank look, Harry asked, " How do you not know this?"

Danny cocked his head. "Douglas Adams? Who's that? Is it a Wizard or Muggle thing?"

Harry stopped short. It wasn't so much a matter of Muggle or Wizard thing. It was a Muggle reference, no question, and science fiction at that. But if Harry wasn't careful how he told Danny, it would be clear that he knew that Danny was a Muggle, and that was a secret he didn't want Danny to worry about over the holidays.

"Actually, it's a British thing, but I understand that it's something you might like. It involves space travel in the most unlikely of circumstances by the most unlikely of people. The reference is in the third book of a series called _The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy_. It's more of a comedy, and the science is all wrong, but it is all very improbable. It doesn't take itself very seriously."

Danny smiled. "At home, I didn't read much if I didn't have to. It's science fiction, huh? If you like it, how did you get away with it? With the Dursleys taking away anything that resembles fun from your life…"

Harry gave a crooked smile. "Dudley often receives books as gifts from Uncle Vernon's better clients. Of all the things my cousin receives, he never cares about the books. So I get to read them. It keeps the lonely summers busy, when I get to rest from my chores."

Danny was concerned. "What are you…"

"Don't worry about it. I'm not sure what will happen this summer, because Professor Snape will change the outcome, whatever it may be. In any event, I think you might like these books."

Danny realized that Harry was working to reconcile his new situation with his old living circumstances. "It sounds like fun. _The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy_… I'll have to look into it. So what was it you were saying about Hermione's list?"

Harry grinned. "It will be long, but knowing Hermione, it will be precise and thorough. This evening, I'll see if I can head her off about details concerning needs based on weight and size, and Kneazel vs. cat care."

Danny collected himself. "Thanks, Harry. And I'll thank her tomorrow again, when she gives it to me. So… Where are you going over the break?"

Harry smiled. "I'm going to the Weasleys'. It will be my first proper Christmas with family and friends, without said best friend's parents in deadly peril." Danny blinked. Harry shrugged. "Welcome to my world." Danny's eyes grew wide. That's what he told Sam the week of Paulina's fifteenth birthday party. It was a stupid fight, really. But…

"Where are you going with Professor Masters?"

Harry's question grounded Danny. "I don't know yet. Uncle Vlad hasn't told me. He likes being in control and giving surprises. All I know is that we're leaving for the duration of the break."

In their happy chatter, neither noticed a blond boy listening in surreptitiously. Draco moved to the other end of the library where he muttered to himself. "Good to know he's not brushing me off. He really _doesn't_ know where they're going." Draco was at once frustrated because he couldn't figure out Danny's secret and joyous that at least Harry didn't know, either.

* * *

After dinner, Draco, Crabbe, Goyle, and Pansy met in their usual place to do homework and socialize in the Common Room. Pansy asked, "So Draco, is your mother hosting her annual Christmas Ball?" After all, only the _best_ people were invited to such events.

Draco sighed. "Not this year, Pansy. Mother says it's not the same without Father home. But she said I could invite a few friends. It won't be as big, or as lavish, but it's still Christmas, and it's still festive. I hope all of you will come."

Crabbe said, "Pretty sure we are. Long standing tradition, that. Who else is coming this year?"

Draco mentally ticked off the names. "Some of the usual. You and your families, of course. The Zabinis, the Notts, and the Bulstrodes. Mother says that the other families attached to the Quidditch team is too much this time. But party or no, that won't affect gift giving and whatnot." Crabbe nodded.

Goyle asked, "Is Fenton coming?"

Draco frowned. "No. Professor Masters made other plans for them. Danny didn't even tell Harry what his plans are." He sighed sadly. "I hope they enjoy the holiday, whatever they do."

Pansy crossed her arms. "Why does it matter? Why does he mean so much to you? He has no useful connections. He's a short, skinny, worthless wizard of no talent, no use, and no background worth speaking of, if you look at Pureblood Wizarding Records. What do you get out of him?"

Draco tapped his chin. Pansy was right on all counts. How did he explain this? "Pansy, I just like him. He is a fun fellow to be around. There's something about him that's… I don't know. Refreshing, I guess. It's almost like… he's our pet not-quite-Gryffindor. He's Slytherin – Merlin knows he's sly with his secrets. But when he's not depressed, it's like… he's kind of like the Weasley twins, without the pranks and the history of being blood traitors." That didn't quite cover it, but it was as close as he could come in his explanations. "He's a good friend. I don't think I've ever really had one of those, if you know what I mean."

Crabbe and Goyle looked at each other and shrugged. They were friends with each other, and Malfoy, but they weren't foolish enough to believe it was an equal friendship. True – any of them would give their lives for the others (and Fenton; though their acquaintance was short, it was tight). But they knew Draco was smarter than they were, and as much as they liked each other and could natter on about friends, family, classes (rarely, but sometimes), or Quidditch, they knew Draco often needed someone he could better relate to.

Pansy was having none of this. Draco even seemed to acknowledge that Danny was worthless. But 'he _liked_ him.' What nonsense was that? Now she was more determined than ever. She would show Draco _how_ he could do without that useless, pathetic American who was 'fun to be around.'

* * *

Friday afternoon, after History of Magic, Professor Binns held Danny after class. The Ravenclaws were flabbergasted. Normally, the old ghost didn't care enough about the living students to even get their names right. Not only did he get Danny's name right, and knew of the mysterious Slytherin's personal history, he held Danny after class for some reason.

Still, they promised their professor and their classmate that they would fight their natural inclinations and refrain from looking further into the matter, for Danny's safety. That didn't mean they weren't surprised when another anomaly surfaced.

Once the students left, Professor Binns sighed. "Oh, to be able to cast a Silencing Charm around the room again! I haven't been able to do that since…" He hadn't needed or wanted to use privacy shields or charms for decades before he died. Now that he wanted to be able to cast one, he couldn't. Death had a funny way of putting a stop to that sort of thing. "No matter. What are your holiday plans, Danny?"

Danny shook his head. "I still don't know. Uncle Vlad told me to pack enough clothes for a week, but… He told me to speak to Hermione about cat care for the whole vacation."

"Ah, Miss Grant. She handed her work in on time and it was always satisfactory. It's a good thing Headmaster Di… Dumbledore spelled my Correction Quill to be voice activated. Bother! For a wizard to be without magic is like… Didn't I hear of an invention of young Vladimir's that would deactivate your kind of ghost's powers?"

It took Danny a second to be able to focus properly. Professor Binns is the only ghost he could _ever_ remember who referred to Vlad as 'Vladimir,' forget about '_Young_ Vladimir.' Not even Clockwork, for whom everyone else was young in comparison, called him that. It was as if… his ghostly professor didn't properly acknowledge… huh?

Professor Binns got his name and Vlad's name right every time. He almost called the Headmaster by the name of a previous Headmaster, but he did get Professor Dumbledore right. Hermione… It was clear he knew which student he referred to, but as far as names went… Well, at least both names started with a "Gran."

Still, 'young Vladimir?'

Harry and his friends did say that Professor Binns was rather strange, and had a bizarrely selective memory. Things involving history, even events as ancient as before Hogwarts' founding to events as recent as 1981 he remembered as well as his own name. Dude, the professor knew about his defeat of Pariah Dark. But the names of anyone on his student roster since his last one when he died, he usually was in the ballpark, but always wrong. Unless a ghost was involved.

It occurred to Danny that Professor Binns might remember Harry better as 'the Boy Who Lived,' as defeating Voldemort was a historic event, than as a student in his class. Harry made it clear that his work in History of Magic was entirely uneventful. The fact that they were the same person made no real difference; Professor Binns only remembered facts that were relevant to history or ghostly.

Danny closed his eyes and smacked his head with the heel of his hand twice, to clear the dottle. "Yeah. Vlad invented the 'Plasmius Maximus,' which shorts out a ghost's powers for three hours. Some of my parents' inventions did something like that as a side effect." Danny thought of the Fenton Crammer and shuddered.

The professor nodded. "Indeed. And those three hours, I'm sure, were very disconcerting. That is what it is like for a wizard to be without magic. And on top of that, my sort of ghost can't even function as a Squib or Muggle, but as a mere shadow or shade." He sighed again, staring off wistfully in a memory.

Danny sat quietly for a moment before asking, "Professor?"

Woken from his reverie, Professor Binns looked back at Danny. "Ah, yes. If you are leaving the castle for all of vacation, but you only need physical clothes for one week, it occurs to me that you will spend part of vacation in the Real World and the rest of it in the Ghost Zone."

"The Ghost Zone! That means… we're going to the Christmas Party in the Ghost Zone! Yes!" Danny punched a fist into the air.

Professor Binns chuckled. "A worthy destination. And you will be safe from harassment by Death Eaters. I wonder… It isn't the type of thing we've ever done, as the Ghost Zone favors your kind of ghost. But… perhaps I can convince… the Headmaster to allow the House Ghosts, Myrtle, and I to leave the castle to go to the party. I would have no problem, of course. The House Ghosts… well, they may be on patrol, but perhaps the castle can get on without all four of them for one evening. Or will it be evening? Time is such a funny thing in the Ghost Zone.

"But Myrtle… she will need to be released from the curse that binds her to the castle grounds."

Danny raised his eyebrows and whistled in appreciation. "Wow… I never really thought of how complicated things could be for ghosts here."

Professor Binns smiled. "You had no reason to know." Staring off for a moment, he considered. "Taking into account that you, Vladimir, the Potions Master, and the Boy Who Lived won't be here over the holidays, the deepest security measures can be lessened, somewhat. I'll ask Sir Nicholas if any other students are expected to stay here over break."

Danny sat quietly for a moment. "But why would you go to all that trouble?"

Professor Binns laid a hand on Danny's shoulder. "To be with you, of course."

Danny's eyes grew wide. "But…"

"Danny, you are a hero. While you're only human…"

"Kind of," Danny corrected.

"You have many qualities worthy of being admired. And," Professor Binns grinned mischievously, "it might do you good to have many ghostly friends about you at this party. Everyone will be friendly, of course, as per the Truce, and they may be spurred on to better behavior because of your connection with Vladimir. But it is good to have friends about on Christmas Eve."

A couple of tears leaked out of Danny's eyes. "Thanks, Professor."

* * *

Harry and Danny said Good-bye to all of their friends as they got in the carriages to leave for vacation. Danny asked, "So when are you… um, how are you…?"

Harry smiled. "About four or so, Professor Snape and I are Flooing to the Weasleys. What about you? You're leaving today. Where are you going?"

Danny chuckled. "For the first bit, we're going to be meeting some of Uncle Vlad's friends. And maybe some of mine…" He stared off for a moment. He did have a few friends in the Ghost Zone. Not many, but it might be nice to see them. "And we're joining you at the Weasleys in time for New Year's Eve."

"Really! Does Ron know?"

Danny raised his hands in question. "To be honest, I don't know who knows what anymore. I'm sure Ron's parents know – Vlad's a stickler for appearances." In a fair imitation of the elder half-ghost, Danny said, "It wouldn't do to be less than proper." Harry giggled. "But more than that, I couldn't tell you."

"Fair enough." They walked back to the castle for lunch with the professors and other students who stayed.

* * *

After Ron and Hermione finished their prefect rounds on the train, they found Ginny, Neville, and Luna and made themselves comfortable. Ginny asked, "So what's going on?"

Ron ran a hand through his hair. "All is calm and quiet. People are still worried about You-Know-Who."

Neville asked, "Where's Harry?" If anyone knew where Harry would be, these two would know. Or maybe Danny...

Hermione knew, but was curious what Ron would say. "He's coming to the Burrow. It'll be brilliant! This time, he'll have friends about, without having to worry about Dad…" He grew quiet. Last Christmas didn't hold the happiest memories. Neville nodded. Last year, Harry, Ron, and Hermione met him in St. Mungo's.

Luna smiled. "That's good. People should be with family and friends for Christmas."

Ginny beamed. Harry deserved a break, and it would be lovely to have Harry, who was growing to be her boyfriend, at home. "Ron, what about Danny?"

Ron shrugged. "Danny didn't say. Professor Masters is making it a surprise for him."

Hermione thought about their half-ghost friend. He and his uncle presented quite a few mysteries. These thoughts kept her busy for a while.

At King's Cross Station, they said Good-bye and went in the direction of their assorted parents and guardians.

* * *

At four o'clock, Harry and Professor Snape stepped out of the Floo in the Burrow. Mrs. Weasley greeted them enthusiastically. "Harry, dear! Welcome back, as always."

Professor Snape noticed she said, 'Welcome back,' and not 'Welcome home.' It was a small difference, but one that made all the difference in the world, as far as he was concerned. The Weasleys' residence might be Harry's sanctuary away from home, but as much as they loved him, it was not Harry's home. He smirked to himself – Severus would provide Mr. Potter with his first true home.

"And Professor Snape, welcome to the Burrow. It is an honor to have you here." She eyed him assessingly. "A proper guardian."

Harry smiled. "Thanks, Mrs. Weasley." She enveloped him in a hug.

Professor Snape raised an eyebrow, almost daring her to do the same to him.

" 'Oo has come, Mrs. Weasley?" A voice rang out from the kitchen. " 'Arry! It is a pleasure!" Fleur grabbed him and kissed him once on each cheek. After releasing him, she said, "And _Professeur_ Snape. It is _so_ good to see you again." She grasped the dark professor's hands warmly. The dour man graced her with a small smile.

Harry blushed at Fleur's ebullient display of affection for him. She never forgot that he rescued her sister Gabrielle from the merfolk during the Tri-Wizard Tournament's second task. He realized later than none of the captives were ever truly in danger, but that did not affect Fleur's gratitude to him a whit.

Harry understood and appreciated her affection for him, but her joy at seeing Professor Snape surprised him. When Harry cocked his head in confusion, Fleur divined his difficulty. She hugged him and whispered in his ear, "It is _so_ informal here. The _professeur_ will guarantee more dignity here, no?" She backed away and winked. Harry was slightly taken aback. That was an interesting effect of his guardian's presence he forgot to consider.

From a different direction came another party unheard from until now. "Severus. Harry, good to see you." Professor Snape stiffened.

Harry beamed. "Remus!" He gave his friend and former professor a firm handshake.

Severus stood still for a moment. He promised himself that he would be more than passingly civil to the only remaining Marauder, for Harry's sake. He nodded stiffly. "Lupin. I'll unpack your potion shortly."

Remus was brought up short. "I thank you, now as always. The number of things I have to thank you for constantly increases, and your continuous supply of Wolfsbane is…"

"Yes, yes. I…" He closed his eyes for a few seconds. "You're welcome," he ground out.

Taking in the steel in the professor's eyes, the gratitude and resignation in Remus's, and the pensive look in Harry's eyes, Molly realized the significance of the upcoming conversation. "Fleur, come help me in the kitchen. We've got to check on the oven and prepare drinks." Fleur noticed the set of Professor Snape's jaw and followed her wordlessly into the kitchen.

Severus stood back. "Interesting – the only surviving Marauder is the only one worth having around."

Both Harry and Remus colored at this comment. Remus cleared his throat. "Thank you for that generous assessment." He sighed. "I don't know if anyone else tried, but I officially want to apologize for all that we put you through in school. There was no good excuse for any of it."

Grudgingly, Snape admitted, "It was mostly James and Sirius who…"

Remus shook his head. "I know, but I should have worked harder to stop them. We so horribly wronged you." He closed his eyes and took a few deep breaths. "And thank you for taking care of Harry, Severus."

Severus prepared a snarky comment, but noticed Harry's reaction. The boy scrunched his face and ran a hand through his hair. "About that…" Harry took a seat on the chair nearest the fireplace, and Severus and Remus took two chairs in front of him, following his lead. "Professor Snape and I are getting on much better, and only good things can come from this." He gave a small smile to the professor, who smiled a proud and possessive smile back. Harry raised his eyebrows – he'd seen Professor Masters look at Danny that way before. They were going to have to find a more intimate form of address than 'Professor' before long, not that he would know what that might be yet.

Harry turned back to Remus. "I'm glad how things are turning out, but I gotta ask. How come you never… um…" He was curious about why Remus never made a bid for custody of him. Or even looked in on him. Or kept contact with him personally after Third Year. But he wasn't sure that it was appropriate to ask why one of his father's closest friends didn't take more of an interest in him. He blushed deeply.

Picking up on his ward's discomfort, Severus looked darkly at the werewolf. "Yes, _Remus_, for someone who is supposed to have been one of James Potter's closest friends, what possessed you to keep your distance from his only son? I know he cares for you. You were part of the crew that met his aunt and uncle at King's Cross last summer, so I gather that you may care for him. But really…"

Remus peaked his eyebrows. "I… Well, for the first six years, I couldn't try for guardianship, as I was insanely and unmitigatedly dangerous once a month, and I wasn't close enough to anyone besides Harry's parents, who weren't alive, Peter, who I thought was dead, and Sirius, who was in Azkaban, to think of anyone who would watch him for me during those times who wouldn't despise me for being a werewolf. Besides the staff of Hogwarts, who were busy. After those six years, the Wolfsbane Potion was invented, and you've faithfully made it for me, since. I thank you most sincerely for that. But then, Harry's aunt and uncle's custody…"

He sighed. "Even _with_ the Potion, I didn't know anyone I could trust not to tell my secret. But that only explains why I didn't seek guardianship before…" He shook his head sadly and looked at Harry. "I didn't try to contact you before because I knew Petunia hated magic, and I didn't want her to forbid us from seeing each other." He blushed and looked away. "I wanted to, Harry, but I was afraid."

Professor Snape folded his arms and rolled his eyes. "Some Gryffindor _you_ turned out to be. Interesting but pitiful excuse – perhaps you've got a better one for ignoring Harry after Third Year? I have to hear this."

"I… I didn't want to interfere with your relationship with Sirius. Your parents chose him to be your godfather, and I… I didn't think I was worthy."

Harry stared at Remus with pained confusion. "You… Remus, you aren't making sense. I can have more than one pen-pal. I could have written to you as easily as I could to Sirius, if not more easily. You weren't in hiding." Remus closed his eyes in shame.

Severus tilted his head. "Let me get this straight. You blatantly ignored and disregarded your best friend's orphaned child because you were overwhelmed by your sense of inadequacy. Forgive me, Harry, as I'm about to be intensely blunt." He stared at Remus. "I'm not sure who was more cruel to this young, love-starved boy: me, who hated him for no fewer than five years because he looks so much like his father, or you, who purported to _like_ him, but with some perhaps not-so-misguided sense of inadequacy, fear for your secret, and fear for disapproval of a disenfranchised close friend, couldn't be bothered to Apparate to his neighborhood and visit him, or write him a letter, or pretend to have an interest in continuing a relationship with a child you once dandled and changed diapers for. I was at least honest and open about my hatred, misguided and unfounded though it was." Tears streamed down Remus's face. Severus was devastatingly correct.

"You asked me to forgive you for what you did to me as a child. I suppose I really should. But I don't see how I can forgive you for neglecting my ward when you have yet to even acknowledge how badly you wronged him."

Remus looked between both dark-haired wizards and covered his face as he sobbed. Out of his own fear and caution, he became the subject of a self-fulfilling prophecy: He truly wasn't worthy of a relationship with Harry. He saw now how badly he had served Harry.

Harry looked at his father's best friend with several emotions. He was hurt, as Professor Snape explained precisely why Remus's excuses fell short. Professor Lupin could have tried harder if he wanted, but for some reason, he didn't. Part of him wanted to be angry. But he couldn't help but see how badly broken the kindly, soft-spoken man was. All Remus wanted was to be loved.

Severus rolled his eyes. He knew what would happen. It was part of his ward's charm, and what made him very much like his mother. The werewolf didn't deserve it; but then again, neither did Severus.

Harry walked over and put a hand on Lupin's arm. "Remus…"

The broken man removed his hands from his face to look tearfully at the boy he had neglected. "Harry, I am so sorry. I have no real excuse. I never meant to hurt you. Truly. I just…" He gulped around the knot in his throat. "Please forgive me, Harry."

"Of course I do, Remus. I…" Okay. How was he supposed to relieve the tension? "Let's start over. Hi, I'm Harry Potter. I hear you were friends with my father, and I'd like to get to know you better. Who knows? Perhaps we can even be friends." He stuck out a hand to shake.

Remus smiled through his tears, taking Harry's hand and shaking it. "Thank you, Harry. I would like that very much. It means more to me than I can express."

Severus tried hard not to roll his eyes again. _Gryffindors!_ He sighed and said, "Let me unpack and get your Potion. You two get reacquainted, and perhaps when I get back, I'll forgive you, too. For everything." He left for the kitchen to find Molly Weasley so he could situate his things and fulfill his promise.

* * *

Vlad led Danny to the Hufflepuff Corridor. "You know, Uncle Vlad, I'm kinda looking forward to this. It's… While I'd never say the Ghost Zone was home, it's kinda…" Danny struggled to find the word he wanted.

Vlad put the hand unencumbered with luggage on Danny's shoulder. "The word you're looking for is 'familiar,' Daniel. The Wizarding World is foreign, even though we've been in it for over five months. The Ghost Zone is a place with more than two years worth of memories, good, bad, or indifferent. For you, anyway." They stopped. "Here it is. Turn intangible."

"Just a sec." Vlad raised an eyebrow. Danny put down the carrying case and knelt. "Hey, Morph. There's my girl. This is gonna feel a bit weird. Don't worry. You'll be fine."

Vlad rolled his eyes. "Must you?"

Standing up and transforming, Danny said, "Yeah, I do. Turning intangible is normal for us, but… Have you ever turned someone besides yourself (or me) intangible? The first time I did it to Dad, he said it made his stomach feel funny. Sam and Tucker thought the feeling was cool. But besides a little ectoplasmic light, I don't exactly use my powers in the dorm, Vlad. I don't want Morph to get scared."

Vlad sighed in resignation. "Finish up, child. We have places to go, people to see…" He turned ghost and led the way.

Besides one plaintive meow, Morph was less concerned with the odd sensation she felt than uncomfortable about the new surroundings. She huddled in the corner of her carrying case – the ever-present green without leaves was disconcerting, but she trusted her Danny.

Through the wall and through the portal, Danny hovered in place. "Uh, Vlad? Where are we going?" On Christmas, there might be a truce, but he was very much aware that Christmas was still a few days off.

Vlad smirked as they headed to the decorated door that led to more familiar parts of the Ghost Zone. "We shall visit a few of your friends." His smirk took on an evil glint. "First, we will visit the Ghostwriter."

Danny smiled nervously. "That sounds nice." The Ghostwriter was his friend, but this was his first time in the Ghost Zone since July. Danny had an odd mix of feelings as they came to the decorated door. "Where does this one go?"

"That leads to all we find familiar in the Ghost Zone. Come." The two flew in silence, contemplating their own thoughts. In a few moments, they touched down on the front steps of the Ghostwriter's home. Vlad knocked.

Opening the door, the Ghostwriter gulped. "Plasmius, you're back." He stepped away, allowing him entrance, and only when Danny followed them into the foyer did the author notice the teenager. "Danny!"

Danny smiled warmly. "Hi, there." He paused for a few moments, listening. Satisfied that there was no rhythmic, rhyming patter, Danny released a breath he didn't know he held.

The Ghostwriter took in the sight of his guests. Both half-ghosts' hands were laden with luggage, a black cat with white highlights sat huddled in its carrying case visibly beginning to relax, Plasmius smug and menacing, Danny slightly nervous and curious. Focusing on Vlad could invite trouble, but Danny… He looked healthy. Nothing in his bearing or attitude towards his guardian suggested that he was being mistreated. Perhaps Plasmius told the truth during his September visit.

"Welcome to my home, Danny… Vlad. May I ask…?"

Vlad gestured at the luggage. "Oh, this? Yes, well, we intend to stay in the Ghost Zone for a few days. For Daniel's safety, we won't be spending much time in the Real World, so I figured we'd make this our base of operation. Of course, if you don't mind…"

Peaking his eyebrows, the Ghostwriter knew that he'd been given orders, and knew what was necessary to stay healthy. "Yes, of course. Come this way." As he led Danny and Vlad to guestrooms, he bristled to himself. He was not usually this skittish, as Danny well knew. Dealing with other ghosts was one thing. His power with his keyboard was more than enough to keep the regulars at bay. But there was nothing regular about the half-ghosts.

For the most part, Danny was a good kid. Last year, however, the lad needed a lesson on respecting the holiday spirit. After that, the boy was back to his affable self. The fact that he bailed the vindictive author out of Walker's prison was a kindness Danny didn't need to do. It further proved the boy was a kind-hearted hero, and the Ghostwriter would be ever grateful for this fact.

Vlad, on the other hand, mostly stayed out of ghostly affairs, but when he decided to meddle, his word was law. What Walker was capable of with his host of mindless police ghosts (with the exception of Bullet, who – while subservient to Walker – was his own ghost), Plasmius was capable of doing all by himself. The sheer number of powers he had was not to be believed. But he was as good as his word, and with Plasmius, that word was a double-edged sword. He made good on all promises and threats, and it was generally safer for a ghost not in on his schemes to stay out of his way.

This was the second time this year this powerful ghost sought him out. The Ghostwriter wasn't sure what he thought about this yet. He took a breath. "For as long as you're here, this suite of rooms will be at your disposal, Vlad. Would you prefer if Danny's communicates with yours or is across the hall?"

"Communicating will be fine." Danny wasn't sure how he felt about not being consulted, but it didn't make enough of a difference to argue the matter.

"Right, then. One bedroom is here, with a bathroom here. The other bedroom is here. The sitting room between them is small, but much more of my space is taken up by the library. Surely you'll understand."

Danny thought about this. Did ghosts have biological functions? It was one thing for him and Vlad, who were half-human. But other ghosts… He was a little confused. "Thanks, Ghostwriter. I've got a couple of questions." Vlad stopped on his way to his bedroom to listen.

The Ghostwriter said, "What's on your mind, Danny?"

"Well, the first thing… Morph is going to need some space. She seems to have been trained before I got her, so when I let her out, would it be alright to give her a free run? I'll finish setting up her bed, box, and other stuff, but after that, she's kinda used to having the free run of the castle. If it's not, I can keep her confined to our suite. Thanks, by the way."

The author adjusted his glasses and smiled. "You're welcome, Danny. Your cat can go wherever she likes. And I can help feed her if you go out overnight, if you tell me your routine with her. Why Morph?"

Danny gave a half-smile. "Because she looks a little like me in my ghost form. Since I spend most of my time in human form, she's what I look like when I morph. So, yeah."

The Ghostwriter grinned. "Fair enough. What was your other question?"

Danny fidgeted and blushed. "It's kinda weird, 'cause I'm not usually social with most ghosts. But… um…" The Ghostwriter nodded encouragingly. "I didn't know that ghosts (who aren't me or Vlad) needed bathrooms and stuff."

"Ah, therein lies a much deeper question than you perhaps anticipated. The simple answer is we don't have need for such things, mostly. But the deeper question is what _are_ we? Those of us who started in the human realm as living, breathing people might want such conveniences around, as they are familiar reminders of what we once were. Those of us who started life as creatures of ectoplasm… we seem to have which ever functions we choose to have." He looked at Danny critically. "It occurs to me that if you spent an inordinate amount of time in your ghost form, you might not _need_ to eat, drink, or excrete. You probably should, in any event. Sleep, though, is something you need, regardless. The people of the Far Frozen have spent a great deal of time focusing on the biological needs of ghosts, humans, and others.

"Regardless of anyone's needs, eating and drinking is pleasurable, whether most of us need it or not. That is why the party is still useful, even though it is more of a social thing than a necessary meal in any way. Which reminds me – after you and Vlad finish settling in, we'll have tea in the library in about fifteen minutes."

* * *

In the library, on a coffee table, the Ghostwriter had a tea set with various cookies, scones, and other assorted sweets. Danny took the seat closest to the fire and smiled. Harry would do that. Of course, Danny didn't need to, as he was comfortable in the cold, now that he knew he could produce it. Still, it gave a sense of the familiar.

After inviting everyone to take what they liked, the Ghostwriter sipped his tea and asked, "So Danny, where have you been? You haven't been in Amity Park."

Danny finished the cookie in his mouth before answering, "I've been in school in Britain. It's…"

"I don't think he needs to know your specific course of study there," Vlad interrupted.

"Why not?" Danny huffed indignantly.

Vlad scowled. "There are secrets we're supposed to keep that aren't ours, Daniel. That's why. But… there's no reason you can't tell him about what we study together, or any of your friends, human or ghostly."

The Ghostwriter watched this conversation curiously and closely. Danny folded his arms. "Fine." Sitting back, Danny continued, "Well, Vlad's been training me in the use of my powers. He even helped me discover lots of them I wouldn't have figured out on my own."

While Vlad was proud of his ward, even his pride had limits. He _did _have to talk to Severus about nature vs. nurture. "I wouldn't say that, Daniel. Although by working on them together, you probably discovered some of them far faster, and you've learned to use them more efficiently than you might have on your own."

"Yeah, well… Ghostwriter, Vlad is a _really_ good teacher. We've been working on Shakespeare."

The author's eyes lit up. "Really? What have you studied?"

Danny should have realized that the Ghostwriter would be interested in literature. It just wasn't the thing he thought of discussing on a regular basis. "We've read _Hamlet_, _Macbeth_, _Julius Caesar_, _Midsummer Night's Dream_, _Much Ado About Nothing_,_ As You Like It_, _King Lear_, and _Romeo and Juliet_. Next semester, Vlad's going to teach me 19th century literature." He made a face.

"Oh, excellent! And have you been to Globe Theatre? That is really the best place to see these plays."

Vlad arched an eyebrow. "No, we haven't really been anywhere. The madman who massacred Amity Park is rather interested in finishing the job – no use doing a thing halfway – so we've kept Daniel secreted away in school for the most part. It's a boarding school, and the protection they offer is considerable." Danny shivered. Vlad might be a really good guardian, but he was still a cold, cruel man.

The Ghostwriter refilled everyone's cups. "But Plasmius, why don't you just take care of it?"

Vlad decided it was a fair question. "First of all, the mastermind and his cohorts are human. I've committed many crimes over the course of my life, but mass murder isn't one of them." He tapped his chin thoughtfully. "If I find out who I'm up against, I might change that policy. But until that day arrives, my main priority is keeping Daniel safe."

Danny widened his eyes. Vlad would kill people to keep him safe? He already did, but killing a rat was different than killing a man. (The fact that Peter was both at one time was beside the point.)

Vlad continued, "In any event, these people have resources at their disposal that I don't have. I have to learn about them so I can set about defeating them." His red eyes gleamed with pleasure. "I imagine that if I'm successful in destroying them, many people – the people the madman and his minions regularly antagonize – would be grateful. It would work for everyone else all around."

Danny decided that a change of topic was in order. "Yeah. He's also teaching me math. For the first time in my life, I'm actually starting to get it."

"Danny, why is Vlad teaching you English and math? You should be learning that in school."

Danny shrugged. "Vlad is a teacher in the school." He smirked. "Professor Masters is most widely respected and feared."

Vlad preened. "That is one of my main aims. However, the students seem to be learning, some of them almost despite themselves. And the student workshops are doing wonders." Danny smiled broadly. Vlad blithely told their host everything and nothing, all at the same time.

The Ghostwriter was certain there was a subtext he was missing, but if the half-ghosts chose to keep secrets amongst themselves, that was their own affair.

"Danny, tell me about your friends."

Danny thought warmly about his new friends. "Harry is really my closest friend. Besides the fact that we mostly look alike, we have a _lot_ in common. His best buddies, Ron and Hermione, are also pretty good friends. And from my own House, there is Draco… Vince and Greg. Greg is kind of cool, and I'm not really sure why, but he's made it his personal mission to protect me from bullies." The Ghostwriter laughed merrily. It was good to know that Danny had such good friends, but the idea of Phantom needing to be protected from human bullies just… was too amusing to contemplate.

Danny chuckled, too, realizing the source of his host's merriment. Then he sighed. "Draco invited Vlad and me for the first week of Christmas break. As good as a friend as he is, I don't think that would be…" He thought for a moment. What word would impress his guardian/professor and the author? Ah, he had it. "Prudent. It wouldn't be prudent. Especially considering that Draco's father is a Death Eater." The Ghostwriter looked askance.

Vlad glared and then rolled his eyes. "That's the name of the terrorist organization that destroyed Amity Park." The Ghostwriter nodded.

Danny sighed again. "I miss Sam and Tucker. And my parents and Jazz. Vlad's been great, but it's not the same."

The Ghostwriter got up and gave him a comforting hug. "I'm sure they miss you, too. And I'm sure they would be proud of you. Despite everything happening to pull you down, you are practically buoyant with your cheer."

Danny said, "Thanks for saying so." He stirred some sugar in his tea and dunked a cookie in it. A year ago, it never would have dawned on him that Danny would share some of his most intimate moments with a ghost. Well, any ghost other than Clockwork. But a lot happened in the past year, and the Ghostwriter turned from a foe to a friend.

The Ghostwriter sipped his tea. Danny Fenton had been through some very hard times. He meant what he said. "Vlad bought two copies of my poem. What did you think?"

Vlad smiled. The poem was entertaining, but it held far more memories and meaning for Daniel. Danny said, "When Vlad first gave it to me, I thought about…" His shoulders drooped. "How no one would notice that I would work to be better this year."

"We're here to notice," the Ghostwriter murmured.

"I was upset for a while. Vlad calmed me down. Since then, I've read it countless times. It's a bit embarrassing, but it ended well. And isn't that how it goes? 'All's well that ends well,' right?"

The Ghostwriter smiled gently. "That's right." Vlad looked at Danny proudly. The Ghostwriter couldn't say what happened between those two, but it was definitely for the good. "So Vlad, did you find the Far Frozen?"

Vlad closed his eyes for a moment. "Yes, I found them. They demonstrated how to use cryokinesis, and I took their advice. Daniel, after Christmas Day (the British call it Boxing Day) until New Year's Eve, we are going to visit the Far Frozen." He gave an exasperated sigh. "They are going to fuss all over you for being a hero." A pained expression graced his face. "They call you 'The Great One.' They are particularly grateful because of your defeat of Pariah Dark."

"Cool!"

Vlad drummed his fingers on the armrest of his seat. "Yes, well… Besides a visit from their favorite hero, they are looking forward to training you further with your ice powers."

Danny grinned. "That's awesome!"

Rolling his eyes at his irrepressible ward, Vlad said dryly, "Yes. Whatever."

The Ghostwriter shook with silent mirth. While the interaction between the two half-ghosts was amusing beyond belief, he did not forget his place – it would not do to draw the ire of Plasmius. Instead, he changed topics. "Danny, please tell me of your new ghostly friends."

This time, Danny sighed. "It was the weirdest thing I've ever seen – countless ghosts I've never even heard of think of me as a hero. It was unsettling, but they've calmed down. Hero worship is scary. They put me on a pedestal. I just hope I can live up to their expectations."

Vlad surprised them both by commenting, "That you do, Daniel. Just by being you, you surpass their expectations regularly. Sir Nicholas is a fount of knowledge."

The Ghostwriter gasped. "Nobility? Really?"

Danny shrugged. "Well, yeah. Three of the four official House Ghosts are nobility. There is Sir Nicholas de Mimsy-Porpington and Lady Helena Ravenclaw. The Baron and the Friar never told us their first names. Actually, Lady Helena doesn't like the student body to know her real name, either."

"Where would you go to school such that there are ghosts who interact well with humans and let themselves be known as such?"

Vlad smirked. "My dear Ghostwriter, you've lost your sense of place and setting. The school is in an ancient castle in Scotland. Such places are ideal material for third rate Gothic novels. But the reality is so much richer."

The Ghostwriter blushed. Of _course_ such settings were ripe for 'ghost stories,' good, bad, or otherwise. Some clichés stood out far more than others. Ghosts in castles in Scotland wasn't as bad as 'It was a dark and stormy night,' but it was a common enough literary device – perhaps because it was a common enough phenomenon.

Danny recognized that jab from Vlad was harsh, and Vlad already made the poor Ghostwriter uncomfortable, if not outright afraid, so he saved the day. "Besides the four House Ghosts, who make themselves available to students for advice, I'm close to an eleven-year-old ghost named Myrtle. I thought she might be happier if she had a guardian or mentor, and my friend Harry gave me the idea to put that thought into practice. Lady Helena is her official mentor, now. Myrtle is sweet, and deserves some happiness in her afterlife." His eyes shone. The Ghostwriter smiled fondly. Danny _was_ a good kid, and his consideration of the young ghost proved it further.

"And my history teacher, Professor Binns, is a ghost. My classmates tell me that he's never gotten a name on his student roster right since the last one he had when he was alive, but he always remembers me. His memory of details in both ancient and recent history is amazing, but it seems like… if it wasn't worth being thought of as a historical event, it wasn't worth remembering, unless a ghost was involved."

Both adults laughed. That was a bizarre idiosyncrasy. Danny shrugged a shoulder. "There are over twenty ghosts who stay in my school on a regular basis, but the six I just mentioned are planning to come to the Christmas party."

Vlad's eyes went wide. This would be an interesting development.

* * *

Narcissa Malfoy picked Draco up from King's Cross. She might be a prim and proper pureblood, but she always had a hug ready and available for her son. Once out of the immediate environs of the train station, she Apparated both of them to the gates that marked the start of their property.

"It is good to have you home, Draco."

Draco smiled. "It is good to _be_ home, Mother."

"Over the next few days, the Parkinsons, Crabbes, and Goyles will be coming to stay for a few days. Most of the others are coming the day of the party."

Nodding, Draco said, "That sounds about right."

"Unless, of course, they're called first."

"Mother?" The bitter tone of his unflappable mother disturbed him greatly. But she kept her thoughts to herself for the rest of their walk to the manor.

A house-elf greeted them and took Draco's luggage, and led them to the sitting room. Draco smiled, but his mother's face became hard. "Tea would be lovely, Mother." That is what they usually had when they started the evening in the sitting room.

"We won't be having tea here, dear," she said coldly, but her anger was not aimed at her son.

"But what…"

Narcissa took Draco's arm and opened the door. "Ah, welcome home, Draco." Seated in the high-backed armchair by the fire was Voldemort. Draco's eyes flew open wide. The Dark Lord delighted in the terror he caused this teenager. He smiled a cruel smile. "Perhaps you remember the conversation we had before you left for school about an opportunity to redeem your family?"

Draco nodded. "Y-yes, sir." Thinking of the conversations he had with Danny, and how his dark-haired friend seemed to know about Voldemort's offer, he shivered. How had Danny known? Voldemort didn't make him a Death Eater, something for which Draco was glad now, but he still wanted something from him.

"Now is your chance, Draco, _if_ you prove to be useful." Draco looked into the hard, piercing red eyes and trembled. "What do you know of Daniel Fenton?"

Danny? The Dark Lord wanted to know about Danny? Draco answered honestly. "Not much. He's my friend. Why?"

Bellatrix stood to Voldemort's right. She glowered at Draco and folded her arms. "Your impertinence is unacceptable. That is no way to talk to the Dark Lord."

Draco gulped. He never had to be afraid of anything in his own home before, and he was truly out of sorts. "Yes, Aunt Bella. I'm sorry, sir."

Voldemort watched the by-play between the aunt and nephew. The young Malfoy would never be Death Eater material, but he could be useful. That was most important. And Bellatrix would handle the discipline detail when necessary. Children were so irritating!

The villain raised an eyebrow and said, "So, let's try that again, shall we? What do you know of Daniel Fenton?"

Draco was proud, loyal, and he prayed to anyone who would listen that what he was about to say wouldn't hurt his one and only true friend. "Danny never talks about his family much. He's an orphan, and he misses his parents and sister very much. He says he loves them a lot."

Draco looked up to gauge Voldemort's reception. His almost reptilian face betrayed no emotion, but the impatient drumming of his skeletal fingers on the armrest let Draco know that the information he gave wasn't what Voldemort was looking for. "Um… Danny is afraid of turning Dark. I'm not really sure why he's so scared, because he isn't really good at casting spells, but he sounds like he's very powerful and doesn't want to misuse it."

"Interesting. Did he say what would constitute a misuse of this power?"

Draco forced himself not to squirm. "No, sir. He said that he could go crazy and kill people, and it would be so easy, but his uncle, Professor Masters, told him that he would stop Danny before that could happen." He looked up again. "It isn't something we discuss on a regular basis, sir."

Hmm. Daniel has untapped power, does he? People without power don't care about their own ability to _use_ power. But by this report, the boy mentioned nothing about saving himself from a Killing Curse. Draco was not lying or hiding anything. Daniel did not reveal much about himself. It deepened the mystery.

"Now tell me about Professor Masters."

Draco became truly afraid. "Sir, _no one_ knows much about him. He cares very much about Danny. He is fair to a fault in class and in extra-curricular activities. He's worked on projects in Defense Against the Dark Arts with Professor Snape, but no one would tell me anything about the details. I, um… Professor Masters doesn't like people disparaging partial humans or Muggle-borns."

Bella spat, "What is this? Since when do you call Mudbloods by that term out of class?"

Draco stood to his full height and told his aunt, "Since Professor Masters made it clear he didn't want to hear that expression, and Danny gets offended by it. Even if purebloods _are_ better than Muggle-borns, there is no reason to be obnoxiously offensive." And Draco _really_ had no desire to discover what Professor Masters had for a follow-up punishment. He already wrote no fewer than five punitive essays for the man, and even if he wasn't sure he agreed with every sentiment he wrote, he was sure that people did feel emotions equally, whether or not one was considered better or lesser than any other person.

This was fascinating – the young Malfoy seemed to have an independent streak. Either that, or Masters was fearsome enough to replace the whelp's pureblood rearing with enough fear of punishment to change his style, if not his attitude.

"And what does this professor of yours do on the weekends?"

"Besides the one weekend when I met him and Danny in Hogsmeade, I really don't know, sir. And if Danny knows, he doesn't tell anyone. But Danny said that Professor Masters likes to be in control and is more likely to surprise him with information than tell him. Yesterday, Danny told Harry that Professor Masters didn't even tell him where they were going for vacation."

The Dark Lord fingered his wand. "Good reporting. I've decided that you are useful, and it is worth keeping you alive for a bit longer. After all, it would be such a waste to spill the blood of a well-bred pureblood. But you've said something that brings me to another point of interest."

Draco gulped again. Voldemort made it clear he thought Draco was expendable, but useful enough to make it out of this audience alive. He hoped. "Sir?"

"You never told me that Daniel Fenton is friends with Harry Potter."

"Um…"

"It is no matter, since I already heard this news as reported by the children of my more useful servants. But they also say that you are almost friends with the Potter boy. Is this true?"

Draco took a moment to figure out how to answer this. No answer would be the right one. He figured the truth might prove to be the least painful choice. He wasn't sure about this, but he didn't see himself as having any real options here.

He took a breath. "We aren't really friends, as much as we have a truce. We're both friends with Danny, and Danny is a good friend. So, in order not to hurt Danny, Harry and I have ceased hostilities toward each other."

"Hmm…" Draco and the Potter boy have declared a cease-fire to maintain loyalty and friendship to Daniel. Voldemort mused over the fact that Draco called the Gryffindor 'Harry' and not 'Potter.' "What is Daniel that he inspires such loyalty in otherwise bitter rivals?"

Draco thought about that since Pansy asked him. "I'm not sure, sir. He is just earnest and intellectually honest. He's very private about his secrets, but the things he lets us know… I don't know. He is more loyal than a Hufflepuff to anyone he thinks of as friends or family. There's more to it than that, but I… don't know how to express it."

Voldemort studied the blond boy for a few moments. After what seemed to Draco to be an interminable amount of time, the Dark Lord nodded. "Very well. You have served me well, if reluctantly. I have decided that there is no reason you can't enjoy your holiday entertainments. I have no use for them. None but selected Death Eaters may enter this sitting room for the duration. You will be made aware of which are now my rooms. Stay away from them, and you may very well enjoy a happy holiday, content and alive. Now leave me."

* * *

For the first two days of Christmas break, Hermione finished up the tail end of any work professors assigned and helped her parents decorate the house. Monday morning, as her parents took care of last minute shopping, Hermione settled at her computer to do some research on a private project: Danny Phantom.

Since she, Harry, and Ron figured out that Danny Fenton was the same person as Danny Phantom, her curiosity about him increased exponentially. Why was he at Hogwarts if he was a Muggle? And how did a Muggle end up in Slytherin?

Surfing the Internet, her search for 'Danny Phantom' yielded quite a few results. As reported, the ghost haunted a small American town, Amity Park, Illinois. He spent a lot of time fighting other ghosts who attacked the town on a regular basis. A year and a half ago, Phantom was blamed for a massive ghost invasion and the attempted kidnapping of the mayor. (Hermione scoffed. Danny was sweet. She read and reread the details of that article to see if she could figure out what _really_ happened.)

A few months after that, Phantom saved the town from an even bigger ghost invasion, culminating in the entire town being dragged into another dimension called 'the Ghost Zone.' Hermione decided she might ask Nick about that at some point, as she was sure Danny wasn't up for this discussion.

No one seemed to be aware of the true identity of the ghostly teen hero, which was probably they way Danny preferred it. There were op-ed pieces speculating why Danny Phantom was no longer seen in Amity Park. Hermione rolled her eyes – he wasn't seen in Amity Park because he's been attending Hogwarts. But the editorials made references to a terrorist attack in Amity Park, so Hermione looked for an article with more details. She drew a sharp breath, stunned by the results.

Death Eaters had attacked Danny's town towards the end of July, and the Muggle media reported the events as an unclaimed terrorist attack. The town's largest school district had been almost completely destroyed. The most detailed article, from the _Elmerton Gazette_, a newspaper of a neighboring town, was dated the Tuesday before Hermione had come to Hogwarts with Harry and Ron to tutor Danny.

She read:

_Elmerton Gazette_

_Written by Carlton Fogg * Tuesday, July 23, 1996_

_Amity Park, IL – The town of Amity Park was rocked Saturday by a terrorist attack, killing 852. That is approximately nine tenths of the entire population of the Casper Central School District._

_The authorities have been unable to locate or even identify the terrorists responsible for this attack, the worst on U.S. soil since the Oklahoma City bombing in 1995. No evidence has been found to help identify who did it or why. No organization has claimed responsibility._

_Eyewitness Jeremy Manson, age 42, and inheritor of Isaac Manson's cellophane business, said, "This town has been victimized by ghosts countless times. The fact that humans did this almost boggles the mind. The three attackers I saw wore black cloaks with hoods and masks. I still don't know how they did it, as they had no guns, knives, or even explosives…_

Hermione realized that whatever Aurors came to clean up Amity Park missed a few witnesses. Perhaps that was just as well. She read through the vague accounts of a few more witnesses. Apparently, not enough wizards were aware of the Internet; otherwise, there would have been a _1984_-like media purge. Towards the end, she read:

_Of the casualties, the most notable are the famed ghost hunters and inventors, Jack and Madeline Fenton (both 42) and their teenaged daughter Jasmine, 17. Jack and Madeline are most remembered for their advisory capacity to Mayor Ernesto Montez during the first ghost invasion that made Americans understand that ghosts do, indeed, exist, and for helping to protect Amity Park when the town was somehow transported to an alternate dimension called "the Ghost Zone." That would hardly be credible, but for the missing neighborhood, the lack of phone and media receptivity, and the footage of the continuous broadcast reporting of Lance Thunder from Channel 6 News that reached outside of Amity Park only after the fact._

_The Fentons are survived by their youngest child and only son, Daniel, 15. Custody and guardianship has been transferred to the Fentons' long-time friend, Vladimir Masters, the multi-billionaire and business mogul. No further information has been made available._

Hermione blinked tears out of her eyes. She knew that Danny's family and friends were killed by Death Eaters, but this defied description. It looked like _everyone_ Danny knew was killed. That… was horrible.

Danny's parents were ghost hunters. Did they know about Danny? How did Danny become a half-ghost? Hermione looked up Jack and 'Maddie' Fenton, and she discovered articles on weaponized ectoplasm and lots of inventions with the name Fenton attached to them. There were press releases for conventions and lectures, and invention demonstrations. Their inventions were designed to locate, translate, incapacitate, capture, confine, and cause pain to ghosts. They could not possibly have known that their own son was a ghost. Poor Danny!

Vlad Masters was a billionaire. Interesting. Hermione knew that Danny was a Muggle but Professor Masters seemed to be well known in the Muggle World. A 'business mogul' is not an anonymous entity. Hermione looked him up.

A search for Vlad Masters yielded _hundreds_ of results. Hogwarts' current DADA professor was one of the wealthiest entrepreneurs in the world, a captain of industry, involved in all kinds of companies that produced technology and software. He was a philanthropist and his list of accomplishments seemed endless. Now she knew how he could buy Danny that really expensive wand. (And Professor Masters also seemed to be an American football sports enthusiast. Everyone has to have a hobby, she supposed.)

But… All of these accomplishments were in Muggle fields. American wizards were far more closely connected to Muggles than their European counterparts. There was nothing to say that the billionaire, their professor, _wasn't_ a wizard, but now, she wondered.

Hermione was determined that she would talk with Ron and Harry when they got back from vacation. Her many confused and complicated thoughts weren't something she could safely communicate in a letter.

* * *

On what approximated Monday morning in the Ghost Zone, Danny led the way to the erstwhile principality of Aragon. Vlad remarked, "You have an eclectic collection of friends among the ghosts, Daniel."

Danny laughed mirthlessly. "That wasn't entirely my choice, besides the Ghostwriter and the Dairy King."

Vlad stopped. "You're friends with the Dairy King?"

Danny raised an eyebrow – Vlad was impressed with his expression. "Who do you think released me from your Spectral Energy Neutralizer? When he first showed up, I thought I was a goner." Vlad cocked his head. "Personal experience, at that point, told me that all ghosts outside the Ghost Zone were pretty much out to get me, and you really didn't help to change that impression."

Vlad smoothed a hand over his black hair. "It's one of the innumerable things I have to apologize for. I certainly wasn't sorry at the time. I had everything (and everyone) I wanted under my very roof. I'd planned the reunion for months with that goal in mind. Discovering that _Jack's_ son was the half-ghost who used his powers for good was just… a level of temptation that was too hard to resist."

Danny said flatly, "I remember."

Vlad sighed. "I am sorry. I know I mentioned it when I was hysterical, but truly… If I used the reunion as an opportunity for reconciliation, your whole family and I…" He sighed again. Danny wasn't sure how to respond to that.

Vlad reflected out loud. "The Dairy King, eh? If I learned this before that fateful day in July, I might have brought an end to his afterlife for releasing you. But now… I suppose I should thank him."

"Huh? What for?"

Vlad smiled ruefully. "If I would have kept you then, forcing your submission, you would resent me for all of your days. Now, as things have turned out, you actually _chose_ my guardianship, once out of desperation, and once out of your own free choice. I have you to thank for choosing me, but I have him to thank for making that an option. Now I know you won't run away in rebellion, but you'll stay with me."

This time Danny stopped and considered. He'd never heard that plaintive tone from Vlad in his ghost form before. The first time he remembered that note was the first time they met, and Mom suggested they stay in the RV. Vlad insisted they stay. It was almost desperate. For Danny, this current moment was at once empowering and humbling.

If Danny took Vlad at his word, all his guardian really wanted was to be loved. And considering that they did not know the lifespan of half-ghosts, it could very well be eternity that Vlad was worried about. Even when Danny eventually got married and had a family of his own, there was no need to leave Vlad alone. Sam's Grandma Ida was proof of that.

Grabbing one of Vlad's hands, Danny said, "Yes, Vlad. I'll stay with you."

Vlad gathered Danny in a flight-stopping embrace, and they stayed that way for a bit.

When they started again, Vlad said, "Your portal was wonderfully functional yesterday."

Danny smiled cheekily. "Yeah, it was, wasn't it? The fact is…" Danny looked around and not seeing anyone he needed to worry about, he continued. "That was probably the only way I could find Wulf. Walker doesn't like the 'disorder' caused by Wulf's ability to claw a hole between realms. He's been in hiding since Walker's invasion. My portable portal was the only way I could find Wulf on my own."

Vlad beamed with pride. "Since when do you know Esperanto?"

"Tucker started teaching me and Sam after we first met Wulf. After that, I learned a bit on my own, reading things online, and things like that." Danny smiled wryly. "It pays to learn to communicate with one of your few true friends."

Vlad nodded. "I'll give you that."

When they came to the island of the kingdom, Danny announced, "There it is!" Vlad knew of very many of Daniel's exploits, but that didn't mean he knew all of the ghosts or locations involved. They touched down on the island, green with trees despite the fact it was December.

Danny decided that was one of the benefits of living where there was no sun or natural climate: weather could just as easily reflect atmospheric conditions of either hemisphere at any time, or neither, or both at the same time. Since time had been stopped here for so long, if Dora decided to keep spring and summer around for a few years, he couldn't blame her.

Lifting the heavy iron, dragon-shaped knocker, Danny knocked. A large green ghost dressed as a medieval knight out of armor opened the door, and demanded, "Who goes there?"

Danny started. "You're the axe-man! I…" Remembering that, to mindless ghosts, attitude and appearance counted more than reality, Danny produced a one-shoulder cape for himself (ectoplasm is wonderfully accommodating that way), stood straight, and haughtily looked into the ghost's eyes. In a deep voice that annoyed Sam and Tucker, his 'hero' voice, Danny said, "Tell Princess Dora that Sir Phantom and guardian are here."

The green ghost nodded. "Very good, sir. I'll announce you." The door closed.

Vlad stared at Danny. "Sir Phantom? What is this?"

With a sheepish grin, Danny explained, "It's a long story, and I'll tell you later, but when Sam, Tucker, and I helped defeat Princess Dora's brother and brought the kingdom out of the Dark Ages (literally), Dora dubbed me a knight. I'm not sure that any human kingdom would recognize my knighthood, but if it's good enough for Dora, it's good enough for me."

"What have you gotten into, little badger?" Vlad murmured under his breath. "I remember hearing about Daniel being friends with the Dragon Princess Dora, but this had ramifications I've never heard of."

The door opened. "Her Highness will see you now." The green ghost ushered Danny and Vlad into the castle and towards the throne room. Danny ogled the walls with wonder, comparing the tapestries and other decorations to the way he remembered it from the last time he was here and to those in Hogwarts. Hogwarts is well lit, but… Dora's castle was much brighter than last time. The quality of light in the two castles was different. Were those wall-sconces actually electric?

There were traditional garlands of holly, poinsettias, and… multi-colored twinkle lights? In any event, they were all along the hallways, and there were large fir trees in every juncture between two halls, and several trees in each chamber.

Once at the throne room, a servant announced, "Sir Phantom and guardian."

Princess Dora saw them and flew towards them, ignoring decorum. "Sir Danny! It's been ages since I've seen you!" She hugged him. "Oh, so much has changed since then." Releasing him, she eyed Vlad. "You must be Vlad Plasmius. Technus told me about your guardianship of Danny when he put finishing touches on our electric lighting and heating systems."

Danny thought, 'Ah, that explains the lights.'

Vlad reached for her hand to kiss it. "I'm honored by your recognition, your Highness." Putting her hand to his lips, Vlad did not in any way betray his bemusement at how news was spread in the Ghost Zone.

Danny noted, "I like your Christmas decorations, Dora."

Her eyes sparkled. "Do you really? This is the first Christmas we've had in 1600 years. When time got restarted, I wanted to jump start that tradition – if everyone _else_ in the Ghost Zone was celebrating it, I decided there was no reason we can't, too." Danny nodded.

This odd little kingdom that seemed stuck in time piqued Vlad's curiosity. "Have you heard of Narnia, your Highness?"

The princess furrowed her brows. "No. Is that a neighboring realm in the Ghost Zone? We've been out of touch here for quite a while." Danny looked at Vlad curiously; he hadn't heard of Narnia, either.

Vlad gave a half-smile. "It wasn't part of my original plan, but a dip into C.S. Lewis will come before our 19th century literature curriculum." Danny grumbled and Vlad laughed. "No, your Highness. The idea of a first Christmas in a number of centuries struck a familiar chord with me. What is the name of this realm, that – until recently, I gather – time forgot?"

Dora frowned. "Aragon. I suppose it was named for my brother, who ruled this kingdom (as a prince, mind you) for sixteen centuries."

Vlad raised his eyebrows. "Aragon? Like the district in Spain?"

Sighing, Dora said, "I don't know. I take it that was a kingdom somewhere in the Real World."

The older half-ghost nodded. "Indeed."

Danny stared for a moment. "Dora, how could you know about that?"

The green princess giggled. "I read about it when I visited your school, Danny. Things might have been backwards and male dominated for centuries here, but I was taught to read." She spat bitterly, "That way, Aragon could leave orders by way of notes."

For a moment, she became a dragon, and both Vlad and Danny paled. Danny ventured, "Then I guess it's a good thing he's not around, huh?"

Dora calmed and took her more-human form. "Yes. After all the damage he's done around here, and the pain he forced me to cause your friend Sam, once my _dear_ brother was relieved of his charmed necklace, he had the option of being locked in our dungeon or being shipped off to Walker for storage. For some reason, he chose the 'comfort' of our own castle."

Danny realized that Dora could be as ruthless as necessary to rule her realm effectively. "Fair enough. Are you coming to the Christmas party tomorrow?"

The princess clasped her hands in naked longing. "You mean they still hold one? It wasn't a trend that died off?"

"No, Dora. I discovered that they have an annual Christmas party just last year."

"Oh, joy! Do they have a ball?"

"Uh…"

Vlad stepped in. "I'm unsure of the custom. I've never gone before. I've had holiday obligations to any number of human acquaintances, business contacts, and a few times I was invited to the Green Bay pre-game party. But this party tomorrow will be as new to me as it will be for you."

Dora beamed. "Very good! Then we'll go together. But now, you must stay for dinner, and rooms will be appointed for overnight…"

Danny and Vlad were only too happy to agree.


	40. Chapter 40

I want to give everyone holiday greetings and wish everyone a happy 2010. I give you alcohol-free eggnog, apple cider, hot cocoa, and a plate of cookies to share.

Thank you all for reading and reviewing, and adding this story (and me) to your favorite and alert lists.

Luiz4200 helpfully pointed out that Professor Snape did not, in fact, invent Wolfsbane Potion. It was actually invented by Damocles Belby. Thank you for pointing it out, and my mistake has been duly corrected.

For portions of this chapter, I borrowed heavily, but changed significantly, from _Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince, Chapter 16: A Very Frosty Christmas_. I hope you like the way I tweaked it.

Disclaimer: I do not own _Danny Phantom_, _Harry Potter_, the Magna Carta, _Pride and Prejudice_, "Carol of the Bells," _The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy_, or _Life, the Universe, and Everything_.

Chapter 40

It was an odd few days, Harry decided. The controlled chaos of the Weasley household was muted, as no one wanted to upset Professor Snape. Harry grinned. He was with the family that always made him feel at home and Professor Snape, who, after years of emotional abuse, decided to make _him_ family. The Weasleys were light-hearted and informal, never standing on ceremony. Professor Snape was always formal, and insisted on decorum. Their very lifestyles, regardless of personal attitudes, clashed worse than Ron's hair and his cherished Chudley Cannons posters.

Peeling sprouts for Mrs. Weasley by the Burrow's kitchen sink, Ron told Harry, "Let me get this straight. Remus apologized to you?"

Harry nodded. "Yeah. It was weird, because while I always wondered, I never thought how bad it was that Remus never connected with me until Professor Snape expressed precisely how Remus practically abandoned me." Harry peeled for a few minutes in silence.

"But he's still your friend, right?" It would turn Ron's world too much on its head if Harry started being friendly with Snape and antagonistic to Remus Lupin.

"Not to worry, Ron. For a while now, I've seen that Professor Snape has a method to his madness, so to speak. Besides making Remus feel really guilty for his failings, Professor Snape practically guaranteed that Remus will spend more time and energy communicating with me." Conspiratorially, Harry almost winked as he said, "And once he's used to expressing affection he's had for a long time but was too afraid to show, he might finally figure out how to let Tonks know the feelings he has for her."

Before Ron could say something nice about the idea of Remus and Tonks together, he was interrupted by a mocking, "You mean someone clueless will figure out how to express himself to a girl he likes?" Fred grinned. "But Harry, it sounds like you were referring to someone other than Ronnikins, here."

"Hey!" Ron yelped indignantly.

"Ah, George, look at this. They're using knives and everything. Bless them."

"I'll be seventeen in two and a bit month's time," Ron grumped, "and then I'll be able to do it by magic!"

"But meanwhile," said George, sitting down and putting his feet up on the kitchen table, "we can enjoy watching you demonstrate the correct use of a – whoops-a-daisy!"

Ron shouted, "You made me do that!" Sucking his cut thumb, he glared at George. "You wait, when I'm seventeen…"

"I'm sure you'll dazzle us all with your hitherto unsuspected magical skills," yawned Fred.

"And speaking of hitherto unsuspected skills, Ronald," called George, "What is this we hear from Ginny about you and Hermione?"

Ron looked up proudly. "We're officially going together."

Fred and George shared a glance, both with eyebrows raised. Fred said, "Interesting. But what we wanted to know was… how did it happen?"

Ron stopped a moment. To this day, he never figured out what happened. One minute, he was fuming at miscreant Slytherins and playing chess with Harry to settle his mind and plot, and the next, Hermione was hugging him and telling him she loved him, too. Apparently, at some point during his blanked out period, he must have told Hermione that he loved her. It was the truth, but he didn't feel courageous enough to tell her. But the twins, in all their teasing, didn't need to know that.

"Mind your own business."

George continued to bait him. "Really, Ron. She's the cleverest witch in the school. What would cause such a misjudgment on her part? Did something hit her head?"

Mrs. Weasley and Professor Snape entered the room just in time to see Ron throw the sprout knife at George, who had turned it into a paper airplane with one lazy flick of his wand.

"_Ron!_" She said furiously. "Don't you ever throw knives again!"

"I won't," muttered Ron, glaring daggers at the twins who wore beatific expressions of innocence.

Professor Snape crossed his arms and glared at all four teenagers. "Mrs. Weasley, things are not as they appear to be."

She looked at him. "What do you mean, Professor?"

The professor smiled a dangerous smile that had all four teenagers wincing. "You see, having been bullied myself as a child, and having misjudged a certain young man for far too long, I've developed a monitoring charm of sorts. It lets me know if anything untoward is going on in my ward's presence." Harry wasn't sure whether he should be pleased by Snape's care and caution or insulted by the idea that his guardian didn't trust him enough to take care of himself.

"Considering that Harry was neither the target nor the thrower of the knife, and the twins are wearing expressions identical to two others who were distinctly _not_ innocent after a prank was perpetrated, it is clear that Harry was not the one harassed, but Ron might have something to say."

This clever trick was clearly beyond the comprehension of the boys in the kitchen. The twins were stung as they were caught. Ron looked relieved at the fact that he would be given a chance to defend himself, though weirded out that SNAPE, of all people, was giving it to him, and Harry was extremely grateful that he was not foolish enough to be a guilty party, here.

Ron was lost, as he tried to decide what his options were. If he told on his brothers, they might never forgive him. But with Professor Snape staring them all down, honesty might be the best policy. "Fred and George were giving us grief for not being allowed to use magic, and then they started in on me because of Hermione."

Mrs. Weasley looked very disappointed. "Is this true, Fred?"

Between Snape standing there and his mother's hurt expression, there was no choice but to tell the truth. "Yes, Mum."

George tried to save the situation by saying, "But we didn't…"

Mrs. Weasley rounded on him. "But what? You would have let Ron take the blame if the good professor hadn't alerted me to trouble in the kitchen."

George deflated. "Yes, Mum."

Professor Snape smiled. "If I might make a suggestion…?"

Mrs. Weasley nodded. "Of course."

"Set Ron and George to finish peeling the sprouts, after having confiscated his wand. He seems to have forgotten what life was like before he reached the age of majority. Harry and Fred can take care of the dining room arrangements once you've figured out how many people are dining here tonight."

Mrs. Weasley glowed. "So reasonable! And, of course, without magic." She opened her hands, and the twins relinquished their wands. "You will get them back after dinner, as long as you _don't_ harass Ron, Ginny, or Harry about being under age."

The twins paled, and chorused, "Yes, Mum."

Ron decided that Professor Snape might be more kind than the git he always knew him to be, and gave the professor a grateful smile, especially when he turned the paper airplane back into the knife he was using. That is, until Ron realized that he was still stuck peeling sprouts without the use of magic. Well… at least George was stuck helping, too.

Fred and Harry were left to set chairs around the dining room table, preparing for Christmas Eve dinner. After he fetched the plates and flatware, Fred confided, "It's almost unnatural, not being able to tease ickle Ronnikins at school or at home… It's been a while, but at school, there was always the Common Room. But with the good professor here, we almost _have_ to behave ourselves. I mean, he can't take points from us anymore, but…" Fred shivered.

Harry said, "Good behavior is a small price to pay for having someone as close to a father as I've ever known."

Fred nodded soberly. "Right you are, Harry. I didn't think of it quite like that." They finished arranging the chairs and setting the table in contemplative quiet.

* * *

The Hogwarts ghosts approached the Ghostwriter's mansion, which was decorated with the image of a fork on one side and a knife on the other to indicate where the party was being held. Sir Nicholas led the way, saying, "The Ghost Zone presents us with a bizarre anomaly. We can't touch physical things, but the same ectoplasm that allows us to touch each other and Danny makes buildings and things solid to us, too."

The Friar said, "But Sir Nicholas, how do you know of this? It isn't anywhere near our outlets in Kent, or London, or…"

"My dear Friar, I'm not a Gryffindor for nothing, you know. I've explored the Ghost Zone during the many summer holidays. Visiting friends from our own plane of existence is always useful, but I know where they are. Over 400 years ago, I started exploring the more local parts of the Ghost Zone. But where we are now, closer to Danny and Vlad's home, there are lots of physically tangible ghosts. I thought it was worth mentioning the anomaly because gliding through walls and doors won't work here." Sir Nicholas tapped his chin. "I wonder whether we will find the food tangible…"

The Baron shrugged. "There is only one way for us to find out. Shall we?"

Sir Nicholas opened the door, and the music and lights were bright. Myrtle grasped the Grey Lady's hand. "This is _nothing_ like your Death Day party, Sir Nicholas!"

The mention of a noble title drew the attention of many. The ghosts of black, green, blue, sepia, ashen, and metal exchanged curious glances with the translucent, pearly, and otherwise faint of color. Skulker, the _de facto_ leader, spoke first. "I don't believe we've seen you here before."

Sir Nicholas nodded carefully. "You must be younger than four centuries, then. I have explored this part of the Ghost Zone, but it has been quite a while since I spent any time here."

Skulker eyed the newcomers distrustfully. "And you are…?"

Professor Binns answered, "We are from Danny Phantom's current school, Hogwarts. I am Professor Cuthbert Binns, teacher of history. The four House Ghosts, primarily but not only available to their House for advice, direction, and guidance, are Sir Nicholas de Mimsy-Porpington of Gryffindor." Sir Nicholas bowed carefully, not tipping his head. "The Grey Lady of Ravenclaw." She curtseyed deeply. "The Bloody Baron of Slytherin." The Baron tilted his head stiffly. "And the Fat Friar of Hufflepuff." The Friar waved cheerfully. "And the girl is Myrtle Duncan, ward of the Grey Lady and friend of Danny." Myrtle waved shyly. "And if you would kindly return the favor of introduction…"

The Ghost Zone ghosts stared at each other for a moment. How did they respond to this, and how did they figure out an order? Skulker took the lead. "I am Skulker, the Ghost Zone's Greatest Hunter."

Professor Binns nodded. "Then you are the one I have to thank, as you taught Danny enough about Pariah Dark, giving me a point of connection to the familiar." Skulker's electronic eyebrows shot up.

"I am Technus, the Master of All Things Electronic and Beeping."

Sir Nicholas said, "Then you must be the one responsible for the exquisite lighting. Danny wasn't sure what to make of the news of the blue, sputtering tapers that lit the ballroom to illuminate my 500th Death Day party. He was dazzled by your display at his brief attendance of last year's Christmas party."

Technus scratched his head. "The Ghost Child mentioned me? I think I'm honored, but why would he do that?"

The Baron glared. "Most of you fill the role of young Phantom's antagonists, but you are also among the familiar."

There were too many ghosts to keep with the formal introduction, so the curious ghosts started to mingle. The Lunch Lady, Spectra, and Bertrand approached the Grey Lady. "Who takes care of the school menus?"

Lady Helena smiled. "House-elves have managed. They take the dietary needs of the living quite seriously. They are also attentive to individual desires. It isn't uncommon for a professor to order up tea, and the elves will send tea and a selection of pastries to complement it. If a student's home-life isn't what it should be, they add nutritive potions to the student's plates. It is complicated, but it is a magical system." The Lunch Lady nodded uncertainly, and wondered what a house-elf was.

Spectra looked at the Grey Lady critically. "How do you keep your youthful appearance? Your clothes tell me you are much older than you look." Bertrand laughed sycophantically.

Lady Helena glared coldly. "Death will cut your youth short. I've been 21 since before the Battle of Hastings, when my unwanted suitor decided that if I wasn't to be his bride, I would marry no one." Spectra shuddered. The Lady was _much_ older than she appeared to be.

Bertrand asked, "What happened to your suitor?"

The Lady haughtily sniffed. "He killed himself in remorse. He wears the stains of his blood and chains of humiliation as a penance." Her tone softened. "He serves as a House Ghost honorably. The Baron keeps order – wayward ghosts (and students) mind him. He's the only one who can control Peeves the Poltergeist. That is, besides Danny and Plasmius, of course."

Walker decided to broach the Baron's forbidding presence. "While the Truce prevents me from doing anything about it, how do _you_ manage the boy's law-breaking ways?"

The Baron rattled a chain menacingly in ire. "Young Danny follows the rules to the best of his abilities, except where being a ghost earns him special privileges, such as wandering the grounds after hours. As a matter of fact, he helps enforce the rules when necessary."

The Box Ghost drifted over, and the Baron took notice and offense. "I employed Danny's services to stop _that_ knave. Terrorizing the elves, wasting countless Galleons worth of food, for what purpose? To serve his own box fetish and display his power in the face of intangible ghosts? You have _this_ rogue before you, yet you declare Danny to be lawless?"

The Box Ghost decided his company would be welcome elsewhere. Walker began to feel uneasy, but he was not easily cowed. "The Box Ghost's guilt or innocence doesn't mitigate or change Phantom's innocence or guilt."

The Baron said, "I see. And what, pray tell, are young Phantom's crimes?"

"First of all, he brought Real World items into the Ghost Zone. That's against the Rules."

Flushing silvery opaque in anger, the Baron crossed his arms. "You realize that your ridiculous rule has precluded the teenage ghost from giving gifts to his ghostly friends, do you not?"

Walker blushed red. "He escaped from my prison. _That's_ against the Rules."

The Baron narrowed his eyes. "Escape from wrongful imprisonment… is against the rules, is it? If you abided by your own rules, you should have earned yourself a lengthy stay behind the bars of your own prison. Or is pointing out the obvious _also_ against your capricious rules?"

That left the sheriff speechless. "Let that be a lesson to you. Happy Christmas." With that, the Bloody Baron went off in search of a more worthy companion.

Sydney Poindexter was not the most suave ghost out there, but he recognized an opportunity when he saw one. "You are Myrtle, right?"

Realizing that the ghost addressing her was much more polite than Peeves ever was, she said, "That's right. Who are you?"

Standing as tall as he could, he said, "I'm Sydney Poindexter. I went to Casper High. What was it like for you at Hogwarts?"

"When do you mean? When I was alive or as a ghost?"

Realizing it might be a touchy subject, he clarified gently, "When you were alive."

Myrtle shrugged. "It was okay, I guess. I really enjoyed Charms and Transfigurations. Potions was hard. I could never remember the plants in Herbology, but Astronomy was wonderful."

"It sounds swell!" He wasn't about to admit he had no idea what Transfigurations were.

Myrtle agreed. "For the most part, it was. But some of the students were mean. One girl who made me miserable was Olive Hornby. She made fun of my glasses."

"You were picked on by bullies?" Sydney asked pugnaciously. He looked ready to defend the honor of this young girl.

"Uh-huh. On the day that I died, I hid in the bathroom. I haunt that bathroom now."

Sydney sighed. "In the Real World, I… haunt locker 247, where I spent so much time, because bullies kept stuffing me in." Well, not since his mirror was broken, but somehow it didn't sound like something worth saying.

Myrtle looked offended. "No! That's horrible! As mean as the students in my school were, they never touched me. Sometimes they hid my things, but they were much meaner about name-calling." She looked over at Lady Helena, who was talking to Ember. "The Grey Lady told me not to think about what students say, and that I have worth even if the students don't see it."

Sydney followed her gaze. "The Grey Lady? Who is she?"

Myrtle beamed and clapped in joy. "The Grey Lady is my mentor, now. It was Danny's idea."

"Danny Phantom? The Halfa?"

"Well… yes. He's a hero."

Sydney frowned. "Maybe I misjudged him. Hey, would you like an egg cream?"

Myrtle thought about this. "I don't know. I haven't eaten anything in 54 years."

"Well… This is the Ghost Zone. It's worth a try, wouldn't you say?"

At that point, the Ghostwriter entered, and it would offend his sense of romanticism if he didn't take advantage of this opportunity. The music stopped for the dramatic effect he was going for. "And now I present to you Princess Dora, and two ghosts who need no introduction, Danny Phantom and Vlad Plasmius!" It wasn't the role of Master of Ceremonies the author craved, but how often does one announce royalty in the Ghost Zone?

Ember rolled her eyes, but the Hogwarts contingent applauded appreciatively.

Sir Nicholas chirped, "Well met, well met, your Highness. And Danny! I'm very glad you could make it. And, of course, welcome, Professor."

The Box Ghost scratched his head. "Dora, I know you helped us at the battle of Pariah Dark, but you've never come to the party before."

The princess smiled. "I did come once. Many centuries ago. I was glad to know it was still occurring."

Skulker peaked his eyebrows. "Plasmius… Professor? Since when?"

Vlad was nonplussed at Skulker and any number of other ghosts who were surprised and confused by his newly conferred title. "It is part of my business in Britain that I notified you of in July. I just didn't think my current job description was relevant."

Youngblood looked aghast at Johnny 13 and Kitty. "Aw, man! There are _two_ teachers here. I thought this was Christmas break!"

Youngblood's parrot raised an eyebrow. "Any part of that comment would have made more sense if you actually went to school, you twit. And you don't think teachers deserve a vacation?"

"Oh. Right. I guess they do."

Danny smiled and waved at the crowd. "Uh, hi. Merry Christmas." He was given warm smiles and wary glances as greetings were exchanged. Raising his eyebrows, Danny decided he needed to ask someone about the weird general atmosphere later. Now, he had a job to do.

"Dora and Ghostwriter, these are my friends and a professor from my current school. This is Sir Nicholas de Mimsy-Porpington, Lady Helena Ravenclaw, the Baron, the Friar, Professor Binns, and Myrtle. Friends, this is Princess Dorathea of Aragon, and the Ghostwriter, who I told you about."

Sir Nicholas asked, "Really? Are you any relation to King Ferdinand? He was the king of Aragon, in what is now Spain, round about my Death Day in 1492."

Dora blushed. "I don't think so. The kingdom is named for my brother, who ruled our section of the Ghost Zone with an iron claw for the past 1600 years, until Sir Phantom came to help rescue us from the Dark Ages."

"Danny!" Sir Nicholas and the Baron chorused. Sir Nicholas admonished, "Why have you hidden your title from us? And you live, yet!"

"I, um… Vlad, help!"

Vlad took a moment to relish Daniel's discomfort. He didn't know about said title until yesterday, himself. But more than that moment was overkill, and he came to rescue his ward. "Daniel has earned any number of titles because of his heroics. But he is quite the modest child, and doesn't wish to flaunt them. Further, Daniel does have a secret identity to keep. How much of a secret would his ghosthood remain if he claimed a noble title given to him by a ghost princess?"

The Baron blushed silver. "Yes, of course."

The Ghostwriter piped up. "Pardon me, but why did you point out that Danny is alive? We're glad for the fact, but…"

Sir Nicholas patted the Ghostwriter's shoulder. "Dear Ghostwriter, those of us who are mere spirits of the dead are formerly what we once were. In the … human realm, active titles only belong to the living. While I will forever be Sir Nicholas, I am only a former knight. Danny is alive, and therefore _is_ a knight, as dubbed so by her Highness, Princess Dora."

"Understood."

Shortly after this, the Ghostwriter cornered the Fat Friar, and they spoke of poetry formats and conventions used in the Friar's time, and compared them with those more common in the Ghostwriter's time.

Johnny 13 came to Danny. "Hey, kid. I didn't know you've been pallin' around with royalty and nobility."

Danny shrugged. "Princess Dora is special that way. And… you never know who you'll meet when you go to school in a castle in Britain."

"How did you hook up with Plasmius? I mean… he could be bad news, and that has nothing to do with me or my shadow's luck."

Danny gave him a sidelong glance. "He's been my legal guardian since my family was killed. Didn't you notice my Dad's Portal's been shut down for months?"

"Yeah, kid. I noticed. I wanted to visit, even though your pretty sister's not around anymore, but Plasmius…" Johnny gulped. "Ordered that _no_ ghost was to visit Amity Park without his say so. He said it was to give respect to the human survivors. He didn't tell us _what_ they survived, but if _your_ family was killed, then you must know." He almost looked hopeful, but not too hopeful – that wouldn't be cool.

"I know, alright. I don't want to talk about it."

Johnny raised his hands in submission. "Whatever you want, kid. It's alright." He paused for a moment. "Is it true that you're getting more powerful?"

Danny raised his eyebrows. Where was this coming from? "Yeah. Vlad's been training me, and like any workout, when you practice, you get stronger. I'm getting better at using the powers I've always had, and Vlad's helped me discover and use powers I didn't know I had."

Johnny whistled appreciatively. Danny put a hand on the back of his neck. "Johnny, when I first got here this year, the ghosts were acting… weirder than normal, besides those I met at school. What's going on?"

The rebel nervously sought out Plasmius with his eyes, checked to see if Kitty was okay, and looked back at Danny. "Yeah. Um… When Plasmius visited Skulker last month, I remember hearing about you, with the ability to take over, and…"

Danny waved his arms. "Wait, wait, wait. What are you talking about?"

Johnny found his toes fascinating. "Maybe I got it wrong, but I heard that when you get powerful enough, the Ghost Zone should call you 'Master,' and that has nothing to do with Plasmius's human name."

Danny scratched his head. "Johnny, I know it's been, like, what… five months since I've been away from Amity Park. I don't _think_ I've changed that much. Since when have I wanted to take over anything? For as long as you've known me, all I wanted was to be left alone, and the ghosts to leave me, my family, my friends, and my town alone.

"Instead, the Lunch Lady went mental because of Sam's experiment with the school lunch menu. (I guess I should be thankful for part of that. I mean, turf-wiches? Ugh.) Desiree turned my best friend into a malevolent ghost. Skulker's been hunting me since who knows when. Technus has made all _kinds_ of complications in my life. You tried to possess my sister, and Kitty spent time overshadowing a classmate. Walker put me in prison because I knocked my Dad's anniversary gift for my Mom into the Portal by accident, and then invaded my town, framing me for crimes I never committed. Spectra took emotional advantage of _everyone _in my school, and almost killed my sister. Ember almost fried everyone's brains and took over the world, and she and Youngblood kidnapped all the adults in town. Sydney mistook me for the bully Dash was and overshadowed me, and the Box Ghost is a general nuisance. And that says nothing about the Ghost King, Prince Aragon, who kidnapped Sam, and I'm still not sure what Hotep-Ra wanted with Tucker.

"At what point was I the aggressor here? When have I shown a desire to take over anything?"

Johnny looked up at Danny. "I never thought of it like that, kid."

Danny thought for a moment and sighed. "If I have it right, Vlad probably was dramatic about telling people to leave me alone. I'll probably be capable of serious damage… well, now, to tell you the truth. But if people aren't out to hurt me, or the humans or ghosts I hang out with, I have no reason to hurt anybody. (And Sir Nicholas told me to think twice about venting misplaced aggression on the Box Ghost, even when I think he deserves it.)"

"You know, you're alright, kid. Stay that way."

"I'll try, Johnny."

Sir Nicholas found Skulker. "I understand you are a skilled hunter, Skulker."

Skulker preened. "That I am."

"You know, years ago, I was a fair hand at it myself. Hunting was a privilege given by the royalty to the nobility and aristocracy. It was more sporting to hunt without using magic, as a well-placed Stunning Spell will immobilize any creature that is tangible. Well… When the game was to be captured and killed, that was the rule. But practicing aim with any number of spells was fair, only if the creature was released afterwards."

"A privilege given by royalty?"

"I lived in England in the 15th century. That was how such things worked." Sir Nicholas huffed in frustration. "Now, the only hunt _theoretically_ available to me is the Headless Hunt, and Sir Patrick Delaney-Podmore is fanatical about details. I tell you – half an inch of skin and sinew holds my head to my body, but that isn't _quite_ headless enough for Sir Patrick."

Skulker had difficulty processing all the information Sir Nicholas gave him. "A Headless Hunt? How could that be? For over two years now, I've sought the Ghost Child's head for my trophy (although Plasmius has made it crystal clear that Danny's off-limits, now). Any ghost I know without a head ceases to function."

Sir Nicholas sighed. "I don't know why there is a difference between your kind of ghost and my kind of ghost. From what I can tell, you are all beings of tangible ectoplasm, unless you wish to be otherwise, whether you are spirits of the dead, like Sydney or Desiree, or you were simply formed that way, as I assume you were. I understand that dismemberment can be as damaging to you as if you were a living human."

Skulker nodded. That might not be true about the battle-suit, but his green being inside it needed to be protected from that very thing. Apparently, this ancient knight has had time to think through the theory of how ghosts work. Five centuries is an awful lot of time, even though there were certainly older ghosts. The Lady and Baron were older than that, and the Fright Knight and the Ghost King were even older than that.

The former knight continued, "But my kind of ghost is largely just a shade, a reflection of who we once were. For whatever reason (and each has his or her own), we have chosen not to go on to the next step of 'that great adventure,' as Headmaster Dumbledore is so fond of saying. Which reminds me… I must inquire about what ever became of the Flamels.

"In any event, ghosts of my sort bear the wounds we had that brought us to death. Mine was a botched execution. The executioner could have had the decency to have sharpened his axe, but no…"

This conversation was feeling increasingly surreal to Skulker. "May I ask _why_ you were executed?"

Sir Nicholas blew out a breath. "It started out as a foiled attempt to straighten Lady Grieve's teeth with a spell. And then she decided to find religion. Quite convenient, that. Of _course_ I was a wizard, graduate of Hogwarts, and earned quite a distinction at court for my creative means of Defense against invaders and whatnot. Didn't mind my magic then, did they? But when it came to needing a _convenient_ reason for doing away with me, they suddenly remembered that witchcraft and wizardry was against the Bible. That allowed them to sidestep my right to a fair trial, as should have been granted to me as per the Magna Carta.

"So I was scheduled to be executed the next day for my offense to Lady Grieve. Honestly… The spell would have come out properly, but a gnat flew down my throat in the middle of my recitation. Instead, Lady Grieve sprouted a tusk. I could have fixed it, if given the chance, but her displeasure took greater priority," he finished bitterly.

Skulker stared in consternation. Sir Nicholas shook his head. "I imagine it was better that I was in England and not in Spain. Torquemada was one to beat the band. So, I was to be beheaded." He sighed. "I suppose I should have been thankful I wasn't tortured first. Well… the 45 whacks with a dull axe blade weren't _intended_ to be torture. They couldn't find the stone to sharpen the blade, they said."

Skulker shuddered. "That… sounded painful, physically and emotionally."

"It was."

Skulker thought for a moment. "You are intangible to the human world, but you can touch ghosts, correct?"

Sir Nicholas sighed sadly. "Yes."

Musing to himself, Skulker muttered, "Well, the Truce might forbid… but if it was voluntary, it might not violate… but then again…"

"Skulker?"

"Here is the thing. Would it help if I broke through that half-inch of skin and sinew?"

Sir Nicholas jerked his head, and he had to grab it so it didn't flop down unbidden. "What's this?"

Skulker squared his shoulders. "I have a blade in this suit designed especially for decapitating ghosts." He stared longingly at Danny and sighed. "If ghostly things are tangible to you, perhaps I can help you join that Headless Hunt by severing that half-inch holding your head to your body."

Sir Nicholas stared at him. "Do you really think you can?"

"Yes; it should work. But then, there's the problem of violating the Truce…"

The former knight laughed. "Then you have nothing to fear. As long as it's consensual, I don't see the problem with it."

Skulker squirmed, which wasn't dignified, but there was no reaction quite as appropriate. "I suppose we should take this outdoors. The others might not understand."

"Quite right, quite right. Let's see if you can't correct a mistake that's been 504 years overdue to be corrected." Skulker couldn't get over the cavalier dismissal of a beheading that would have had any other ghost he knew begging for mercy. But he was now stuck for it.

The Friar found Desiree. "Hello, there."

"You are the… why do you choose to be known as the 'Fat' Friar?"

He smiled. "Because that's what I am. It's actually a trick my Housemates taught me when I was a student at Hogwarts. You see, while many children are innocent and sweet, other children can be vicious and cruel. Picking on insecure children is one of those things they do, perhaps to hide their own jealousy, insecurity, or simply out of spite. I was always heavy, and was fairly sensitive about the teasing.

"My friends, particularly my Housemates, told me to take the synecdoche and make it mine. If I claimed it as a title, they couldn't use it to hurt me anymore. I've seen it done to good results before, as a red-haired student was fondly called 'Carrot-top' by a kind-hearted school caretaker. So when the students, jealous of the girl's red hair, used Carrot-top as an epithet, she surprised them by glowing with pleasure and pride.

"I believe it was a prefect who reminded me that – until balanced diets were known to be healthful and widely accessible – fat on a person, in Europe, anyway, was seen as a symbol of wealth and prosperity. And so… when the cruel children couldn't fault me for my work ethic (and resultant good grades), or my loyalty to my friends and causes, or even my kindness, they discovered they could no longer tease me over the one thing I had no control over, that I was aware of."

Desiree nodded firmly. "Hogwarts is a school of witchcraft and wizardry, is it not?"

The Friar nodded happily. "It is indeed. How did you know of it?"

She waved a hand. "I've been around. I know a little of this, a little of that. I was a ghostly genie in a lamp for a while, and my lamp was passed around the Wizarding World in the Middle-East and western Asia for a while, until it reached the Romani. Babazita learned my tale, and told it well." She sighed.

The Friar studied her for a bit. "Desiree, I have heard Danny say that you have the power, if not the desire, to turn him into a wizard. Is this true?"

"Of _course_ it's true! I've always been good at using my magic to grant wishes. Since _my_ wishes were never fulfilled, I take it upon myself to _grant_ wishes, but only in a fashion that _I_ wish to. And I've spent over a century granting wishes. I could turn… you would say, a Muggle into a wizard, or a wizard into a Muggle. I've done it, too. But…" She scanned the crowd, laying eyes on Danny, and lowered her voice. "Now that the half-ghosts know about the Wizarding World, I will make it my business to never be in a position to be forced to grant that wish."

Desiree crossed her arms and flounced. It was impressive, particularly because she kept a ghostly tail throughout the interview. Glaring in Danny's direction, she spat, "That boy is powerful enough. It would have been fun to have his friend and helper become a malevolent force more powerful than he is. I never learned _how_ he undid that, as my spell was complete. But I may never forgive Danny for disrupting my granting of wishes during a meteor shower."

The Friar patted her back. "Come now, my dear. Forgiveness is divine, you know. And you should know that he isn't entirely sure of _what_ exactly happened that day. He remembers a fight with his friend, he remembers rescuing her, but… you can't fault him for trying to save his friend, can you?"

Desiree thought about this. She remembered that Sam was very specific in her wish that the three Musketeers remember the event, but Desiree _did_ manipulate _how_ Danny remembered those few days. She did make sure his memory of some of what happened was vague. He _did_ remember his past with his powers, he remembered how life would have been different if he and Sam didn't have their past relationship, but Desiree left him uncertain of her role in the affair. He knew she was involved, but he never knew the extent of it. It was spiteful, but she knew that once he was back in control of his powers and his memory of her, he would win. It was her way of getting back at him.

She sighed. "I suppose not. But it was almost perfect… I was moments away from achieving _so_ much power…"

"I know, dear, I know. But remember this… If your work was not undone, who would have saved us from Pariah Dark?"

She looked at him sulkily. "You are causing me to have a feeling I don't wish to have." Guilt, possibly remorse, or even gratitude for Danny's work was rising within her, and she didn't want it.

"Look within yourself, and be honest. Who is causing these feelings?"

The Friar was right again, but she resented it. "I still don't have to grant him that wish."

The former monk smiled. "If you got to know him, you would know that he doesn't desire power outside that which he already has. Surely, you could spare a moment for a proper holiday greeting."

She glared at the short ghost, but then drifted over to find Danny. A simple greeting couldn't hurt.

Vlad served himself some of Ember's heavenly goose and found the Grey Lady. "Lady Helena, how are you enjoying the party?"

"Well, Professor, there is quite a collection of people here. It is interesting to meet so many of young Danny's acquaintances. It is unfortunate that so many are not pleased with our young hero."

"My dear Lady, besides the princess, who he rescued from the cruel reign of her brother, and the Ghostwriter, for whom Daniel caused the first problem and they've since reconciled, I'm not sure there's a ghost here whose plans he didn't foil at least twice. They are friendly enough because they have to be, but I believe after… Myrtle spoke with that other young ghost, I think she effected a reconciliation between Daniel and Sydney."

The Grey Lady smiled warmly. "Then dear Myrtle _is_ learning. She is asserting herself and standing up for what she thinks is right. I'm proud of her."

"You've given her a fine role model."

She blushed opaque silver. "Actually, I think her role model is Danny. Even he is proud of her! Look." Vlad and the Grey Lady watched as Myrtle had words with the Box Ghost, as he spoke to Danny. Sydney gave a reproving look to both Danny and the Box Ghost. Danny shrugged, but the Box Ghost looked unhappy as Myrtle stood with her hands on her hips, occasionally wagging a finger at him. Danny's eyes glowed proudly at her courage.

Vlad laughed. "I'll have to be careful. Perhaps this 'hero' thing is catching. Daniel, Harry, now Myrtle… Is this something we should be encouraging?"

"Absolutely, Professor. Without question."

Professor Binns watched Youngblood toss grapes in the air, and giggled when the parrot caught and ate them. "Avast, ye botswain! Stay back!"

The professor smiled. "Ah, piracy as romanticized. Do you know why pirates speak the way you seem to like to act out?"

Youngblood wasn't sure what to do. He was unhappy with the idea of learning from a teacher, but he didn't know of any teacher that spent time on pirates. "Um…"

"Would you like to know?"

Youngblood shrugged. The parrot looked at him. "It might help you correct your repartee if you knew why you were on about these things."

He thought for a moment. "Okay. Yeah. Why _do_ pirates talk like that?"

Professor Binns began, "Part of the speech is nautical jargon. Part of it comes from the uneducated speech of the lower classes. And part of it comes from the pain that the villains of the high seas incurred during their battles."

Youngblood got the idea of pain – there was a reason one of his legs was wooden and one of his hands was a hook, and that didn't come from a game. But he focused on a part of the conversation he wasn't already familiar with. "Lower classes? What do you mean?"

The professor sighed. "I take it, from your accent, that you are from America."

"Yeah."

"If you are unfamiliar with the concept of a class system, I would say you were from… the mid-20th century or later."

The young pirate wanna-be cocked his head. "How do you know?"

Binns explained, "The things you think of as 'common knowledge' date you. Whether the things you know are dealing with the upkeep of slaves, or how upwardly mobile you can be before you hit somewhere 'above your station,' or what new gadget will help you 'keep up with the Joneses,' the common day to day discussions that don't require much thought or research tells an informed listener _when_ you are from. It is a good skill to have as a ghost, Youngblood."

"When are you from, Professor?"

"The United States were still colonies when I was alive. But that may not be as helpful as it sounds. There are a few centuries that fact could cover, and I didn't tell you what was going on when I died. And, I lived a rather long life. Why don't you guess?"

Youngblood scratched his head. "Or maybe a game, like Twenty Questions?"

"Very well." He smiled. Professor Binns tricked the young ghost into being more comfortable around him, and turned learning into a game. It was a long time since he had such fun. This may not change his teaching style in Hogwarts, but it _was_ an interesting way to teach history.

Danny stood in a corner, eating from a plate of refreshments, just relaxing from the merriment around him. The Ghostwriter sidled up and asked, "So how are you enjoying the party?"

Looking up, Danny smiled lightly. "With all things concerned, this is probably the first stress-free Christmas I can ever remember. Even in hiding, I'm here with friends, no one is fighting that I need to worry about, Vlad and I are getting along, and I'm just having a good time."

The Ghostwriter put an arm around his shoulder giving a friendly squeeze. "Would you say you learned last year's lesson?"

Danny smiled at the author. "I guess I did."

"Merry Christmas, Danny."

Having worked the party such that he spoke to every adult ghost in the room, Vlad stood by the fire with a glass of champagne in his hand, watching Daniel. The boy was light-hearted and smiled warmly. He was more relaxed than Vlad could ever recall seeing him.

Sir Nicholas and the Baron looked at each other, nodded, and approached him. "You've done well, Vlad," Sir Nicholas murmured.

"Have I?" Vlad's eyes never left Daniel.

"Indeed," intoned the Baron.

"How so?"

Sir Nicholas put a hand on Vlad's shoulder that was not attached to the hand holding the champagne. "There are so many things going on in his world to make Danny desperately unhappy. Despite being away from all of his natural family and his human friends, he is cheerful and seems to be content. And while the six of us from Hogwarts are here, he will leave the party with you, and he is happy about this. Considering that when you first took guardianship of Danny, you were arch-nemeses, the fact that he should be at such ease with you is a testament to your hard work and good will. He appreciates what you've done for him. I would consider all of this a job well done."

The Baron said simply, "You have done a very creditable job, Vlad."

Vlad looked up at the two older ghosts, Sir Nicholas beaming and the Baron making the attempt to do the same. "I thank you for saying so."

Draining his flute, Vlad put it on the mantle and checked his watch. Walking over to where the Ghostwriter and Daniel stood, Vlad cleared his throat. Danny said, "Uncle Vlad?" The Ghostwriter's eyes widened at this address.

"Daniel, it's getting late. It is time we head back to our rooms."

The Ghostwriter nodded. "Have a good night. Thank you for coming to the party, and I'll see you in the morning."

Danny put his plate on a nearby table, and Vlad grasped his shoulders. "How have you enjoyed your evening, Daniel?"

"I have, Vlad. A lot. Thank you."

Vlad smiled warmly. "I told you I wanted to make our first Christmas happy."

"You did."

"And it's not yet over."

"I know." Danny snuck an arm around Vlad and leaned into him. "Thanks, Vlad."

"Merry Christmas, Daniel."

* * *

Harry slowly woke, hearing Ron mutter in awe, "It's perfect. It's absolutely perfect."

Having rubbed the sleep from his eyes, Harry found his glasses and asked, "What's perfect, Ron?"

"This chain Hermione got for me. Look!" Harry fingered the necklace. The charm was a ruby surrounded by a ring of blue topaz. "It's perfect."

Harry smiled. "Of course it's perfect. Hermione's good that way." He shrugged into the sweater Mrs. Weasley made him, reminding himself to go through the twins' newest products they gifted him with. There was an odd, roundish package the size of two fisted hands, with a label that read: 'To Master, from Kreacher.'

"What do you think it could be? Do you think it's safe?" Harry asked.

"Dunno. Can't be dangerous, as all our mail's being searched at the Ministry."

Harry sighed. He discovered a rather large package of sunflower seeds. His eyes widened. "Interesting. They're fresh, so they can be either eaten or planted. Or used in potions."

Ron laughed. "Didn't take long for you to start thinking like the ward of a Potions Master."

Harry blushed. "Yeah, well…"

Ron thought about this. "But I thought Kreacher hated you."

Shrugging, Harry said, "I sent him the cake plate with the Black family crest as a gift. I guess he liked it."

"Now, you've got _two_ mental house-elves who like you. Hermione would have a fit."

Harry smiled; she probably would, at that. Or, she'd be proud. But what was this? "Hey, Ron. Look what Danny sent."

Ron looked up with curiosity and surprise. "I got one, too! But… How did he get the gifts here? He can't use the Floo. Muggles can't, you know."

Harry didn't know. The Floo powder seemed to be a pre-spelled item. He would have to look into it later. "Danny might be a Muggle, but no one said Professor Masters couldn't send them for him." He opened the package to find a large plush but finely detailed tawny lion with a red mane that wore a green sweater. A note attached read, 'To make up for the years you've needed someone to hug. Merry Christmas. Danny.'

Harry refused to let himself tear up in front of Ron. Besides the picture album Hagrid gave him and the Firebolt Sirius gave him, this was easily the most sentimental, intimate gift he had ever received. It was personal on a level no one had ever gotten before. Harry murmured, "You are what Dudley should have been. But you're _so_ much better, Danny."

"Harry?"

He smiled at Ron with glassy eyes. "It's great, Ron. What did he get you?"

After sifting through the wonderful things they received, they joined the family downstairs in the kitchen. Harry brought a package with him under his arm. He wanted to give his gift to Professor Snape in person. Everyone wore the sweaters Mrs. Weasley made for them. It genuinely surprised Harry and Ron to see Professor Snape wear the black cable knit sweater, and Fleur blushed, wearing the sweater of royal blue. Apparently, the professor impressed upon her the propriety of not offending their hosts.

Ginny saw the startled look on Harry's face as he gazed at Fleur's rouged countenance, and she grinned at him. Fleur's better grace in dealing with the Weasleys was another unexpected effect of having Professor Snape here.

"Arthur!" Mrs. Weasley said suddenly. She stood up and stared out the window. "Arthur – it's Percy!"

"_What?_"

Everyone looked out the window, and Ginny stood up to get a better look. Percy had come up the walkway, but he wasn't alone.

"Arthur, he's – he's with the Minister!"

Severus's face turned stony. The Minister surely didn't visit the Weasleys on a regular basis. The reason he was here had to do with Harry. What did that posturing fraud Scrimgeour want with his ward? Whatever it was, he wasn't getting it without Snape's consent!

The back door opened and there stood Percy. There was a moment of painful silence, and then Percy said rather stiffly, "Happy Christmas, Mother."

"Oh, _Percy!_" Mrs. Weasley threw her arms around her long distanced son.

Rufus Scrimgeour paused in the door, smiling as he observed this tender scene. "You must forgive this intrusion…"

The professor crossed his arms and said, "Forgive me, Minister, but since when does a son's homecoming on a holiday constitute an intrusion?"

Everyone stared at Professor Snape. Neither Rufus nor Percy seemed to expect the dour Potions Master and professor to be there, and were surprised at his presence and interruption. Other occupants of the room were unsure of what to make of this, and were as curious as anything to find out what would happen next.

The Minister cleared his throat and tried again. "Percy and I were in the vicinity – working, you know – and he couldn't resist dropping in and seeing you all."

Percy showed no sign of wanting to greet any of the rest of the family, and Mr. Weasley, Fred, and George stared at him, observing him. Professor Snape narrowed his eyes and glared at the Minister.

"Please come in, sit down, Minister!" fluttered Mrs. Weasley, straightening her hat. "Have some…"

"No, no, my dear Molly," said Scrimgeour. Snape raised an eyebrow. "I don't want to intrude, wouldn't be here at all if Percy hadn't wanted to see you all so badly…"

"Oh, Perce!" Mrs. Weasley reached out to kiss him.

Scrimgeour said, "Yes, well, not wanting to interfere with your reunion… I noticed you have a charming garden. If that young man right there would take a turn in it with me…"

Snape sneered. "Ah, Minister. At least Lady Catherine de Bourgh had Mrs. Bennet's leave before taking Elizabeth into the garden."

"I beg your pardon?"

"You have neither my pardon, nor permission to remove my ward from my sight."

The Minister spluttered. Harry was grateful, as the choreographed scene of an uninterested Percy greeting a mostly unwelcoming family, and the Minister's pretending not to know who Harry was had been rather badly played. The uneasy feeling Harry had was lessened because Professor Snape cut to the heart of the matter. Harry decided to remind himself to ask his guardian when he'd read _Pride and Prejudice_, but now there were more pressing matters at hand.

"But Harry has no guardian, beyond his aunt and uncle."

"Tut, tut, Minister. It would serve you better to check the files, rather than to rely on what the media says on the matter. I can assure you that I am indeed Harry's guardian, and I will not have him alone with an adult I'm not familiar with, at present."

"Surely, you would trust your ward with the Minister of Magic?"

Severus glowered at the Minister. "I have no faith in the government, whatsoever. Two summers ago, the Minister of Magic set a full Wizengamot against my ward for using magic to defend himself from Dementors. Considering the circus the Ministry made out of Hogwarts last year, I have no inclination to give the Ministry, or even the Minister, _carte blanche_ to have any dealings with my ward that I do not expressly approve of. If you wish to speak to my s- ward, you will have me present, or you shall not speak to him at all."

Rufus was speechless. This was a turn of events he hadn't anticipated. Until this point, Dumbledore prevented anyone from the Ministry who wasn't a Weasley from even getting near the boy. But with an official guardian looking out for him, the boy would be that much more difficult to manipulate.

Taking a breath, Rufus said, "Very well, gentlemen. If you would join me, I'd be delighted." Neither Harry nor Severus believed that 'delighted' would be the word _they_ would use to describe it, but Harry looked to the professor who rolled his eyes, and they followed him out to the garden.

Walking across the yard, the Minister gave up the pretense of caring about the snow-covered garden. "You know, Harry, I've wanted to meet you for a very long time."

Harry looked back at him. "No, sir. I didn't know."

"Rumors have flown around, with whispers of prophecies…"

Snape said, "I would think so, Minister, since the Hall of Prophecies was damaged if not destroyed."

This wasn't working the way Scrimgeour wanted it to. "Harry, people have been saying that you are 'the Chosen One.' What do you know about that?"

Harry furrowed his brows. "Only that it's one more annoying rumor and title that I've been given. The Boy Who Lived, the Heir of Slytherin (thank goodness _that_ rumor's over), Hogwarts Champion (and all the epithets that came with it), and there was no end to the names, titles, or accusations leveled at me all of last year. This 'Chosen One' thing is just one more way for the media to torment me."

"I'm sorry that it's troubled you, Harry. Have you discussed such things with Dumbledore?"

The professor grew increasingly impatient. "What my ward discusses with the Headmaster is a confidence you have no right to. Move on to something more productive, or I'm declaring this interview over."

This guardianship was beginning to annoy Rufus. If Snape kept interfering, he would get nowhere with the boy. "I am sorry that you are bothered by the title. But to the community at large, it seems to be rather important. People believe you _are_ 'the Chosen One,' you see. They think you're quite the hero – which, of course, you are, Harry, chosen or not! The point is, you are a symbol of hope for many, Harry. The idea that there is somebody out there who might be able, who might even be _destined_, to destroy He-Who-Must-Not-Be-Named – naturally, it gives people a lift. And I can't help but feel that, once you realize this, you might consider it a duty to stand along side the Ministry, and give everyone a boost."

Professor Snape looked thoughtful. He was curious to see what Harry would say or do.

Harry said, "I don't exactly understand what you want, Minister."

"Nothing onerous at all, I assure you. If you were seen popping in and out of the Ministry from time to time, that would give the right impression."

"Forgive my interruption once again, Minister." Snape could see the frustration building in the man's face, and was taking sincere, if perverse, pleasure from it. "I assume you heard of our encounter with Death Eaters last month, as they attacked us in Hogsmeade."

"Of course! And both of you performed brilliantly, once again showing what a true hero Harry is."

"Minister, what gave you the impression that I would allow Harry anywhere that is not as heavily warded as this very home or Hogwarts until the danger is over? And before you attempt to convince me or Harry that the Ministry itself is protected, it would be useful to remember that Voldemort himself invaded the Ministry and escaped with no hesitancy but his own will."

Scrimgeour paled. "I understand your concern, Professor. Perhaps you would consent to an interview."

Harry piped up, "With who, Minister? I _hate_ the media attention, and there is no way you can convince me that _more_ media attention is in my best interest."

"But think of the image, Harry."

"The image?" Harry asked. "So, basically you'd like to give the impression that I'm supporting the Ministry?"

"It would give everyone a lift, Harry."

"Won't that seem as though I approve of what the Ministry's up to?"

Scrimgeour frowned slightly. "Well, yes, that's partly why we'd like to…"

"Then no, I don't think it would work. You see, I don't like some of the things the Ministry's doing. Locking up Stan Shunpike, for instance."

Scrimgeour's face hardened. "I would not expect you to understand. These are dangerous times, and certain measures must be taken."

Harry was angry, but kept a low tone. "Locking people up without proving their guilt is a measure you have to take? Like keeping Sirius in prison for twelve years, without a trial, and then discovering only after he died that he was innocent all along? This is justice? And this is what you want to do to Stan?

"I think I understand just fine. You want the image that you're doing something to protect the public, but the only thing you're _really_ protecting is your image."

Rufus's face turned red. "You would do well to remember who you're addressing, young man."

Harry shrugged. "A man who wants me to help create a false image."

"I see. You prefer to distance yourself from the Ministry."

"I prefer to distance myself from lies."

Professor Snape said, "And no matter who prefers what, this conference is at an end. Come, Harry. We've heard quite enough. And no, Minister, I would _not_ grant permission for the interviews you're interested in. I'm glad to see that my ward shows the intelligence to see this for what it is – an unwarranted invasion of our privacy for a cause outside of his best interests. Good day to you, Minister. Come inside, Harry."

* * *

Danny woke at what he assumed was Christmas morning. At least, it was eight hours after he went to bed last night. It was interesting to wake up in ghost form. He had never been in the Ghost Zone overnight, before this trip, and it was still a disconcerting sensation. Rousing from unconsciousness always brought him to his human form, at home. But then, taking his human form in the Ghost Zone took as much energy as it took to turn ghost in the Real World.

He changed Morph's water, refilled her dish with food, and changed the litter in her box. She stretched and peered up at Danny and mewed contentedly. He petted her head with his gloved hand. "Merry Christmas, girl. Did you enjoy yourself last night?" She rolled on her back to let Danny rub her tummy. He complied. "I know I did. Last night was weirder than last year, but it was fun. The ghosts from the Ghost Zone didn't know what to make of the ghosts from Hogwarts."

He sat on the floor and crossed his legs. Morph jumped into his lap, kneaded his knee a few times, and settled in place where he could more easily stroke her. He smiled at her, and then lost himself in the memory. His hand was gentle, even on automatic pilot. "It was fun to see the House Ghosts, Myrtle, and Professor Binns in a social… well, purely social setting. Sir Nicholas will be forever grateful to Skulker – no one can call him 'Nearly Headless Nick' anymore, as Skulker properly completed his beheading." Danny shuddered and chuckled. "I wonder what Sir Patrick will say when he finds out.

"Myrtle was awesome. She told the Box Ghost off for messing around in Hogwarts, and picking on 'the living' in general. Lady Helena might have helped her find her confidence, but Myrtle is special because of what she chose to do with it. If Myrtle didn't mention it, I would never have thought of a game of catch with an ectoplasmic ball as a party game, but it's one of the few tangible joys she has. Huh – none of the Hogwarts ghosts ever let me see them eating or drinking. I'll have to ask about that when I get back to school."

He looked at Morph. "I can't tell you how weird it is to have the ghosts be nice to me. I mean, it was cool that they were last year, and they helped me fix the mess I made of things last year. But Walker and Skulker were partying and pleasant. And the best part was that _no one rhymed_, until the Ghostwriter, the Friar, and Sir Nicholas had a poem recitation contest, or something." He sighed. "Sam would have loved that type of thing, even though it wasn't Goth poetry. She would have enjoyed the novelty of ghosts reciting ballads and other poems. I would not have figured on Ember singing 'Carol of the Bells,' though. She and her mindless back-up crew were really good.

"Dora was disappointed there was no ball, but there was music enough for anyone interested enough to dance. Dora told us of the last Christmas she remembered. I imagine that Christmas was kinda new when she started celebrating it. The timelessness of ghosts is something I never really thought of. Professor Binns gave Youngblood a history lesson. It was funny. And Professor Binns wouldn't tell us when he lived until we asked the right questions. That was too cool."

Danny picked up Morph and nuzzled her. She purred loudly, and he shifted her into the crook of his left arm while his right hand cuddled her. "And then there was Vlad. I know that he's an important guy, but dude – _all_ the ghosts treated him like royalty. They kinda did to me too, but Vlad… wow. You know, before last night, I've never seen Vlad interact with the Ghost Zone ghosts, except for Skulker. But now… I don't know. Sir Nicholas explained the whole importance of introduction, and the idea that Vlad and I were mentioned _after_ Dora was 'a testament to the acknowledgement of our superior power.' I never would have thought of that." He nuzzled her again. "The only one I ever want to think of me as 'Master' is you, and that's only 'cause that's what pet owners are. I think of you more like a friend, anyway."

He put her down. "I'll see you later, Morph. I've got to see what Vlad's up to, and wish him a Merry Christmas."

Danny walked into the sitting room, where Vlad lounged in a wing-backed chair by the fire. "Good morning, and merry Christmas, little badger."

"Merry Christmas, Uncle Vlad." There was a Christmas tree in the corner that was decorated with strings of lights, tinsel, candy canes, metallic reflective balls, and a lovely star on top. There was a felt floor covering underneath, and there were a few gifts on the felt. "Um… Vlad, where did the tree come from? It wasn't here when we first got here. This morning is the first time I remember seeing it at all."

Pouring himself and Danny a cup of tea, Vlad looked at the tree, and turned back to putting sugar in the cups. "I really couldn't say. Why do you ask?"

"Well… Where would he get a tree?"

Sending a duplicate to feel the needles of the tree through his gloves, Vlad shrugged. "It's real enough. I imagine it sparks the romanticism in the Ghostwriter's soul to stay as traditional as he can. Which, again, begs your question. But why should such a thing trouble you? Princess Dora's castle had trees all over the place. Why should this be different?"

Danny was nonplussed. "Vlad, there is a forest on the island of the kingdom. Trees would be there for the taking."

Vlad thought for a moment. "Perhaps the Ghostwriter typed it into existence on his special Keyboard. You know, he uses it for purposes besides making you miserable last year."

Danny nudged the floor with a toe. "Didn't think of that." Another thought came to Danny. "You know, Vlad, Myrtle told me that wizards send presents to each other via Floo, so they get where they're supposed to go on Christmas Day. You told me to bring my selection to your room and put it in a pile. What happened to them?"

"Your friends, the elves, will do almost anything you ask, if you ask nicely. I asked Dobby, the one who wears hats, to deliver them for us, and to route any gifts we receive from the magical world to my rooms. We may have to go back a little early on January 5, so we can open the gifts the wizards sent us. It wouldn't do to have them send things and not acknowledge them. You should start writing Thank You cards Monday evening after our lessons. I know I will." Danny nodded.

Vlad smiled. "Apparently, some of our ghostly friends left presents for us."

"Um… Vlad, I didn't know we were coming here, until Friday, when Professor Binns helped me figure it out. What should I give to the Ghostwriter? It would be rude to stay in his house on Christmas and _not_ give him anything."

"Yes, good point." He thought for a moment. "Why don't you give him a set of your ice mugs? They are uniquely from you, as I doubt the people of the Far Frozen are so whimsical, and Klemper's not clever enough. They show off your talent, and should keep as long as he likes. The cool, ectoplasmic atmosphere has to be good for _something_. I've already given him my gift."

Danny looked up. "What did you give him?"

"I've commissioned him to write up our party last night in poem form. I've already reserved and purchased the first fourteen copies, but I'm sure any number of other ghosts would be interested in getting one of their own. It truly was a night to remember."

"Fourteen copies?"

"I'll share my gift list with you later. But now, let's open what we have here."

Danny smiled. Vlad was as excited as a little kid. Perhaps he had a few too many Christmas mornings alone. Or, more importantly, this was the first Christmas he would share with a kid of his own.

Dora gave Danny a steel sword with a jeweled hilt, pommel and sheath. She left a note that it was only befitting a knight. If Dora was a princess, yet she made Danny a knight, why was Danny more important? Right – because he and Vlad were more powerful. Danny decided he needed to sort this out with Sir Nicholas when they got back.

The Ghostwriter gave Danny a copy of the history of the people of the Far Frozen and a card with a simple poem of holiday greeting (of his own devising), and a note saying that it would be useful to know more about the people who would help to teach him a very impressive skill. They were surprised by a card from Clockwork; they were invited to come later today, when they were finished with the Ghostwriter after lunch.

Vlad was clearly delighted with the invitation, but his pupil-less red eyes gleamed with pleasure, as he said, "Oh, Daniel, now you must open _my_ gift to you."

Deciding that it would be wrong to deny Vlad this simple pleasure, Danny grabbed the last box and tore it open. His eyes grew very wide. "No, Vlad. You didn't!"

"Ah, but I did."

"Wow… Thanks, Vlad." Danny was now the proud owner of two complete box sets of Dumpty Humpty's albums, one complete set of CDs for when they got back to America, and just as complete a box set of LPs to play at Hogwarts in the Room of Requirement. Danny scooted over to where Vlad sat on the floor and hugged him. "That was amazing, and thoughtful, and wow. Thanks."

"Merry Christmas, little badger."

"And now it's my turn to give you my gift." Danny took a deep breath. He really wanted this to go well. "I've thought about this long and hard. I'm finally giving you the one thing you've wanted for the longest time."

Vlad furrowed his brows and cocked his head. "You mean Green Bay changed their mind?"

Danny chuckled. He'd almost forgotten about that. "Not to my knowledge. But Vlad… I'd like you to formally adopt me. I… want to be your son."

Vlad's eyes grew very wide. "Did I hear you right? You're… you're not cruelly teasing me again, like you did at the hunting lodge?"

Danny grasped Vlad's hands. "No. Not like in the lodge. For real. I mean, I wouldn't want to call you 'Dad,' 'cause that's for, well, Dad. But some other name that shows I consider you my father… that might work."

"You really mean it?"

"Yes, Vlad. I really mean it."

"Yes!" Vlad pulled Danny onto his lap, to Danny's not-quite-mortification, this time. Vlad enfolded Danny in a hug. "My son. My son! You've agreed to be my son! I've wanted this since that day in January almost two years ago. You're my son!" Vlad cried as he kissed the top of Danny's head. "My son."

"I love you, Vlad."

"I love you, Daniel."

They sat like that for quite some time. After several minutes passed, Vlad said, "I'll have you know that I have the adoption papers filled out and waiting in my desk drawer in my private rooms in Hogwarts, with the exceptions of our signatures, the dates, and the signature and stamp of a notary public. When we get back to Hogwarts, I'll email my secretary, and make an appointment with my lawyer. While I'm sure there's nothing wrong with British solicitors, the public would want to know why I wouldn't have done everything in Wisconsin."

Danny looked up at Vlad and couldn't remember him ever appearing so happy. "And you're right, of course. Jack will always be your Dad. But…" He paused in silence.

"Vlad?"

"Perhaps… perhaps you might… Well… Perhaps you'd call me Papá?"

Danny blinked. "Papá?"

Vlad's blue face blushed red. "Yes, well… That's what I called my own father, before… well, never mind. But Jack will forever be your Dad, and I want a name that you would have only for me."

"It'll be weird."

"Yes, but… Could you do this for me? Please?"

"Okay, Papá."

"Thank you, my son." Vlad hugged him again.

* * *

Harry and Severus came back into the kitchen and were quickly ushered into the living room, to see Percy hastily walking to the front door with parsnip on his glasses, and Mrs. Weasley tearfully fleeing upstairs. Severus demanded, "What in Merlin's name happened while we were out in the garden?"

Arthur, Fred, George, Ron, and Ginny chorused, "You don't want to know."

Both Harry and Professor Snape were surprised, but the professor was especially taken aback. Harry asked hesitantly, "Where's Bill and Fleur?"

Dusting off his shoulders, Arthur let anger flash in his eyes momentarily before he calmed down enough to answer simply, "When it was clear that Percy only intended to be rude to us, Fleur was highly offended, and Bill took her out to a meal elsewhere. I dare say they'll be back by dinnertime, but…" He sighed.

Professor Snape asked, more delicately this time, "May I ask what happened to your wife?"

Arthur looked over his four youngest children and back to the professor. "Percy made her cry. These children chose to retaliate, and I chose to turn a blind eye to their misbehavior. You _don't_ want to make Molly cry, Professor."

Severus's eyebrows shot up. While Arthur Weasley was a kind, soft-spoken man, it would never do to underestimate him, his power, or his fierce love for his family. "I'll keep that in mind."

Harry remembered a bit of the mess in the kitchen as they were hurried through it. "Would you like me to help clean up?"

Before either twin, Ron, or Ginny could say anything, Mr. Weasley said, "Oh, no, Harry. If you helped to clean, you would figure out what happened, and we are _determined_ that you don't want to know what happened. However…" He glanced sternly at his miscreant children, but it was far too soft to be a glare. "They will clean up and be done before Molly is ready to make dinner. It would not do to upset her again."

All four teenaged redheads gulped. "Yes, Dad." And with that, they and their father disappeared into the kitchen.

After the kitchen door snapped shut, Professor Snape observed, "That was… unexpected."

Harry smiled. "Well, here you learn to expect the unexpected."

"I imagine you're right." Severus thought for a moment. "I suppose, with this moment of relative privacy, now would be a good time to exchange _our_ gifts."

Harry said, "Good idea. Give me a moment, though." He knocked on the kitchen door.

George stuck his head out. "Can I help you with something?"

Harry smirked sheepishly. "Yeah. By my seat, I left a package…"

From within, a voice said, "Here, George. Catch!"

George turned to catch it, while another voice admonished, "I told you to do this without magic!"

"But this isn't cleaning – it's just getting something for Harry."

"I'll deal with you later."

George cleared his throat. "Well, here it is. I'll see you later." He winked and disappeared back into the kitchen.

Harry saw Professor Snape taking a seat near the tree, and he took one close to him. "So, who should give one first?"

Severus paused in thought. "It depends on which will make the most dramatic impact."

This was new. Professor Snape turned this gift giving into a game. Harry decided he could get used to this. "Well, my gift is slated to make you feel more special."

Severus raised an eyebrow, and said, "And my gift is slated to make you feel 'more normal'."

"If that's the case, Professor, you win, hands down. You open my gift first."

Severus knew that Harry wanted to be 'normal,' but didn't realize how high a value the boy set for it. Harry handed him a neatly wrapped box. Inside was an album with a velvet green cover, and in silver writing, read: 'Professor Severus Snape: Potions Master'. He looked to Harry, who smiled and nodded. Inside the album was every newspaper article, journal article, and otherwise comprehensive scrapbook with clippings detailing whenever he was in the news for his Potions and professorial accomplishments. It opened with an article announcing that Severus Snape was the youngest Potions Master in all of Europe in hundreds of years. There was an announcement pronouncing him to be the youngest professor on staff at Hogwarts when he was first hired. There were articles declaring his Potions inventions and innovations, articles Snape himself had written, and news and journal entries about him.

"Harry, this is amazing. How did you…?"

Harry smiled. "I got help from Mr. Weasley, Madam Pince, and Mr. Lovegood. I got two copies of everything, so both of us could have a copy." His eyes took on a mischievous twinkle. "The first words you ever said to me were about being a celebrity, and I thought about that. Why should I have had all that fuss when my greatest accomplishment at that point was nothing more than staying alive? You, on the other hand, have done _amazing_ things, breaking records, creating inventions, and being far more brilliant than seems to be widely acknowledged. I wanted to show you that at least _somebody_ appreciates you for all you do, and all you've done."

Severus closed the album, put it on a nearby table, got up, and hugged Harry. "You… you…" He held the boy tightly, speechless. After several minutes of carrying on this way, Severus straightened and said, "I cannot thank you enough. Only because I know this will affect you _much_ more powerfully, am I sure we've chosen the correct order."

He handed Harry a small package. "Happy Christmas, Harry." Harry took off the wrapping and there were two small boxes. Professor Snape flicked his wand, whispering, "_Engorgio._" One box was from Harrod's, and it was spelled to hold far more than any such thing from the Muggle department store could naturally hold. The other was from Madam Malkin's. Between them both, Harry took out at least three pairs of jeans, and Harry almost lost track of the number of pairs of casual slacks and dress slacks in various colors. There were polo shirts, dress shirts, pull-over shirts, sweaters, three-piece suits, wizard robes for casual wear, formal wear, dress robes, extra school things, outer cloaks. There were trainers, dress shoes, dragon-hide boots, and galoshes.

Severus said, "Oh, and for some reason which escapes me, Professor Masters has requested to hold onto the unsightly rags your unnatural relatives saw fit to clothe you in. You will never see the horrid rags again, though what the good professor intends to do with them, I couldn't guess."

Harry blinked when he reached several packages of pajamas, undergarments, and socks. "But how…"

"Surely you don't think Madam Pomfrey was the only one attending you during your lengthy stays in the hospital wing, especially when you were unconscious for days at a time. Of course I needed to know your precise weight to make sure the Potions you took were of an appropriate strength. Further, when you needed to be turned, so not to develop bedsores, well… anyone could lift you off the bed with a simple Levitation Charm. But turning a patient is less jarring when done manually."

Harry found the package of white socks fascinating. "But you hated me."

"Yes, I did. But I have a responsibility to my students, regardless of whether I like them or not." This was getting off into territory he didn't want to cover, so he changed topics. "Harry, it has taken me quite some time to realize that you have never been treated 'normally.' Unfortunately, you probably never will be. However, regardless of the barbaric way your… relatives treated you, or the insane expectations the Wizarding World holds you to (which you will probably live up to, despite them, blast them), there is no reason you should not have what is considered a normal wardrobe for a young wizard. The wardrobe of a boy who is cared for and loved."

Harry jerked his head up. "What?" he whispered.

Severus paused a moment. "I… love you." Wow. That wasn't all that difficult. But what would Harry think?

Tears streamed down Harry's face. "Say it again."

"I love you, Harry."

Harry carefully put down the package of socks, got up, and hugged Professor Snape, clinging to him.

It was quite some time before the torrent of happy tears slowed enough to give Harry some of his voice back. "Do you mean it?"

"Of course I do. When have you ever heard me say anything I didn't mean?"

"Right." Harry took a ragged breath. "You know the first time I ever heard those words aimed at me? When I was in Professor Dumbledore's office, and he had me destroy a locket with… Voldemort's soul and memories in it. A false image of Aunt Petunia and you said that I would never be worthy of anyone's love."

"Oh, Harry!"

"I destroyed the foul thing, but the things it said _hurt_. Almost to make me feel better, Professor Dumbledore told me that he loved me. I guess this is the second time I've heard the words, but the first time a father figure said them to me." Professor Snape held Harry close again.

"I love you, Harry, and you're stuck with me, as long as you'll have me. Until this year, I never would have thought it, but now that I do, I don't ever want to let you go."

"Really?"

"Really, Harry." Harry put his head on Snape's shoulder as he cried some more. The professor's heart broke to see how seriously touched Harry was by a simple declaration of love, and being treated decently, as any human being should be. He guided the boy to a couch, where they could sit beside each other.

After a few minutes, Harry quieted himself. "Then I guess I love you, too."

Severus was startled. When Harry told him he never heard the words, Severus was sure that Harry would have difficulty saying them. It was hard for him to digest the fact that the first person to whom Harry Potter made a declaration of love was himself, Severus Snape.

Harry sat, catching his breath, staring at the kitchen door. He quirked his lips into a half-smile. "That must be some mess in there, huh?"

Professor Snape chuckled. "Indeed. That it must."

Taking a deep breath, Harry decided to share what had been on his mind for quite some time. "If we've decided that we love each other, then we really have to find a more intimate name than 'Professor' or 'sir' for me to call you."

Raising an eyebrow, the professor said, "Interesting. And?"

"And… I'd like to come back to Danny for a moment."

Severus looked at Harry squarely, with his undivided attention. He had no idea where Harry was headed with this. "Alright."

"Well… since Thanksgiving, I've realized that Danny is more of a cousin to me than Dudley ever was, for all that Aunt Petunia's my mother's sister. When I decided to accept your guardianship, we kinda thought of developing our relationship into something similar to what Professor Masters and Danny have." Severus nodded. "Considering that I'm thinking of Danny more like a cousin, I could see calling Professor Masters 'Uncle Vlad' if he'd let me. Danny does, and has, so I figure it could work."

Harry almost put a hand on the back of his neck, and caught himself, realizing that was Danny's nervous tic. "At that point, I joked that I wasn't ready to call you 'Uncle Severus' the way Danny calls Professor Masters 'Uncle Vlad.' At this point, I feel close enough to call you something like that. But… I'm sure you realize that before Hogwarts, the only… Well, I don't know if I'd ever call Uncle Vernon a father figure, though he was the main adult male in my life.

"Now, if Danny and the professor had no relationship, and he decided to call him 'uncle,' that would be a step closer than they were before.

"While that works for Danny, I don't think that would work for me. My uncle only hated me. For the first real father figure who told me he loves me to be called 'uncle'… I just don't see it."

"Very well thought out. Do you have any suggestions?"

Harry looked down. "No. I wouldn't know what else was appropriate."

The Slytherin thought for a moment. "I think I have a compromise of sorts. How about this… In more private, intimate moments, you may call me Severus, but in class or more formal occasions, you will stick to 'Professor.' And when in doubt, 'sir' will always be acceptable."

"That sounds fair… Severus," Harry tried it out.

"I think I like the sound of that for now. And about Professor Masters and calling him 'Uncle Vlad'… I dare say that he would be honored, but if I have the right of it, well, hmm. You should ask him first, in any event, but I believe he would be of the mind to let you call him Uncle Vlad in approximately the same situations I would let you call me Severus."

"Okay. Thanks, Severus. For everything."

"It's my pleasure, Harry." Severus put an arm around Harry's shoulder, and they sat in companionable silence for a bit, relaxing in what was sure to be a temporarily peaceful moment.

* * *

The half-ghosts had mixed emotions as they left for Clockwork's tower. Vlad was elated that his dearest dream had come true. Danny was relieved, and a bit bemused by his new name for Vlad. Vlad was curious about this mythical ghost whom his son (he loved even _thinking_ that) had met on multiple occasions. Danny wasn't exactly sure what to think. He was both looking forward to seeing Clockwork, and he was a little afraid. At different points, Danny practiced speeches, lists of complaints or questions he had, but every last one of them flew from his head as they touched down on the tower's front porch.

The door opened, and Clockwork greeted them in middle-aged form. "Danny and Vlad – welcome. I've been expecting you."

"Merry Christmas, Clockwork," Danny ventured.

"A happy holiday season to you both. Please come in and make yourselves comfortable." They entered, and Vlad noticed what he thought would otherwise be a key rack holding a number of medallions with red ribbons and golden cogs with the emblem 'CW'. The round view screen showed scenes of Amity Park at this time.

A rattling sound caught Vlad's attention. He saw the green and silver Fenton Thermos. Danny paled. Vlad asked, "Is that…?"

"Yes, it is. Please don't."

Clockwork changed to child-form. "I understand congratulations are in order."

Danny smiled shyly. "Thanks, Clockwork."

Vlad raised an eyebrow. "How did you know?"

"I know everything." Vlad peaked his eyebrows. He wasn't sure he liked the idea of anyone knowing everything, but there wasn't much to be done about it.

Danny sighed. "You know, in July, I was angry. Everything you fixed for me was lost. Everything… except for me."

"That was a rather important exception. You have made many fine decisions. I like your last one best." Danny smiled.

Vlad looked at the mythical ghost who took an old man form. (He was right. Dumbledore did remind him of what Clockwork looked like. It was different, but his suspicions were right enough.) Vlad asked, "While I suppose I should be honored by your attention, why do you care so much about my son?" It felt _good_ to say that!

"Because, Vlad, I am Danny's Guardian."

"I do that job quite nicely, thank you," Vlad sneered.

Clockwork changed back to middle-age. "Yes, Vlad, you do. You have done a very creditable job, and Danny – as I said – has made very fine choices. You have learned your lessons well, Danny." The boy blushed.

"But to answer your question, Vlad… Because of Danny's potential, and his great power, and the simple destructive ability the boy is capable of, he has been put on probation."

Vlad scowled. "How dare you?"

Turning into a child, Clockwork answered, "The threat to Danny was not my choice. If anything, I was able to use Danny's own choices to convince the Observants to let Danny live, learn, and grow. While Danny has great ability and strength, it can be used just as easily for great evil as it can for great good. Because I gave Danny a second chance, it is my responsibility to stop him, if need be. You said that you would. You cannot. Only I could." Danny's shoulders slumped.

Changing into an old man, Clockwork rested a hand on one of Danny's shoulders and looked in his eyes. "You have done admirably, and you used your grief to spur you on to greater acts of love. Everything is as it should be. Well done." Danny smiled at the compliment.

Vlad felt rather left out. It was wonderful that Clockwork gushed all over his son, but he had to be worth something, too. "Daniel told me about several occasions that time has been reset to accommodate him. Are other possible outcomes in time available to see here and now?"

"They are, but the one you wish to see does not have the happy conclusion you would hope for."

Vlad spluttered. "But… but how do you know?"

"I've seen that possibility to its logical conclusion. You will be far more satisfied with events as they happened."

"But… but what might have happened if Maddie fell for _me_ instead of Jack?"

Danny grimaced. "Papá, trust me. You really don't want to know. If Dad got hit with Ecto-acne and ghost powers instead of you, you would…"

Changing to middle-age, Clockwork warned, "Enough!"

Danny sighed. "Let's just say you wouldn't have trusted her the way you should have, 'cause… my parents were meant for each other." Clockwork raised an eyebrow, and Danny decided he said more than enough.

Vlad took a moment to absorb all of this. "Wait a minute. Daniel, have you actually _seen_ this reality?"

"Yeah. The day Clockwork let me see what happened in that timeline was the day he let me find the cure for the Ecto-acne. You said you might have liked life that way, but I don't think you did."

Clockwork didn't want Vlad to know about that alternate reality. Daniel knew of it, but whatever Clockwork's relationship to the boy was, it was more authoritative than Vlad's own. Part of Vlad wanted to crow with pride for Daniel, while another part scowled in jealousy.

"Well… since you won't let me know too much about it, could I ask a question about that time line?"

Turning into a child, Clockwork said, "Only one."

"In that time line, did we have Daniel?"

Danny sighed. "Vlad, in that time line, you had no children. Not me, not Jazz, no children at all."

Vlad mused aloud. "If I had Maddie, you said I wouldn't have trusted her, and we would have had no children. But here and now, I am without Maddie, but Daniel is my son, and we trust each other (mostly). Without knowing more than that, I think I already like this reality better."

Clockwork smiled. "I told you – everything is as it should be."

Danny thought for a moment. "Clockwork, what happens with Voldemort?"

"That depends. There are several outcomes where he wins, but there are more outcomes where he is defeated." He changed into an old man. "If Voldemort had not allowed his Death Eaters to attack Amity Park, at least one outcome involves Harry defeating Voldemort, but it also involves the death of Albus Dumbledore, and Harry and Severus never develop their currently growing relationship, and Severus dies ignominiously. Harry would have appreciated him after the fact, but not before hating him until Severus's dying day."

"Wow… we really changed everything. But some things… Maybe it's better this way."

Clockwork smiled again. "I like to think so. But who knows? Different choices lead to different outcomes."

Vlad narrowed his eyes. "But how do you know?"

The Master of Time sighed. "Most people see time like a parade. They see it marching by, and only see the route the parade has taken. I see time from above. I see all the possible twists and turns time might take. What actually happens is up to the people making choices. However, the Observants get insistent that I do their dirty work if a ghost would purposely cause destruction and devastation." Turning to middle-age, he continued. "But the Observants do not see what _I_ see."

In awe, Vlad couldn't help but ask, "Why did you choose to invite us today?"

"Danny is a delightful young man, and I missed him. Also, I wanted to meet the man who could have been responsible for Danny turning Dark, or be his biggest proponent to keep him in the Light. It wouldn't be an exaggeration to say that a great deal relies on Danny's choices, but you give him the grounding necessary to go on. You are a very important individual, Vlad."

Vlad could have started to sing, but Clockwork bent to whisper so only Vlad could hear. "In October, you made some very important choices. Remember them."

Backing away, Clockwork smiled and turned into a child. "May I offer you some refreshments?"

* * *

The following morning, after a brief disagreement about whether to take Morph to the Far Frozen or leave her with the Ghostwriter (the Ghostwriter won the right to the company of the cat this time), Danny and Vlad left for the Far Frozen. "Papá, you said they call me 'the Great One.' What do they call you?"

Vlad peaked his eyebrows. "I believe the title I left with was 'the Guardian of the Great One.' It was better than the one I started with."

Danny stopped and looked at Vlad. "If they think all that about me, and considering our relationship before July, I could imagine."

Grabbing Danny's forearm and dragging him forward in flight, Vlad growled, "Never mind that now. Come!"

Unfamiliar with this section of the Ghost Zone, Danny informed, "I don't think I've ever been this way before."

"It is rather out of the way, and if the Ghostwriter didn't show it to me on a map, I might never have found it."

Danny enjoyed the wonder of the ice formations in the cave. The idea that he was going somewhere new in the Ghost Zone to meet unfamiliar ghosts brought no dread or anxiety, and it was a novelty. It was weird – he had come to the Ghost Zone countless times, but until now, his first time anywhere was a confrontation. Here, he would not only meet ghosts who _liked_ him, but ghosts who were willing to help him use his ice powers.

At the lowest floor of the ice cave, Danny and Vlad were approached by two yeti-like ghosts. "The Great One is here! You have fulfilled your promise, Plasmius." Vlad noticed the people of the Far Frozen had gone into ecstasy over meeting Daniel, though they were still cool to him. Sugar plums! Well, at least they weren't calling him 'Tormentor' anymore.

Trumpets were blown to herald their arrival. Danny murmured, "I've never had a real fanfare before."

Vlad sighed. In the distance, he could see Frostbite. "That one with the translucent arm is the ruler of these people, Frostbite."

"What's wrong, Papá?"

Vlad grimaced. "Let's just say these people don't like me very much."

The yeti ghosts were big and closed the distance rapidly. "Welcome, Great One. It is a pleasure to receive you in our homeland, Danny Phantom."

"Uh… thanks?"

Bowing deeply, the leader said, "I am Frostbite, ruler of the Far Frozen."

"Hi." Funny thing – he never asked Dora how to act when introduced as royalty _to_ royalty.

Vlad looked at his awkward son and realized he was going to have to get things started. Rolling his eyes, he took a breath. "Oh, Great Ruler, Daniel is as of yet unfamiliar with courtly ways."

"Ah, never fear. Not a problem. Would you care to see the humble shrine we have built, to honor you and your defeat of the Ghost King?"

Danny gasped. "Professor Binns told me… Um, that sounds cool. What do you say, Papá?"

Frostbite was taken aback. "Why do you call your tormentor by this name?" Vlad huffed.

"My… Vlad said as much. Yeah. Well, since July, when… my family was killed, Vlad agreed to be my guardian. We've had a few bumps in the road, but since he's done such a good job, I asked him to adopt me. He agreed." He smiled at Vlad, who smiled back, proudly and possessively.

"But why would you agree to such a thing?"

Danny's awkwardness returned. "Because, Mr. Frostbite, Vlad's only asked me this since we discovered we were half-ghosts. He's been teaching me all kinds of things, and we've grown to love each other like father and son. So… Vlad asked me to call him Papá, and so I do. (It still sounds weird, but he asked me to, so I'm working on it.)"

"You are a fortunate man and ghost, Vlad Plasmius."

"I know I am."

Frostbite nodded. "Very good, then. We will take the skiffs to the shrine, and then to the palace for refreshments. Later, we look forward to helping to train you in your ice powers, Great One."

As they rode, Vlad noticed Danny, who sat seriously disconcerted as they traveled over the ice and snow. "What's wrong, little badger? You had no problem at Aragon."

Danny grimaced. "That's different. There, it's more like play-acting. It's cool to pretend to be a knight in the Dark Ages, and then Dora made me one. But the only ones who really care about it are Dora and her mindless ghost servants. Here, this is _real_. The Far Frozen are real people who are treating me like a king or a prince. It's not that Dora isn't real. She is. But she treats me like we're the same. This is…" Danny spread his arms, making small circles to emphasize that the concept was bigger than his emotional vocabulary. Vlad put an arm around his shoulder.

"Modesty is a virtue, Great One." Danny whipped his head in Frostbite's direction. "We will try not to overwhelm you. But we truly are grateful to you for the heroics you've performed, and the many deeds of goodness and valor you keep doing."

"Mr. Frostbite, I've been away from heroic activity for months."

Frostbite smiled. "Perhaps. But ghosts have long memories, and we do not forget. Not that your efforts on our behalf were all that long ago…"

Vlad raised an eyebrow and smiled. "Get used to it, Daniel. Where is your Slytherin cunning? There are so many ways to use this to your advantage…"

"Papá!"

Vlad laughed to put his son at ease. However, he stored this information and Daniel's reaction to it away for better use. He could work with this.

Danny was at once fascinated and humbled by the care and consideration the people of the Far Frozen put into this shrine dedicated to him. The cave paintings depicted the Awakening of Pariah Dark (Vlad was truly thankful there was no picture of him in the midst of the biggest gaffe in recent history), the Fright Knight with his sword in the high school football field, the ghost shield around Amity Park in the Ghost Zone, and a depiction of Danny battling the Ghost King, wearing the Ecto-skeleton. The graphic pictures were amazingly accurate, if somewhat crude, especially for people who weren't even there.

"Can I ask a question?"

Frostbite smiled. "Always, Great One."

"Well… I realize that a ghost taking over the world is bad news. Tyrants don't serve the world for the better, as far as the ruled are concerned. But – dude – why was this so very important?"

"Ah, young Danny. You have seen that different ghosts have different specialties. There is the odd one who chooses to be overly ambitious, but for the most part, ghosts like to be left alone, to their assorted interests. With a few exceptions, ghosts don't specifically use their powers against each other, as it is largely a 'live and let live' society in the Ghost Zone. Or, what passes for living.

"If a random ghost is powerful enough to take advantage of other ghosts, it is usually a matter of minor importance to stop the nuisance." Danny thought the ghosts locked in Walker's prison, or were held captive by Prince Aragon might feel differently about the matter, but Danny couldn't deny that these situations did seem out of the ordinary.

Frostbite continued, "Most ghosts are more powerful outside the Ghost Zone, not because of great power, but because they have powers that humans don't.

"Then, there are ghosts who are much more powerful or have specialized talents and knowledge such that they could easily hurt other ghosts. Elsewhere in our realm, we have a medical facility. We've spent thousands of years learning, exploring, and working with ghost biology, human biology, and other biology. I believe our technology would rival that of your parents, Danny, or even your own, Vlad. While the things in your assorted labs are quite advanced and have weaponized possibilities heretofore undreamed of in the Ghost Zone, we have developed medicinal treatments and medical procedures for ghosts just as unknown in the human world. If we chose to use our knowledge against ghosts, they would be mostly helpless before us. But we choose to use our resources to our benefit, and the benefit of our friends and allies."

Frostbite looked grim. "And then there is Plasmius. He is one of the most powerful ghosts in existence, lesser only to the Ghost King, Clockwork, and the Observants. Perhaps Vortex too, but we would have to see." He privately kept the idea that perhaps the Fright Knight was equal to him, or with a concerted effort, the people of the Far Frozen could over come him if necessary. Directing his gaze to Danny, Frostbite said, "He's been known to use his powers for self-serving ends. We're just glad he doesn't seem to care about the affairs of ghosts."

Frostbite smiled and put a hand on Danny's back. "And then, there you are, Great One. With time and practice, you will surpass even your guardian in power. And all of us know that in your encounters with your adversaries, you only use enough force to subdue your antagonists. Though you could probably do a great deal of damage if you chose, you only use your power for what you perceive to be the greatest good. But the absolute mark of your greatness, Danny, is that in any number of situations where you _could_ have chosen not to act, you take it upon yourself to protect whom you perceive needs to be protected, even when it is detrimental to yourself or your image. You keep doing the right thing."

Danny murmured, "I do what's right, rather than what's easy."

Vlad smiled proudly. "Exactly."

Frostbite nodded. "Indeed. And you fought and defeated Pariah Dark, who is otherwise undefeatable. The Ancients managed it, but they caught him by surprise. You ended what could have been a reign of terror and destruction of any who did not bow to his will. He could have destroyed you and Vlad, and then I shudder to think where we would be. But you, Danny, went above and beyond the call of duty. _That_ is why we, here in the Far Frozen, revere you as the Great One." He bowed his head in respect.

Danny's eyes went wide. "Dude…" He was officially overwhelmed.

Vlad gave him about one full minute, and then rescued his son. "Now that we've all acknowledged my son's greatness, who's up for some hot chocolate?"

They headed back to the palace, enjoying refreshments and a bit of warmth. Over the course of the next few days, they tested Danny, marveling at how far he had come, and set in for serious training in ways that Vlad could only admire as he watched. The things these yetis could demonstrate were truly amazing, and they made sure Daniel could do them, too.

They took a tour of the medical facilities, and Danny and Vlad were blown away by what appeared to be a top of the line hospital that was fully functional. Students observed as doctors were trained. There were lots of things Danny recognized, but there were several clear tubes that had purposes Danny couldn't begin to guess.

"What are those for?"

Frostbite smiled. "These are chambers used to normalize body temperature. This is the Far Frozen, but if a creature came into our realm, and could not stand the cold… The creature's body would be immersed in warm water until its temperature had normalized to a healthy range. It also helps to cool a body with a dangerous fever."

Vlad said, "I've seen a similar apparatus to normalize pressure for deep sea divers."

"It is based on a similar principle."

While many things, machines, and other equipment puzzled Danny, he imagined that someone unfamiliar with normative human biology might be equally puzzled by equipment NASA would use to get astronauts ready for space travel.

Frostbite longed to share the secret of the Infi-Map with his hero, but he did not trust Vlad. Danny would use it; Vlad would abuse it. But now that Danny was the son of Plasmius… Danny was still trustworthy, but if there was a hint it would get back to Vlad, it was better to let Danny remain ignorant.

The five days flew by, where Danny was trained (he couldn't wait to show Professor Flitwick what he could do now!), and the people of the Far Frozen worked to temper the disparity in how they treated the two half-ghosts. They still didn't trust Plasmius, but it was obvious that he cared for, and even loved the boy he now called his son. Further, Danny seemed to love him in return. Very few things among ghosts change (besides skill and technological development), but Danny and Vlad were not just ghosts; they were also human, and humans _can_ change. It wasn't often that even humans changed from arch-nemeses to a loving parent/child relationship, but it was possible.

Early on December 31, the people of the Far Frozen gave a royal send-off to the Great One, Danny Phantom, and Vlad Plasmius, Father of the Great One. They only had love for Danny, but they had considerably more good will for Vlad than they did when they first came.

* * *

On December 31, at about five o'clock, there was a knock on the Weasleys' front door. Harry grinned. "Oh, it's them."

Mrs. Weasley, Professor Snape, and Harry came to the door. Mrs. Weasley asked, "Who is it?"

"Professor Masters and Daniel."

Molly reached to open it, but Arthur said, "Remember the security questions."

Molly groused, but capitulated. "Yes, dear. Danny, dear, what book did you last discuss with Harry?"

Startled by the personal nature of the question, Danny answered, "_The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy_. The science is supposed to be bad, but when I read far enough into the series, I'll figure out why 'Be afraid. Be very afraid,' is supposed to be funny."

Harry smiled. "Yup. That's Danny."

Professor Snape smirked. "And now for the Professor. Vlad, when was the first time you met Daniel?"

Vlad sighed. "It will be two years this Martin Luther King Day celebration. I planned a holiday weekend for my 20th year college reunion, so that the Fentons could have sufficient travel time."

Danny looked up at Vlad. "That's really the reason?"

"Of course it was. How else could I get Jack to bring your family to my home in the middle of a school year, leaving a day and a half travel time each way?"

The door opened, and Danny and Vlad's world turned red. Molly Weasley greeted them warmly. "Danny! Professor Masters! It is a pleasure to finally meet you. Come in and get warm."

The two half-ghosts entered what appeared to be an eclectic collection of building styles that managed to stay solid and vertical because magic held it together. Inside, the house exuded 'home and comfort.'

Vlad noted the many Weasleys behind the matron. Danny saw the twins and smiled. He didn't know everyone, but he could be at home here. Vlad said, "The pleasure is all ours, Mrs. Weasley. Thank you for inviting us with such little notice." He kissed her hand, and she blushed.

"Hi, Mrs. Weasley."

Molly held both of Danny's hands. "Danny. You look almost exactly like Harry. Well, my boys, Harry, and Professor Snape have only glowing things to say about you."

"Thank you for saying so." He looked at Harry and Ron, who smiled at him. Professor Snape smiled proudly at his prized pupil.

Danny looked uncertainly about him. He recognized Harry and Professor Snape, the two dark-haired islands in the sea of redheads. He knew Ron, Ginny, and the twins. And now he met Mrs. Weasley. There was Remus Lupin, two more large redheaded men to meet, and a very pretty blonde woman near the one with an earring. Was that a fang?

Molly said, "This is my husband, Arthur."

Arthur smiled at both Vlad and Danny. "Welcome, Professor. Welcome, Danny." Mr. Weasley shook both of their hands firmly.

"Thank you, sir." The Christmas party was bigger, but it felt like there were more people here in a smaller space.

Ron nudged Harry. "We've had our share of insanity around _her_. Let's see what Danny makes of Fleur when he meets her." Harry looked sympathetically at Danny and the professor, who were about to meet Bill and Fleur. Even part Veelas had a weird effect on men.

Mrs. Weasley beamed. "And this is Bill, my oldest, and his fiancée Fleur Delacour."

Bill shook hands with Vlad, while Danny greeted Fleur, taking her hands. "It's nice to meet you, Fleur."

The twins held themselves from laughing as they watched Harry's interested gaze and Ron's gobsmacked expression. Ron blurted, "That's it?"

Danny looked at Ron. "Is what it?"

"But… but…"

Fred grinned wickedly. "We'll settle up later, Ron. Good call, Harry."

Annoyed, Danny asked Fleur, "Do you know what their problem is?"

She smiled kindly at him. "You are charming, Danny. They are puzzled because you act like a gentleman."

Danny glared at Ron. "And why wouldn't I?" It's true, he went a little bonkers about Paulina, but she was not only gorgeous, she was his age and available. But dude – as pretty as Fleur was, she was introduced as Bill's fiancée. What did they think he'd do?

Bill put a hand on his shoulder. "It's nothing personal, Danny. Fleur is part Veela, and she often has an interesting effect on men."

Danny frowned and crossed his arms. "An interesting effect? I mean no offense, but it's not like I've never seen a pretty girl before." Fleur laughed lightly and kissed his cheek.

Harry sighed. "That's not it, Danny. It's… Well, when Fleur was one of the Tri-Wizard Champions," Danny looked up at her again. "Most of the blokes from school tried crazy stunts to impress her. It's part of the magic of the Veela. It…" Harry blushed. "Unsuspecting fellows are often enchanted and entranced."

Danny shrugged. "I'm sure you're enchanting, Fleur, but I don't see what everyone's going nuts about." He blushed. "I mean, I'm sure you're worth it, but I don't see why as big a fuss isn't made over Ginny. She's pretty, too. Besides the fact that almost everyone here's related to her."

Fleur laughed again. "You are so sweet, Danny. It is a pleasure to have met you."

Ginny, who sat as far away from Fleur as it was possible to be without being rude, smiled to herself. Danny compared her beauty to Fleur's. If she wasn't as interested in Harry as she was, she might have kissed him.

Severus smiled from the other side of the room. 'He really doesn't see it. Interesting. Being a half-ghost cancels the effect of a part-Veela. I'll be sure to make a note of it.'

Vlad was amused by the stir being made. He made mention of Veelas in class, but it was not as in depth as the other humanoids discussed in class. Veelas were not considered Dark creatures.

George noticed that Danny was a good kid, and didn't appreciate the intrigue being had at his expense. He decided to lighten Danny's mood. "So you think our esteemed sister is pretty, do you?"

Ginny moved into position to kick George's shin, if necessary.

"I do. My sister also had red hair."

George directed Danny to a chair. The mood had indeed changed, but this was an unexpected direction. "I haven't heard of your siblings before."

Danny gave a sad smile. "There was only me and my older sister, Jazz. She was a lot like my mother."

Ginny perched on the arm of a nearby couch. "What was your sister like?"

"Well… She would have been about the twins' age. She was smart. My parents were geniuses, and so was she. It was kinda hard to grow up in their shadow, but she took being an older sibling very seriously. She was always very protective. Usually over-protective, and sometimes a little stuck-up, but she always meant well."

Danny didn't notice the audience gathering around him. "There was one time a ghost decided to pester me. At home, that was nothing new, but this one used his powers to be invisible to adults, or anyone who _thought_ like an adult. Jazz was only two years older than me, but she always acted more mature. (Unless she won a game. Really – don't ask.) Because no one but me could see it, she thought I was nuts. She arranged a family trip to get away from the insanity of pressures from school and life in general."

Danny sighed. "The lengths she went to so she could protect me from myself were not to be believed. I did trick her into an immature frame of mind, but it worked – she saw the ghost and realized what danger it presented. Together, we captured it and we… rendered it harmless. But I couldn't have done it without her. I miss Jazz."

Harry stood close and put an arm around his shoulder. "I'm sorry for your loss."

Looking up, Danny gave Harry a half-smile. "Thanks."

Vlad said, "Indeed. Jasmine was growing to be very much like your mother. Also, your sister was a fair hand at psychology."

"I know, Papá."

Ron and Ginny stared at Danny. Harry smiled; the way their relationship was growing, getting that far was only a matter of time. Fleur practically glowed. "You called the _professeur_ Papá."

"He asked me to."

Professor Snape eyed Vlad distrustfully. "What is this?"

Vlad stood on Danny's other side, putting a hand on Danny's back and smiled down at him. "My Christmas present. Daniel asked me to formally adopt him."

Severus narrowed his eyes. "Interesting. Remember what I said in October, Vlad."

Rolling his eyes, Vlad said, "Of _course_ I do, Severus. Daniel surprised me." He put a hand on Danny's head. Danny sighed – he imagined he should have let the professor know ahead of time, but he didn't see how. Danny realized that Vlad touched him a lot more often than Dad did.

Vlad maneuvered behind him and dropped both hands on Danny's shoulders. "At first, I didn't dare believe it. But after many assurances, Daniel told me that he honestly wanted me to adopt him. It's almost too good to be true." He massaged Danny's back with his thumbs. Oh, Vlad could definitely get used to this! When Danny sighed again, Vlad realized that Daniel could also get used to this.

"Vlad, do you mind?" Or not.

While Danny was getting used to Vlad's much more tactile affection, a massage in front of other people was too much.

Stowing his thumbs for a simple grip, Vlad winced. "Yes, of course." He liked the term of endearment, and when Daniel didn't use it, Vlad realized he overstepped a boundary.

Severus was quietly amused, as were the many adults in the room. This fledgling parent/child relationship would be interesting to watch as it developed.

Molly invited them to dinner, and Danny found himself between Vlad and Remus. As food was passed around and Vlad spoke to whoever was on his other side, Danny asked, "Mr. Lupin?"

He smiled. "Please call me Remus, Danny. But what can I do for you?"

Danny held onto a roll for a second and then asked quietly, "How do wizards celebrate New Year's? I mean, I just don't see anyone watching Dick Clark and the ball falling in Time Square."

Remus smiled. He heard of Time Square. Dick Clark was beyond him. "It's different per family. Usually, after dinner, there are light family entertainments. Many families spell a bell to ring in the New Year at midnight. Then, people often make resolutions, and drink champagne to help forget them." Danny snickered.

"With a few technical details, it doesn't sound all that different from a Muggle New Year's Eve party."

"A party is a party, and a gentle family gathering can be quite pleasant."

That gave Danny something to think about.

* * *

After midnight, the Weasleys and Fleur turned in. Vlad, Danny, Remus, Severus, and Harry had not yet moved because of inertia. Enjoying an extra round or two of tea, they sat around the otherwise cleared kitchen table. Harry and Danny already volunteered to wash up afterwards.

"I've been meaning to ask, but I was afraid of being rude." Danny observed, "I've noticed there's nothing like a star or angel, or something on top of the tree. How come?"

Harry grinned. "Well… When Fred picked carrots from the garden on Christmas Eve, a gnome bit his finger. Fred…" Harry had to fight down a giggle. "Fred Stunned the gnome, trussed it up, dressed it in a tutu, painted it gold, and stuck it on top of the tree. I was the only one to mention it, but after two days, Severus released it. Gnomes might be annoying, but two days was more than sufficient to punish it for the bite. After that, no one was interested enough to find a replacement ornament."

Vlad said, "Ah, so it's 'Severus,' now?"

Professor Snape responded, "Interesting that it happened around the time you became 'Papá,' isn't it?"

Danny and Harry blushed in unison. Remus rescued them. "It is a testament to the developments of your relationships. If you don't mind my saying so, I think it's beautiful, and they should both continue to grow."

"Hmm." Vlad murmured.

Severus put a finger to his lips. "Until romance wings its way into the scenario, I suppose the family circle is complete for now."

Harry and Remus jerked their heads. Danny looked thoughtful, and Vlad smirked, and said, "I thought as much."

This unexpected mention of family helped Harry pluck up his Gryffindor courage (it had been a week since the last time he gave it a major workout), and he took a breath. "Professor Masters?"

"Yes, Harry?"

Harry gulped. "Since Danny isn't using the name anymore, and he's more like a real cousin to me than Dudley is," Danny started. He'd been thinking that, but this was the first time anyone put it into words. "Would it be okay if I… called you Uncle Vlad?"

Vlad studied the young wizard. He believed that Daniel was, in fact, thinking of this type of family bonding with Harry and Severus, but Harry was bold enough and coherent enough to articulate it first. "A son and a nephew in one holiday season? I would be honored to have you call me thus. However, you may feel more comfortable with this while amongst just us, or your more intimate friends. Regardless, I think I like the sound of that, from you."

Danny stared at his teacup. He wasn't sure…

"Daniel." Danny looked up at Professor Snape. "Since _you_ are the one who decided that Harry and I…" Severus turned to see Lupin and scowled when the wolf smiled. "And, I suppose Remus, by extension, are your family, it would be perfectly reasonable and acceptable for you to call me Uncle Severus."

The young Slytherin smiled shyly. "Thanks. I've been thinking about this for a while, but I couldn't… Just thanks."

Remus Lupin looked at the four of them. "But…"

Harry smiled. "It took all of us months to figure this out. You were one of my Dad's best mates. We'll figure out a name for you soon enough, Moony."

Remus was comforted.

51


	41. Chapter 41

Thank you again, everyone who has read, reviewed, and put this fic (and me) on your assorted favorite and alert lists. For thanks, I offer you fresh grapes, figs, and pomegranates, and chocolate cauldron cakes.

I borrowed heavily, but changed significantly, scenes from several chapters in HBP and DH. Therefore, if anything is familiar, you know why.

Disclaimer: I do not own _Danny Phantom_, _Harry Potter_, the movie _Bright Eyes_, or the _Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy_.

Chapter 41

On January 5, everyone came back to school via Floo to avoid the danger of Voldemort and the active Death Eaters. The fact that Danny left after Ron and Ginny frustrated Ron to no end. After Hermione and Harry came out of the Gryffindor Common Room fireplace, Ron muttered, "So _how_ is Danny getting back?"

Harry quietly suggested, "He might teleport to his Common Room."

Hermione was thoughtful. "Harry, while Danny would be more than capable, that would be a little obvious. Someone would have to activate the Floo powder for him." Ron wanted to object, but Hermione grabbed his arm. "Speaking of, we have to talk." Ron looked around the Common Room to find another place – their usual spot was unavailable, as more people kept arriving. "Not here."

Ron and Harry exchanged a glance. Harry said, "Fair enough. We have some developments to share as well."

Ron frowned. "Will we be done by dinner?"

Hermione gave a pained expression. "Probably. Let's go." They found the classroom on the fourth floor they used last time they discussed Danny.

After they found seats around a table, Ron asked, "Who's going first?"

Harry asked, "Whose information will take longer? Including reaction and commentary…"

Ron stared at him. "You have _got_ to be kidding." Hermione cocked her head.

Harry sighed. "Right. Some really important things happened on Christmas Day, and others happened on New Year's Eve. On Christmas Day…"

"Danny got me a chess set with Chudley Cannon players and relievers versus Holyhead Harpies!"

Harry rolled his eyes. "Probably figured that's the only way the Cannons would win," he muttered.

"What?"

"Never mind."

Ron continued, "And he got Harry a plush lion wearing a green jumper." Harry wasn't sure if he should cover his eyes at the mention of Danny's sentimentality or smile proudly. Considering how sentimental he was going to get, he figured he'd just let this slide.

Hermione smiled. "That _is_ sweet." She frowned for a moment. "He gave me an amethyst bracelet and a musical jewelry box that played 'Good Ship Lollipop,' with a note saying, 'You've given me a chance to almost redeem my cluelessness.' I'm not sure I get it."

"Good Ship Lollipop?" Ron asked quizzically.

Harry snickered. "I think the song is tipping his hat to the fact that your parents are dentists. I'm not sure about the rest, but I don't see why he wouldn't tell you if you asked." He laughed at Hermione's expression of dawning understanding and Ron's growing frustration. "I'll tell you later, Ron."

Ron nodded and then smirked. "Professor Snape not only wore the jumper my Mum made for him, he made Fleur wear hers. Hard for her to be imperious, or whatever, when the professor was just as… I don't know. Homely as the rest of us."

Hermione giggled.

Harry took a breath. "At breakfast, the Minister came to talk with me."

Ron's eyes hardened. "I don't know what _he _was playing at. He brought Percy to greet us for Christmas, but he just…"

Harry put a hand on Ron's arm. "I don't know what you did, but I'm sure Percy learned his lesson."

Hermione asked, "What happened?"

Ron folded his arms. "Don't ask." Hermione raised her eyebrows.

Harry cleared his throat. "The Minister intended to ask me some questions he had no right to ask. But…" He looked at Ron, who nodded encouragingly. "Severus reminded him that he was my guardian and would protect my interests."

"Harry!" Hermione gasped. "You called Professor Snape…"

"Yeah. He told me I could. We just got a _lot_ closer. He discovered that I know him better than he might have thought. But he…" Harry gulped. "He told me he l-loved me."

"Oh, Harry!" Hermione got up and hugged him. "It's about time. That was a nice Christmas present."

Harry nodded. "That it was. He… made me feel almost normal. You know, cared for by a… parental figure who loves me." He didn't need to tell her about the clothes. She'd see them soon enough. Besides, they were almost incidental. The love was the most important thing.

Ron was thoughtful. "Professor Snape is a lot better than I would have thought. He…" Ron blushed. "He explained why it was a bad idea for Danny to make Polyjuice Potion, or _anyone_ to make Felix Felicis around him. One of the ingredients is _really_ bad for ghosts."

"Poor Danny!"

"But we already discovered that Polyjuice Potion only works on humans. Whatever being a ghost does for Danny, he couldn't use it. Dad made Mum ask the security question about him, 'cause Danny still doesn't know that _we_ know his secret. Professor Masters, on the other hand…" Ron shrugged.

Harry smiled warmly. "Professor Masters is officially adopting Danny."

Hermione started. "Really!"

Ron nodded. "Yup. Professor Masters said it was Danny's Christmas present to him. Danny calls him Papá."

"Interesting." She thought for a moment. "It is unusual to hear one American call another by that specific name. But then again, Vlad, or Vladimir is also an uncommon name for an American of his generation. Professor Masters must have been a baby at the height of the Cold War." She looked squarely at Ron. "I don't know that the Wizarding World was involved in the ideological battle between capitalism and Communism."

Ron raised his hands and shook his head. This was the first he heard of it.

Hermione sighed. "I'll explain it later. The point is, it was uncommon for an American to have a Slavic name at the time Professor Masters was a baby. His parents emigrated from Romania, which was occupied by the former Soviet Union. He probably called his own father Papá."

Harry nodded. "It must be weird for Danny, but you can get used to just about anything."

Ron started to agree, but he noticed something. "Hermione, how do you know where Professor Masters' parents came from?"

She smiled. "That was only part of what I learned over the break. Since Danny mentioned that a federal agency tormented him for being a ghost, I looked up some information on him. Based on some of the crazy things the ghosts he fights try to do, Danny really _is_ a hero. Nick wasn't kidding. I'm not sure _how_ he did everything, but… it's amazing."

Harry and Ron paid rapt attention. Hermione continued. "Danny comes from Amity Park, Illinois. It's about the middle of the country. His parents were famous inventors and ghost hunters. The inventions they came up with were brilliant, but based on how much pain some of these things were designed to cause the unfortunate ghost, I'm sure his parents didn't know that Danny is a ghost."

Ron cocked his head. "How could they _not_ know?"

Harry thought about this. "If both of Danny's parents were completely human, maybe Danny wasn't born that way. And he is only half-ghost. It took _us_ this long to figure it all out. But we've seen him use his ghostly powers and compare them to the magic we do. If Danny's parents were Muggles, all Danny would have to do to stay hidden is to stay in his human form and not use his powers around them." He frowned. "If Danny wasn't born a ghost, I wonder how he would have become one. I mean, he didn't die, or he wouldn't be, well…" He thought again. "He said some ghosts, like Nick, are spirits of dead people. Other ghosts are ectoplasmic entities. What was it he said? His favorite human called him 'an odd manifestation of ectoplasmic energy and post-human consciousness,' but he's much more complicated than that."

Ron asked, "How do you remember all that?"

Hermione rolled her eyes. "That's not important, Ron. Harry is right. But that's…" She wasn't sure how to introduce this next bit. "I learned about the Death Eater attack in Amity Park. The Muggle news outlets don't know about the Death Eaters, but a few witnesses escaped the Auror examination. The witnesses mentioned black cloaks and masks."

Harry shook his head. "But how would the Aurors have missed them?"

Hermione's eyes filled with tears. "Harry, the devastation the Death Eaters caused… They killed 852 people, and those are the numbers the Muggles know about. The Death Eaters do nothing good, Harry, but all those people…" She broke down and cried. Ron got up and hugged her.

"I see how the Aurors might have been a little distracted," Harry breathed. They took a few moments to absorb all of this. Danny was bitter about not being able to save these people, but these enemies were human, and Danny didn't like to use his powers against humans. Poor Danny!

When Hermione calmed enough for her to catch her breath, she said, "And Professor Masters… He lives in Wisconsin. That's the state north of Illinois. He… He must only be here to protect Danny from You-Know-Who. He doesn't need the job of a professor. He's a billionaire!"

Ron's jaw dropped. Harry quipped, "At least now we know why he made sure Danny has the best of everything. And that wand…"

"No, Harry," Ron interrupted. "I told the twins at some point that we figured out Danny's secret. George was annoyed, but Fred was amused, but he wouldn't say why. Fred told me about Danny's wand. When I told him about that Charms class in October when Malfoy used Danny's wand, both twins laughed. George announced that Malfoy's 'mishap' was how Danny's wand was designed to work. It didn't cost Professor Masters anything. Danny's safety is Order business, and the wand was on the house. I mean… a real wand wouldn't work for a Muggle, but could be used as a weapon against him. So Danny's wand isn't real."

"But only Danny and Professor Masters could 'use' it," Hermione murmured.

Ignoring the wand issue for the moment, Harry asked, "Why would a wizard billionaire make Muggle news?"

Hermione answered, "I'm not sure why a wizard made the Muggle news, but Professor Masters is a business magnate. He invented, owns, and runs businesses producing all kinds of technology and software. That is programming for computers." Ron nodded. Hermione didn't tell him what a computer was, but he deduced that software was instructions for how these 'computers' work. "Either Professor Masters is more interested in Muggle stuff than your father, Ron, or…" She decided not to voice her growing suspicion that the professor might not be a wizard. She shook her head. "It doesn't matter. He is terribly good at what he does, and he reaps the benefit of his work."

Ron asked logically, "So how is he running his businesses while he's teaching here?"

Hermione shrugged. "I really don't know, Ron."

Harry suggested, "Why don't we head down to dinner?" Ron grinned, and they walked down. They had a lot of information to digest.

* * *

When Draco came out of the Slytherin Common Room fireplace, he looked around. "Where's Danny?"

Pansy huffed and stormed out of the Common Room. Confused, Draco turned to Goyle. "What's wrong with her?" Goyle shrugged.

Tracey cocked her head. "You really don't know, do you? Interesting. She thinks you spend far too much time and energy on, I believe her favorite epithet is 'that Potter look-alike.' You didn't even ask her about New Year's."

Draco rolled his eyes. "Tracey, I just saw her at Christmas. She was doing marvelously. Even though we didn't have a full ball, the smaller party still danced. She was as beautiful and graceful as ever, and I told her so, then. Danny, my friend, spent his first Christmas as an orphan, and I'm concerned about him."

Caught up in Pansy's anti-Danny ranting, Tracey forgot that fact. Since some vague time towards the end of November, Danny had fewer episodes of depression and sundry dark moods. She couldn't believe she had forgotten that Danny was indeed in mourning, and Draco was one of the few people to ferret out enough information from him to be able to find a trigger to a lighter mood. Now that she thought about it, she was kind of curious where the uncle and nephew spent their holiday break. Not that she would tell Pansy…

Blaise said, "I seem to have been the first back. Danny hasn't come through here. It occurs to me that he might have come back through Professor Masters' fireplace."

"Thanks, Blaise. I didn't think of that." Draco stood for a moment, considering his options.

Blaise took a seat and asked, "So Draco, what did he get you?"

Draco smiled. "A lovely miniature Antipodean Opaleye dragon. It had a note, saying, 'A fine looking dragon for a fine friend – also a dragon.' It was clever, and interestingly sentimental."

"That is nice. I get the feeling that he received far more gifts than he gave."

Draco looked at him. "You gave him one, didn't you?"

"Yeah. I think half of Slytherin did, too."

Draco turned and nodded at Crabbe and Goyle. "I wouldn't know what to tell you about all that, but Danny sent them big bags of sweets from Honeyduke's and a note that says, 'Thanks for everything.' However, Professor Masters confused them." Blaise shook his head, waiting. "The professor sent each of them an expensive set of bookends. I'm not sure…"

Blaise laughed out loud. "Don't worry about it. Professor Masters has an odd sense of humor."

"Right." Danny was still nowhere to be seen. Draco said, "Excuse me. I have a few things to take care of before dinner." He made his way to Professor Snape's office. He knocked.

"Come in." Severus was surprised to receive students this early. "Welcome back, Draco. How was your holiday?"

Taking a seat, Draco said worriedly, "That's what I'm here to discuss."

Concern lined the professor's face. "Tell me what happened."

Draco felt safe here, but his own fear made him cast nervous glances around the room. "The Dark Lord has taken up residence in my house."

Professor Snape came around his desk to sit in the seat next to the boy. "That, by itself, could be nerve-wracking, whether or not you think of it as an honor."

"Professor, he was asking me questions about Danny. He asked me about his magic, about Professor Masters… What does he want with Danny?" Draco pled.

"Then he knows." Damn! "It is nothing you need to worry about."

"But Professor, what does he know?"

"He knows how Daniel's family died."

"But Danny _never_ talks about that. The… He seemed annoyed that I couldn't tell him more than Danny's afraid of turning Dark. He was looking for something…"

In a tone colder than Draco was used to his Head of House using towards him, Snape said, "I dare say he was." Focusing back on the terrified boy before him, he took one of Draco's hands. "You have done well to tell me of this. What else did he ask you?"

"He asked me about Professor Masters. Even if I _wanted_ to, I couldn't tell him other than he's strict, he's fair, and he did a DADA project or two with you. But… Professor, you said you'd support us, no matter what our choices."

Severus nodded. "That's right."

Draco took a breath. "Professor, I don't want to serve the Dark Lord. I realize my father did, and Aunt Bella, and Uncle Rodolphus and Uncle Rabastan, and lots of other people I know do. But… You told us to think long and hard, and weigh the pros and cons. He said he might give me a chance to redeem my family. He also made it clear that I was…" He gulped. "Expendable. He finds me… useful enough to live. For now. I'm _sure_ that I don't want to live with this threat always over me. But I don't know what to do." Draco widened his gray eyes. "He lives in _my house._"

Professor Snape took both of Draco's hands. "I believe you have made a fine choice. It will be dangerous, and it will be difficult, but you are in good company. It may not be wise to publicize this fact at present. However, you should definitely inform the Headmaster. Feel free to tell Daniel. You want to feel your way around Vincent and Gregory, though I think it will prove fruitful. And…" The professor gave an amused smile. "You might like to tell Harry. With your growing… understanding, you may have a far more sympathetic audience than you might imagine."

Draco started at the last suggestion. "You like him more than just as a student, don't you?"

"That is one way to put it. Yes, I do indeed, and the Headmaster…" He closed his eyes. "And Voldemort already know."

"Professor! You said his name!"

"Yes. I've decided that, when rejecting all semblance of serving the Dark Lord, it is gratifying not to be afraid to say his name. He's already attempted to have me killed at least once. I have nothing to lose by saying his name." He looked at Draco squarely. "You, on the other hand, are in a much more precarious position. Unless you are ready to let the whole of the school know your defiance against him, I would not start using Voldemort's name openly."

Draco gazed at his hands that Professor Snape held. "It wasn't easy to…" Draco didn't know how to voice his thoughts.

"No, Draco. It wasn't easy. My new situation is no easier, but it is less emotionally complicated."

Draco furrowed his brows in concentration. "So, I should tell Professor Dumbledore, Danny, Harry, and probably Crabbe and Goyle." He looked up searchingly to Severus's face. "Will this… all of this make me a bad Slytherin?"

Professor Snape frowned slightly and then raised an eyebrow. "Am I a bad Slytherin?"

Draco shook his head fervently. "No, sir. I wouldn't say so. But… the Dark Lord is the Heir of Slytherin."

The professor chuckled. "And I imagine the Bloody Baron has cursed said heir solid because as much as the Founder of our House disagreed with the others, his goal was for the good of Wizarding kind, not domination and tyranny, whatever Voldemort says. When I was a student, Professor Slughorn – my Head of House – spoke endlessly about how we could use our talents and ambitions for interesting aims that have nothing at all to do with the death and destruction of Muggles and Muggle-borns. Quite a few Aurors were Slytherins. Would you think of _them_ as bad Slytherins?"

"N-no," Draco admitted.

Severus sighed. "Draco, you are still you. You have no need to change _who_ you are, but you would do well to pay attention to your choices. Some of those choices will have far reaching consequences. As I promised, I will gladly help you either see both sides of a difficult choice, or help you make a choice that will help keep you safe and sane, or… will, at least, be to your benefit." Draco nodded.

"I like some of your later choices. You should know you are not alone. Among the Slytherins, you are not alone. And I can tell you now that – at the very least – Daniel will heartily approve."

Draco smiled for the first time since he entered the office. "Thanks, sir." They both stood up, and Severus hugged Draco.

"Was there anything else?"

"No, sir."

"Then let's get ready to go to dinner."

* * *

Danny and Vlad teleported to Vlad's rooms. There was a tree left in front of the couch in the living room. Danny exclaimed, "Whoa! But how did that…"

Vlad chuckled. "Daniel, I told you, the elves…" He stopped and laughed whole-heartedly.

Danny looked askance. "What?"

Wiping a tear of mirth from his eye, Vlad said, "The irony is too delicious. Your parents used to fight endlessly, annually, about the existence of Santa Claus. They always disagreed, but they started getting heatedly vocal about it on the college debate team, and they never let it go, as you well know. Regardless of Santa," Vlad rolled his eyes, "there is no doubt that the elves sent and arranged for the pick-up and delivery of gifts." He smirked.

"Arg!" Danny thought he managed to escape all traces of the argument, but no. Vlad snickered at Danny's reaction. "Thanks, Papá. Just what I needed."

"Oh, please, Daniel. How can you be annoyed when… the twelfth day of Christmas looks like the first day? Come, let's…" A knock on the door interrupted him. "What now?"

Danny opened the door. "Professor Sprout! Hi!"

"Welcome back, Danny. Professor."

Vlad sighed. No one could stay angry with this woman for long. "Good day, Professor. How was your holiday?"

Pomona smiled. "Very well indeed. It was a joy to see the children and grandchildren. I understand you did a bit of travelling?"

Furrowing his brows, Vlad said, "Yes. How do you…"

"Professor, as a member of the Order, it is my job to know about the safety of one of my most attentive and security challenged students and his guardian." She winked at Danny, who was a little behind Vlad once he came to the door.

Danny smiled, so Vlad sighed. "Very well, Madam. How can I help you?"

Professor Sprout's smile broadened. "More to the point, I'm here to help you. When I returned to the school from my vacation, one of the house-elves told me that he sent all of your gifts from the Wizarding World to your room." She peered at and under the tree. "Apparently, he did well. However, I'm here to do the job he could not do." Vlad cocked his head. "Because You-Know-Who has a personal manhunt out for Danny, whether or not he knows who you are, I'm here to scan your gifts for Dark magic." She raised a Secrecy Sensor that was ignored until now.

Vlad frowned. "But who would want to hurt Daniel?"

The Hufflepuff sighed. "Professor, the answer to that is complicated. First of all, Danny is in Slytherin. This shouldn't make a difference, but there are any number of students who might be jealous or resentful of him and his academic success and popularity," Danny gasped, "and planned something unkind. Secondly, students who are children of Death Eaters may have been directed to make gifts of Portkeys to Danny to bring him to You-Know-Who."

Danny started getting worried. "But who would know my secret?"

Professor Sprout frowned. "This requires a longer conversation. May I…"

Vlad winced and slapped his head. "Of course. Please forgive me. Come on in." He directed her to a chair by the fire, and Vlad steered Danny to a couch, and wrapped a protective arm around him.

Tapping her chin for a moment, the witch continued, "Danny, you asked about who knows your secret. The six students who figured out that you and… may I call you Vlad?"

Raising both eyebrows, he answered, "Only if I can call you Pomona."

She smiled. "Very good. The six students who know you and Vlad are only partially human have not done or said anything to compromise you further. There are students who may be jealous of your relationship to Harry Potter who may have said something. Severus's position as faithful to Professor Dumbledore has been uncovered to You-Know-Who, so students might… That's not right. Severus has an unfortunate tendency to favor _all_ of his Slytherins. You wouldn't stand out amongst your Housemates that way." She frowned in thought.

"Danny, whether it might be for personal reasons, political reasons, or any other ideological reason that only marginally deals with you personally, your gifts should be checked for Dark magic. Aurors were sent to the homes of Muggle-born students, and witches and wizards who are parents and guardians will have scanned the gifts of other students. Professor Dumbledore and the other Heads of House know I'm here to help you with this."

Danny dropped his head. "So much for my stress-free Christmas."

Vlad looked at Pomona, the gifts, and back at the boy by his side. "Daniel, you gave 16 people gifts. You received… at least five times as many, I would guess." He put a fist to his mouth in thought. "That is rather impressive. You have a lot of admirers, or stalkers. I'm not sure what to think. But you know, Daniel, this can be a very good thing if all of these are from well-wishers."

Danny shrugged, still slumped. Professor Sprout said, "Why don't you have some tea while I get started on this? Or, if you prefer, you can open them as I check them."

Danny understood the need for this type of security, but it sort of took the fun out of the whole concept of receiving gifts. He sighed in resignation. "What do you say, Papá?"

Professor Sprout jerked her head. "Really? Over the holiday? How lovely for you!"

Vlad sat a bit straighter, tightening his one-arm hold on Danny. "Yes, it is. Whatever else we do or don't receive, Daniel is my best gift yet. My son! But as for your question, I think you should open them as you go, starting with… the names of the people you sent gifts. After that, everything is bonus."

Danny smiled. "Thanks, Papá."

Pomona rested her chin in a hand. She whispered, "Nicely done, Vlad. Nicely done." To Danny, she said, "That works. Whose would you like to open first?"

Harry gave Danny a one-volume book containing the five novels and one story of the _Hitchhiker's Guide_ series, which amused both Danny and Vlad. Draco gave him a marble wizard chess set with gold highlights. Danny thought that was gaudy, but Vlad admired the craftsmanship in its make. Professor Snape got him a Sneak-o-scope with instructions how to use it. (Vlad sighed with relief when it didn't react to him.) Mrs. Weasley made Danny a sweater, and he smiled when he realized Vlad also received one. Apparently, the senior Weasleys accepted them into their clan.

Danny and Vlad spent the next hour and a half opening gifts after Pomona thoroughly examined them with the Secrecy Sensor and other detection spells. There were three Portkeys, two packages containing sweets with love potion (Danny was disturbed that one of them came from a boy), and a few other items of questionable origin. If gifts were deemed safe but came without tags naming who sent them, Professor Sprout Banished them to Professor Dumbledore's office for further study.

When she finished with the last one, Professor Sprout stood up, tucked the Secrecy Sensor under her arm, and dusted off her hands. "That's done. With a few exceptions, it looks like both of you were given a healthy welcome to the Wizarding World, though the greeters are mostly unwitting about such things."

Danny sighed. "Thanks, Professor. I know Papá said this was good, and it is kinda cool, but… how did I get so popular? I mean, this is different than the whole Gryffindor/Slytherin thing. It's… not about Harry or Draco winning something. This is much bigger."

Vlad shook his head. "Pomona, would you do the honors?"

Professor Sprout said, "There are lots of reasons you have so many fans. My observations are many. Are you sure you really want to know?"

"Yes."

"Very well. You are a new student, and you have a mysterious background. People want to get to know you better. Anyone who has been in class with you knows of your cast-iron integrity. Therefore (among other things), you are trustworthy. You look like and are friends with Harry Potter, which are facts that bring with them a whole host of friends and enemies, just because it's Harry. And there are those who feel that if they ingratiate themselves with you, they will learn more of your mysteries." She smiled at him. "And you should never forget your modest charm. You are well meaning and congenial, and confident about who you are as a person, and you are willing to see the best in people. Therefore, people are willing to return that confidence to you, wanting to see the best in you. You inspire loyalty. Further…" Her smile broadened at his blush. "You seem to be totally unaware of your virtues. That is almost always an appealing feature."

Danny was speechless. Vlad laughed again. What the good professor said was absolutely true. Amused, Vlad said, "And let's not forget your noble streak, whereby you always feel the need to protect the unprotected or the underdog. There are people who admire you simply for being 'a good guy.' It's who you are. It's who you've chosen to be." He thought for a moment. "It used to annoy me, but it _is_ an endless source of pride."

"Papá…"

"And it's wonderfully entertaining to save you from your modesty."

Danny threw his hands up and peevishly snapped, "I give up!" This only made Vlad laugh again and he hugged Danny, who grumbled but didn't resist. This was a fun way to tease his son. He _must_ make sure to use this again, at a later time.

* * *

At dinner, Draco popped into the seat next to Danny. "So how are you? How was your vacation? Where did you go?" Crabbe and Goyle were interested. Pansy shot him an evil look and started talking to Tracey.

Danny started at the dirty look. Without commentary, Draco's apologetic look told him they needed to discuss this at a later time. Danny shrugged. "I'm doing well. Vacation was great! We visited… well, we visited some friends I haven't seen in a long time. I didn't anticipate going to the Weasleys' house at New Year's Eve, but…" Danny glanced at the Head table. "He loves surprises. He didn't tell me anything until we left on December 21."

Draco huffed. "The Weasleys!?" Draco glared at Professor Masters, who was deep in discussion with Professor Snape. The blond ran a hand through his hair. If Danny didn't know the travel plans until the last minute, said travel plans were clearly not his design or fault. Shaking his head, he looked back to Danny. "There's no accounting for taste."

Danny decided that if Draco had issues with his travel itinerary, Draco could take it up with Vlad. "So, how was the wedding?"

Draco smiled. "It was wonderful. I'm not sure I've heard quite so many people speak with your accent before." Danny chuckled. "Mother was pleased to see so many members of our family."

Danny thought for a second, and quietly asked, "No one gave you a hard time because of your father, did they?"

Draco narrowed his eyes for a moment, and then he sighed. "No. They keep up with the news, and they were tastefully discreet. But it was such a joyous occasion, no one had too much time to worry about some of the Darker goings on."

Danny noticed as Draco's face turned ashen. "Draco, what's wrong?"

"We need to find some time to talk. Privately."

Giving his friend a sidelong glance, Danny said, "Ooookay. How about tomorrow, afternoon break?"

Draco's shoulders stopped shaking. "Perfect."

"Are you sure you're okay?"

"Now, I will be."

* * *

After Danny's evening 'alone time' with Vlad, Danny changed for bed and left a duplicate with his eyes closed. He turned ghost and teleported to just outside Myrtle's bathroom, and he knocked.

"Danny!" Myrtle hugged him when she came out to greet him.

"Hey, Myrtle. Where would you like to go tonight?"

She giggled. "I hear the seventh floor has a swell tapestry. The Grey Lady and I are going to discuss Barnabas the Barmy in great depth tomorrow."

Danny raised an eyebrow. "It's 'swell,' huh? I see Sydney's rubbed off on you." They soared upward.

"Yeah. I asked Professor Dumbledore if… well, if I could have my case reviewed. I haven't _really_ bothered anybody too much since after Olive Hornby. And…" Myrtle flushed silver. "I'd like to visit Sydney in the Ghost Zone. He might find it easier to get permission to visit here. But then again…" She shrugged. "I don't know. He's a Muggle. But so are you. And he's a ghost. He has powers, too, but not _anything_ like you, Danny."

Danny chuckled. "That would be hard. But you're right. He does." Myrtle Duncan and Sydney Poindexter… Who would have thought of it? "You guys like each other, don't you?"

Myrtle shyly ducked her head. "Yeah." She looked up, hoping Danny approved.

Danny laughed delightedly. "Good for you! Now that I think about it, you probably have a lot in common. Also the times you were alive weren't too far apart, either. But Myrtle… I visited his section of the Ghost Zone. I'm not sure…"

"Um… Danny, Sydney told me a little about the first time you met." She cocked her head. "You weren't _really_ a bully, were you?"

Danny sighed. He stretched out in the air in the relative privacy of the late night on the seventh floor. "No, Myrtle. Actually, the bigger guys from the sports teams spent time bullying _me_, particularly Dash Baxter. Pity he didn't survive the Death Eater attack, though." He creased his brows and stayed quiet for a moment. He sighed again. "I guess I had enough – my human form isn't anywhere near as strong as my ghost form. Sydney managed to start noticing as I fought back. I, um… I started using my powers against Dash. The fact that Dash made me his personal punching bag (when he could catch me) doesn't excuse the fact that when I use my powers against any human, he is at a supreme disadvantage."

Myrtle hugged Danny. "It must have been hard for you at Casper High."

Danny smiled. "It wasn't too bad. I spent more than enough time with Sam and Tucker to make up for having to deal with Dash." He looked away from her. "I even saved Dash a few times from various malevolent ghosts."

Laughing mirthlessly, Danny said, "It's kind of ironic. As much as he picked on me when I was human, he practically idolized me as a ghost. One pretty girl I liked wanted nothing to do with me as a human, but she had a shrine to me in my ghost form in her locker. It was kind of creepy. However, she was the only human in Amity Park besides Sam, Tucker, and my sister to connect my human and ghost forms. (She never figured out that I was the same person, but she _did_ figure out my ghost form shows up wherever my human form is.)" Myrtle giggled.

Danny's ghost sense went off. "Who's there?"

A ghost Danny recognized as Vlad's messenger (or pilot in that 'cruel hoax') showed up. "You're Myrtle, right?"

She studied this new ghost. "Yes, I am. What do you want?"

"I'm here to deliver this gift to you from Plasmius."

"But how can I…"

"Plasmius directed me to turn it intangible first. You can touch it in any event. It's of ghostly origin."

Myrtle blinked. "Really? What is it?"

Danny murmured, "I wonder…" When he didn't say anything, Myrtle shrugged and took off the wrapping.

Myrtle opened her eyes wide. "It's a book. The Ghostwriter wrote it!"

The messenger said, "That's right. Danny, Plasmius has your copy, as well as his own."

Danny grinned. "It's a retelling of the Christmas party in poem form! Who else is on your delivery list?"

Expressionless, the messenger said, "Well… in the Ghost Zone, there was Clockwork, Frostbite, and Dora. I've already made a delivery to your four House Ghosts and Professor Binns. I've left copies for your Professors Dumbledore and Snape with Plasmius. Plasmius told me you could open a portal directly to Wulf's lair, and Wulf can open one back from there to Plasmius's home in Wisconsin. I've got other things to do there."

"Dude!" Well, just because Vlad wasn't home didn't mean that someone wasn't home to upkeep maintenance. "Well… Thanks. What is your name, by the way?"

"I'm Brian. Now, if you please…?"

Danny sighed. "Sure thing. Please tell Wulf I said, 'Hi.' And, um…" Danny backed away and thought for a minute. He concentrated a beam from his hands into the space in front of him, and a fully formed, life-sized ice sculpture of Wulf appeared. "Can you give him this for me?"

The messenger sighed and nodded. Danny blushed. "Sorry. Right." He opened a portal. "And not a word to Walker!"

"Of course not. Plasmius already said as much. I'll see you next time he sends me this way." With that, he took the statue and his much lighter satchel and disappeared into the portal.

Myrtle stared and murmured, "I didn't know you could do that, Danny. The ice, the portal…"

Danny shrugged. "They're useful powers to have. I discovered them while I was here, and…" Myrtle's gaze of adoration was disconcerting. "Hey, Myrtle, why don't I take you home so you can get started reading?"

She tore her eyes from her hero and looked back to the book in her hands. "Actually, Danny, if you don't mind," she blushed silver. "I'd like to stay here and read for a bit. While my bathroom is home, it's a little bit wet. I'll find a dry place to keep my book later – after I finish reading it."

Furrowing his brows, Danny remarked, "Myrtle, your book is as intangible as you are."

"Yeah, and the only non-ghostly objects I can touch are water and pipes."

Danny blushed red and sucked air through his teeth. "Sorry, Myrtle. I forgot."

Myrtle patted his hand. "It's okay, Danny." She thought for a second and then hugged him. "You have a good night. I'll be a little busy this evening."

Danny bid her farewell and headed towards the stairs, still a bit distracted. He thought about Myrtle and Sydney, and about Vlad's ghostly employees. Here in Hogwarts, it was easy to forget about the fact that the world was still out there. Vlad still had businesses to run and next Saturday he was going to email his secretary about making an appointment with his lawyer to make the adoption legal.

Danny's adoption aside, it was relatively easy to forget the Real World, or more to the point, the Muggle World. After all, people here received a newspaper. _The Daily Prophet_ was a great favorite, although Harry didn't care for it. _Witch Weekly_ was often in the hands of lots of the girls around here. And Luna had the _Quibbler_.

It was so weird to realize that he's been months away from television, radio, the Internet, and even the _Chicago Tribune_. Vlad regularly picked up the _Wall Street Journal_, but…

"Hi, Danny!" He looked up. Luna stood, leaning on a mop. "Thank you ever so much for the lovely necklace you gave me for Christmas. The gold chain with the sapphire heart in the bronze setting was beautiful, and thoughtful, and perfect. I hope you got the bracelet I sent you. Butterbeer corks keep away the Nargles, you know."

Danny stared. "But… you called me…"

Luna looked thoughtful. "Sorry. Was I not supposed to know? But, except for the color of your hair and eyes, you look exactly the same."

Danny leaned against the wall and slid to sit on a dry piece of floor. "Is it that obvious?"

Luna cocked her head for a moment. "It is to me. But then, I notice things lots of other people miss." Taking in Danny's pained expression, she said, "It seems important that no one else notices. I won't tell anyone. You're my friend. And in your note on my present, you called me 'your mysterious friend,' so it's good we agree."

"Thanks, Luna."

"You're very welcome. As you came down the stairs, you had a tail. The ghosts of Hogwarts don't have a tail, but I've seen Muggle depictions of ghosts and genies with tails. You don't seem to be bound to anything or anyone, so I'd say you're a ghost, at least part of the time." Danny's eyes grew wide as Luna frowned in concentration. "That's how you can make Peeves mind!" She paused. "Danny, did your parents know you are a ghost?"

Danny sighed. "No. It was a lot safer for them not to know." Luna was thoughtful, and then she nodded. "Luna, how did you come to be here?"

"Well, when I first came back, I went to the library to do some research. Some of the students are not kind, and as I left the library someone tore my backpack, upending my inkbottle. Mr. Filch saw me picking up my things, but he was rather upset at the spilled ink. He gave me detention, and I had to mop the whole hall in front of the library. Mr. Filch already removed the stain, but I'm nearly finished with my twice-over."

Danny stood up and narrowed his eyes. "How often does this kind of thing happen?"

Luna widened her eyes. "Thank you for asking. At the end of last year, Harry asked me that as well. This type of thing happens a lot, unfortunately." Danny noticed that Luna was not at all bitter, but stated this matter-of-factly. She was positively serene.

Danny needed a chance to process all of this information. "Luna, how much more do you have left to go?"

Looking at the mop in her hand, and then at the hall they were in, she said, "From here to the end of the corridor."

"Let me finish it for you."

Luna grasped the mop. "Oh, no, Danny. I couldn't. Mr. Filch was very specific about that."

Danny shook his head. "Luna, I know Mr. Filch. He was upset about the extra work that the spill caused him to do. He wanted the one who caused that, unfortunately this time it was you, to appreciate how much work he has to do. You're almost finished. You're tired, and this wasn't even your fault." He thought for a second. "I promise I won't use magic to do it."

Luna saw that Danny was serious and determined. "Are you sure about this?"

"Absolutely."

She sighed. "It is late. Only if you're sure…" Danny took the mop from her. "Thank you, Danny. I am tired. You are a good friend." She sat on the floor and watched Danny finish up.

As Danny mopped, he thought about Luna. Danny had his fill of dealing with Dash, and now he stayed out of sight of Cormac McLaggen. But Dash… Dash made his freshman and sophomore years at Casper High miserable, and Danny resented him for all the pain, locker stuffings, and other bizarre torments he caused. But because Danny had ghost powers and ghostly strength, he should have been above it. It was hard, no question, but… He sighed.

Luna, on the other hand, _was_ above it. If she resented the way she was treated, she didn't let it show. Her lack of fight was not due to a lack of ability. She was involved in the Battle at the Ministry, and Harry said that she fought bravely until she was knocked unconscious. Danny wasn't sure of Luna's reasons, but she simply didn't see the common teenage torments as a cause for outrage. She was simply better than that; she was above it. It wasn't an act. Luna was so frank, it was obvious that she wasn't hiding anything.

Danny flushed in shame. He had responsibilities to keep. If Luna could stand firm in the face of common bullying, perhaps he could learn a thing or two from her.

Danny finished the floor and came back to Luna. "That's done. Listen. If anyone does this type of thing to you, let me know. I'll…"

"Danny, I wouldn't want anyone to get in trouble."

He sighed. "Fair enough. But tell me anyway. I know a few tricks to keep bullies at bay. And if they don't work, I do have a few things I could do to counteract whatever it is they want to do."

Luna smiled. The gentle, serene smile seemed to light the whole corridor. "Thank you, Danny. Your attention to these things is very kind."

Danny straightened his shoulders protectively. "Not a problem. Not at all. It's late. Why don't you let me carry you to Ravenclaw Tower?"

"But…"

"It's no trouble at all. I promise."

"Alright, then. Thank you again. Let's wait for Mr. Filch to come back and see that the work is done."

Danny nodded. "Fair enough." He adopted his tail. He was about to seek out the school caretaker when he came into the hall.

Mr. Filch inspected the floor. "You've done this twice?"

Luna nodded. "It's been done twice-over."

Mr. Filch grunted. "It is satisfactory. And… You're that new ghost the House Ghosts speak well of. Well, be off with you, Miss Lovegood. As you were, Phantom." With that, Mr. Filch collected the mop and the bucket of water, and disappeared around a corner.

Danny picked Luna up bridal style and started flying towards Luna's dorm. "Luna, what were you researching?"

Luna smiled again. "Well, Daddy wants to travel for part of the summer looking for Crumple-Horned Snorkacks, and I wanted to learn more about Sweden, their natural habitat."

Danny said, "Hagrid didn't assign us a book describing Crumple-Horned Snorkacks. What do they look like?"

"They have an enormous gray, spiraled horn, not unlike a unicorn. If the horn breaks, their horns repair themselves. Snorkacks are several feet long, and they have tiny little ears, a bit like a hippo's, Daddy says, only purple and hairy. And if you want to call them, you have to hum; they prefer a waltz, nothing too fast…"

"Hold on a minute. You said a unicorn-like horn, tiny hippo-like ears, but a huge animal, right?"

Luna nodded. "That's right."

Danny stopped in flight. "I've seen one of those. Well, a ghost version of one."

Luna tightened her hold around Danny's neck. "Really? Where did you see… a ghost version?" She frowned sadly. "That means it's dead, doesn't it?"

Danny smiled. "Not really. I'm a ghost, and I'm not dead. Actually, there are lots of ghosts made of ectoplasm that never lived… in this world. They exist in the Ghost Zone. It's an alternate dimension where ghosts who have no Earthly haunts dwell."

"Oh, Danny, that's wonderful! We must get together and discuss all kinds of things."

A warm feeling overtook Danny. This was as close to a date as he had ever come in this school! "Sure. How about next weekend?"

Luna looked thoughtful. "Well, Saturday, I have a regular study group with Colin Creevey, Ginny Weasley, and a few more Fifth Years I don't know if you know. Because of our OWLs, we are only leaving off studying for Quidditch. You know that on January 25, Ravenclaw is playing Slytherin."

"I know. They asked me to play Seeker."

"Oh! Well… you know I'll be watching. But… how about Sunday after the DA meeting?"

Danny set her down on the landing. "Sounds good to me. I'll meet you outside the Great Hall."

Luna grabbed the bronze eagle-shaped knocker and knocked. A musical, tinkling voice asked, "How is it that Dark creatures often get along well with humans?"

Danny's eyes flew wide open. Luna answered, "A Dark creature has a greater potential for evil, but it is not _necessarily_ evil. Therefore, there is no foregone reason one could not get along swimmingly with anyone."

"Well reasoned and well said." The door swung open.

Luna kissed Danny on the cheek. "I'll look forward to seeing you then. Good night."

He watched her enter her Common Room. "I'm looking forward to it, too," he murmured to the closed door. Then he disappeared in a puff of green mist.

* * *

Monday morning, Vlad greeted his Sixth Year DADA class. "Welcome back, and we're ready to move on to Part Two of the curriculum. First term, we discussed various Dark creatures that are humanoid or partially human, and the relevant psychology involved in dealing with them. This term, we will discuss Dark creatures that have specific adverse effects on human psychology (or biology, as the case may be).

"Who, here, can tell me about Dementors?" Vlad was surprised to see every hand up. "Interesting," he murmured. "Miss Abbot?"

Hannah answered, "They're foul creatures that drain peace, hope, and happiness from the people around them."

"Very good. Anyone else?" Again, every student had a hand up. He had his choice of students. "Miss Patil, ah, Parvati?"

"The first sign of their presence is sudden darkness followed by biting cold. And they look like they wear dark cloaks." Vlad widened his eyes as all Gryffindors glared at Draco, Crabbe, and Goyle. All three Slytherins blushed as deeply as their coloring allowed. Vlad realized there was an interesting story here.

"Well done." He beamed as he looked around the room. Vlad sighed in contentment. It was unfortunate that so many students knew about Dementors from their up close and personal experience in Third Year, but it made his job easier. However, the Slytherins' story must be worth hearing, perhaps from the Gryffindor perspective.

"Mr. Malfoy, what do you have to add?"

Still a deep shade of pink, Draco avoided looking at Harry. "The… They are allies of… the Dark Lord. I understand they were breeding this summer." Vlad raised his eyebrows.

"Interesting."

Vlad acknowledged Lisa's hand. "When they get close enough to a person, they make a person forget all of their happy memories and focus on their worst memories. The worse the memories, the worse a person's reaction to them." Vlad smiled and nodded at her.

"Anyone else?" All twenty-five hands were up. This was definitely a record. "Mr. Finch-Fletchley?"

"Their worst weapon is more dangerous than death. A Dementor's Kiss involves sucking the soul from a person. For the longest time, the Kiss was used by the Ministry as a punishment for the most heinous crimes, until the Dementors abandoned Azkaban and Ministry control to rejoin You-Know-Who."

Vlad noticed that Harry trembled with anger. "Mr. Potter?"

"I've had far too many personal experiences with Dementors. They seem to like singling me out." Gritting his teeth, he muttered, "What else is new?" Vlad blinked. "But if they haven't administered the Kiss, the deep depression and despair, and other nasty after-effects can be cured by eating chocolate."

Danny, who was listening carefully, put down his hand. "You're joking, Harry."

"No, I'm not, Danny." He thought for a second. "It is ironic, but Muggles know that eating chocolate can have an almost anti-depressant effect, but they don't know it is a restorative from a brush with Dementors."

Vlad was intrigued by the shape the classroom discussion took. "Why is it ironic, Mr. Potter?"

"Because Muggles can't see them. And even when Dementors are not involved, there is a chemical reaction. It is ironic particularly because… most Muggles don't know of its true medicinal purpose."

"Well stated." A few students looked pained, but kept their hands up. "Mr. Smith?"

Zacharias narrowed his eyes. "You can fight Dementors by casting a Patronus. Harry started teaching the DA last year. But not everyone can do it."

Blaise spat, "You're just mad because you can't do it. Other members of last year's DA can."

Danny looked at Vlad. "Come on," he whispered.

Vlad sighed. "Mr. Zabini, while your comment is probably accurate, it is also quite a difficult spell. Mr. Potter had a strong determination to succeed, and he had a gracious, patient tutor." Vlad thought for a moment about his conversation with Severus, Remus, and Arthur on the matter. "The Patronus Charm, like many forms of advanced magic, requires firm emotional control. To create a Patronus, you need to focus firmly on an intensely positive thought, and it is even more difficult when all the while battling the depression brought on by the Dementors. Mr. Potter's corporeal Patronus is more powerful than those of some wizards twice his age." Harry blushed, while Ron, Hermione, and Danny beamed.

Vlad continued. "The fact that students are capable of performing this spell at all is remarkable. The fact that Mr. Potter taught other students to successfully conjure a Patronus," he smiled at Danny, "is the best proof that he is the most appropriate choice for a leader of the DA. I highly recommend this spell as the next one learned this Sunday."

Danny raised his hand. "Yes, Mr. Fenton?"

Putting a hand on the back of his neck, Danny asked, "It was said that Dementors look like they wear black cloaks, but Muggles can't see them. What do Muggles experience if they can't see what's going on?"

Vlad thoroughly enjoyed the level of class participation today. "That is a good question. Miss Granger, would you tell him the answer?"

Hermione thought for a moment. It wasn't until this summer that Harry told her what Dudley said he felt. She knew the answer, but she wasn't sure how Harry would feel about her simply stating it, considering what happened with Dudley. She looked to Harry, who nodded encouragingly. She answered, "They feel the cold, and the depression, and fear because they don't know why they had the sudden mood change."

Danny nodded, but looked troubled. He wasn't sure how to ask his question without giving away his secret.

Vlad telegraphed Danny's problem. "Different magical creatures respond differently. For example, centaurs respond to Dementors the same way human wizards do. The ghosts that inhabit Hogwarts, while displaying emotions of… the living, are not affected, but they _can_ see the Dementors."

Danny frowned. "But Papá…" The class, minus Hermione, Ron, and Harry, gasped.

"We'll speak about this later," Vlad told him.

Looking between Danny and the professor, Draco was the first student to find his voice. "He called you 'Papá.' But you're his uncle."

Vlad raised his eyebrows and surveyed his class. He smiled smugly. "Indeed. Over the holiday break, Daniel and I came to an understanding, and I am officially adopting him. He is now my son. It may take you time to get used to it, but this is the last of the class time we will spend discussing it.

"We have spent a great deal of time simply discussing what Dementors are, and salient points regarding them, and protective measures necessary to take against them. But like all sentient creatures (though their sentience has no resemblance to anything human), they have the ability to reason, and reach logical conclusions, though their logic system is nothing like our own. They have reasons; they have motivations.

"Dementors served Voldemort in the last war. Then they served the Ministry as prison guards at Azkaban. And now, they serve Voldemort again. While looking for a plentiful food source, the Dementors switched sides to accommodate themselves. But why would they choose to ally themselves to the humans they would prefer to suck soulless? I want two feet minimum on the possible motivations of Dementors and their apparent shift in loyalties. Cite all of your sources."

* * *

By the time the Sixth Years were on their way to the Charms classroom, there were two main topics of conversation: Danny's adoption by Professor Masters (no one was brave enough to ask Danny about his choice of last name yet), and a sign that showed up in all four Common Rooms. It read:

_APPARITION LESSONS_

_If you are seventeen years of age, or will turn seventeen on or before the 31__st__ of August next, you are eligible for a twelve-week course of Apparition Lessons from a Ministry of Magic Apparition instructor. Please sign below if you would like to participate. Cost: 12 Galleons._

The Gryffindors heard about Harry's experience with side-along Apparation and pestered Harry for a description of the sensation. Harry heard Danny's laughter as he got to the Charms classroom.

Danny was still laughing. "I can't believe people would pay the Ministry for these lessons!"

Seamus glared at him. "Then how do you think we'll learn it?"

"Dude, the sign is for _apparition_ lessons. People need lessons from the Ministry on how to become ghosts?" He laughed again.

Draco's eyes widened. "No, Danny. I didn't correct you before, because I thought you were simply railing against the government fees. (You wouldn't be the first, you know.) But these are lessons to teach us to Apparate – you know, materializing somewhere else."

Danny stared. "But that would be _Apparation_. An apparition is a ghost. And this mistake is on government approved signs."

Harry shrugged. "It wouldn't be the _only_ thing the government's doing wrong."

Pansy hissed nastily, "Danny's just jealous. He's only fifteen now, and won't be able to take lessons this year."

Danny was about to shrug or make a dismissive comment, until Ron said, "But Danny already _can_ Apparate. He doesn't need the lessons."

Danny's eyes flew wide open. "How do you know?"

Professor Flitwick carefully observed the class. Most of the class goggled with wonder. Hermione smacked Ron in the back of the head, and Harry grimaced apologetically. Ernie, Terry, Lisa, Michael, and Mandy nodded, but almost as one cocked their heads in a cross between understanding and curiosity. Everyone else had expressions of awe, jealousy, or simple disbelief. It was time to step in.

"As far as Apparation goes, Mr. Fenton can do it, and an astute observation about the spelling. Five points to Slytherin for your clever catch. But in general… The age limit in America for licensing modes of transportation is younger than it is here. There is a younger age limit for the licensing for driving automobiles, and there is a younger age limit for Apparating.

"However, Mr. Fenton has not had the chance to register with our Ministry to make sure there are no problems. As such, this was meant to be kept quiet. Mr. Potter, Mr. Weasley, Mr. Fenton, and Miss Granger, I would like you to stay after class, so we can discuss how you know information that is supposed to be left undiscussed."

Hagrid already told him that Ernie and Terry knew that Danny was not entirely human, and Professor Binns told him that the Sixth Year history class had figured out the same.

"But now, we will leave the discussion of Apparation, and focus on today's lesson."

At the end of class, Pansy sneered, Tracey rolled her eyes, and Draco looked concerned. The four Ravenclaws and the Hufflepuff almost in the know were as reluctant to leave as Draco was. "Mr. Malfoy, you will have Mr. Fenton back by lunch. Be off with you. You five… I'll see you in my office during the afternoon break. Now, shoo."

Danny refused to look anyone in the face until he, Harry, and his buddies were the only students left in the class. The four students sat in the front row. Professor Flitwick sat on the edge of his desk, cast a Silencing Charm and a Sealing Charm on the door, and crossed his arms. He glowered at the Gryffindors. "Talk."

Hermione kicked Ron's leg, which got him started. "I'm sorry, Danny. I didn't mean…"

Danny gasped, "How did you know I can Apparate?"

The three Gryffindors exchanged a glance. Harry nodded once to steady himself. "Danny… we've known your secrets – almost all of them – since December 9, the day after the first DA meeting."

Professor Flitwick was of two minds about the matter; he was annoyed at them because of the breach in Danny's security, but he was proud that they were clever enough to figure it out. "How did you figure it out?" Simple curiosity beat anger.

Hermione ventured, "We've noticed little things all year. Professor Masters made odd comments to you in class, other odd things…"

Ron said, "And your shield. It was different, but similar to…"

With a hand wave, Harry cut him off. He said gently, "Danny, you and Phantom have the same accent, the same mannerisms, and the same generosity of spirit. In November, I saw the full gamut of all your powers, except the two you held off for Professor Snape and… your mentor. Professor Masters is a half-ghost, too, isn't he?"

Danny groaned and buried his head in his arms on the desk.

Ron looked thoughtful. "That explains a few things. Like when you said that he appreciates you for _what_ you are…" Danny groaned again.

Harry said, "The shield was the biggest tip-off, though. Your ectoplasmic glass is different than a _Protego_, which looks the same no matter where a wizard is from. And… we know you're a Muggle."

Danny lifted his head, his eyes glassy. "I give up. Are all of my secrets so transparent? Luna figured out that I'm a half-ghost last night, and that came because she just saw me in ghost form. You three seem to have figured out _everything_. And my History of Magic class, Ernie, and Melissa Spradt have figured out that I'm only partially human, but they haven't figured out my other half yet.

"In Amity Park, I fought ghosts for _two years_, and no one besides my two best friends (who were there during my accident that bound ectoplasm to my DNA in my parents' Ghost Portal) and my sister figured it out. And only _one_ other person figured out there was any connection between my two forms. I just… Arg!" He threw his hands up. "I just give up."

Harry, Ron, Hermione, and the professor looked at each other; no one counted on Danny's despair. Harry got up and hugged Danny. "Listen, Danny. You need to know about the… few people who have figured anything out. First of all – the three of us right here like you. Uncle Vlad knows we know," Hermione's eyes widened and Professor Flitwick blinked. "And Severus knows. We promised them, and now we promise you to keep _all_ of your secrets. I know a thing or two about keeping secrets for security reasons. Speaking of, if you ever come in contact with Voldemort's snake, fry it on contact. Incinerate it. Just trust me."

Danny blinked at this seeming non sequitur.

Harry continued. "Luna is a special soul. Maybe it has to do with her father, or maybe it's just her. She has an uncanny way of seeing things, knowing things… Even if she figured out your deepest, darkest secret on first contact, I would say, that's just Luna. She is a special person to have as a friend." Professor Flitwick smiled. Miss Lovegood has come into some very good friends. It was about time.

Hermione asked, "Who is in your History class?"

Danny shrugged and looked at his desk. "Terry Boot, Lisa Turpin, Michael Corner, and Mandy Brocklehurst."

Hermione nodded. "Terry, Michael, Luna, and Ernie were in the DA last year. They knew the merit of keeping secrets for doing the right thing. Lisa and Mandy…"

"I will be speaking to your History class and Mr. Macmillan during the afternoon break." Professor Flitwick thought for a moment. "Professor Binns and Hagrid informed me of their discovery, and as the Head of House of your History class, it was up to me to know such things and keep them in check. Mr. Macmillan and Miss Spradt are in Hufflepuff, but it all amounts to the same thing."

Ron chimed in, "They like you, and out of House pride, they would be loyal to you and your secrets. It makes sense."

Danny sighed miserably. Ron asked, "Which professors know?"

Professor Flitwick sighed in sympathy. "Professor Masters, of course. The Headmaster, the four Heads of House, Hagrid, and Firenze."

Hermione realized something. "And all of the Hogwarts ghosts!"

Danny breathed, "Yeah." An uncomfortable silence fell over the room.

Professor Flitwick broke it. "Incidentally, Professor Dumbledore would like to see you at 8:00 this evening, Harry."

Harry nodded in acknowledgement and then thought for a moment. "Danny, I realize that no one can replace Jazz, Sam, and Tucker, and it would be wrong to try. But you know… It might make your life a little simpler to have a few people who know your secret. If you need to talk to someone and get a peer perspective… it won't be perfect, as your perspective is unique. But we can be there for you."

Professor Flitwick observed in wonder. He originally anticipated needing to do major damage control. Here, these students managed to resolve all the problems presented on their own.

Danny looked up. "Really?"

Harry smiled. "What are cousins for?" Danny smiled for the first time since the incident happened in class.

* * *

At lunch, Draco and Danny decided to use an unused classroom in the dungeon for their conversation. When the afternoon break rolled around, Draco pulled Danny into the classroom and put a Silencing Charm on the door. Danny peaked his eyebrows. "Draco, what's going on?"

Draco relaxed his shoulders, and waved Danny over to a seat. Once both were sitting, Draco sorted out how to begin this. "You know, at dinner last night, I was surprised that you went to the Weasleys. But as for you not coming to my house, it was just as well."

"Huh?"

Draco bit his lip, and then smoothed out his features into a calmer mask. "Th… Voldemort stationed himself in my house. I'm not sure what's going on, but you were right about everything about him. He, um… Danny, he was asking questions about you and Professor Masters. He…" Draco took a breath.

"Danny, I don't want anything to do with him. I remember a while ago telling you that I was thinking about becoming a…" He shuddered. "I don't want anything to do with Death Eaters, for all that my father, my aunt, two of my uncles, and quite a few other people I know of are. Professor Snape said you would especially appreciate knowing this."

Danny nodded. "I do." He put a calming hand on Draco's arm. "Draco, you made a good choice."

Draco looked at the ceiling for a second or two. "Crabbe and Goyle's fathers are Death Eaters. I don't know about them, though."

Danny thought for a second. "Draco, they are good guys. I think if you spoke to them, you would find that their friendship to you means more to them than anything that deals with…" If Draco could say it to him, he could say it back to Draco. "Voldemort. Really."

"But…"

Taking a breath, Danny said, "Listen to me. I spoke to Professor Snape about this. From what I gather, Voldemort doesn't really care for his followers to have relationships that don't ultimately give him more control. I had the feeling he offered you something. He doesn't care about what he offered as much as he cares to control you."

Draco sighed in relief. "But how do you know these things?"

Danny closed his eyes. "Would you believe me if I told you that I've fought against an evil overlord before that has nothing to do with Voldemort?"

"Really? Who? When?"

Danny sighed. "That's not important. What is important is that you get Crabbe and Goyle on your bandwagon. When it comes to fighting something this evil and this powerful, you need all the help you can get. Even… Draco, when Pansy nominated you for leader of the DA, it was because you _are_ a natural leader. Besides Crabbe and Goyle, think about the other Slytherin students who opted to stay in the DA. A lot of Slytherins dropped out because of Harry. I dropped out, but I can promise you that Harry wasn't the cause. But the Slytherins who stayed would be a good source of anti-Voldemort support."

Draco shook his head. "And when I nominated _you_, part of it was because you are _also_ a good leader, and insightful about stuff like this."

"Thanks. Draco, I'm making friends and stuff, but you know everyone I'm talking about for over five years, or so."

Draco sighed. "You're making a lot of sense. I can deal with that. But Danny, why would Voldemort ask questions about you and your… new father? Professor Snape said that Voldemort knows about the death of your family."

Danny sat up straight. "He does? Oh, no… I'll have to tell Papá."

"While anything connected to Voldemort can't be good, why is this particularly bad?"

Danny took a deep breath. "Professor Snape says that it's better not to explain it at present. I can't…"

Draco shook his head again. "If Professor Snape said so, then that's good enough for me. He has our best interests at heart, and if it's in your best interest to not explain that, well… I'll accept that."

"Thanks, Draco."

"No, thank _you_, Danny." Draco ran a hand through his hair. "Now for the fun part about this whole mess – telling Harry."

Danny snickered. "Dude – if that's what's bothering you, I can tell him about your choice to fight Voldemort in Potions. Take that off your list of problems. But after that, it might give you a good deal of satisfaction to have a conversation with him about this."

"No – what would give _me_ a good deal of satisfaction is having Harry root for you – and by extension, all of Slytherin – at the next Quidditch match." Danny laughed.

* * *

At eight, Harry came to Professor Dumbledore's office. "Ah, Harry. Welcome back! And this evening is momentous – we will discuss the last Horcrux made from an inanimate object. Then we shall play a game of logic and deduction. Finding the object will… well, we'll discuss it when we get to it."

Play a game? Harry wasn't sure he liked the sound of that. And Hermione was much better at solving logic puzzles than he was.

"Tonight, we shall dive into the memory of a very old house-elf named Hokey…"

After exploring the depths of Hokey's memory, revealing Voldemort's thieving of Hufflepuff's Cup and Slytherin's Locket, and learning of Voldemort's disturbing method of charming his way into the confidence of Zacharias Smith's great great-grandmother Hepzibah Smith and then murdering her, Harry sat disgusted and flustered.

Professor Dumbledore said, "Hepzibah Smith died two days after that little scene. Hokey the house-elf was convicted by the Ministry of poisoning her mistress's evening cocoa by accident."

"No way!" said Harry, angrily.

"I see we are of one mind," said Dumbledore. "Certainly, there are many similarities between this death and that of the Riddles. In both cases, somebody else took the blame, someone who had a clear memory of having caused the death…"

"Hokey confessed?"

"Voldemort modified her memories, and just as with Morfin, the Ministry was predisposed to suspect Hokey…"

"Because she was a house-elf," finished Harry. "Professor Masters is onto something when he talks about magical creatures and how some wizards seem to have no problem using and abusing them." He frowned. "The statue of 'Magical Brethren' in the Ministry is a lie. It looks like wizards have taken advantage of – of creatures who just…"

Professor Dumbledore sighed sadly. "Who just aren't human. Unfortunately, your observation and, undoubtedly, your professor's encouragement to think along those lines is more true than many in the Wizarding World would care to admit."

Harry sat quietly for a few moments. "Professor Masters is a half-ghost like Danny."

The older wizard's eyebrows shot up. "You are correct."

"I've already promised Danny to keep their secrets, but I can't help thinking that… Uncle Vlad might have something."

Professor Dumbledore breathed, "Really! How extraordinary. My curiosity about how the good professor came to be gifted with such a title and an honor will have to wait, although I _do_ hope you will share the story with me some time."

Harry cocked his head. "Maybe before we head out to Godric's Hollow."

The Headmaster smiled. "Indeed. But for now, we have one more puzzle piece to examine. Before we attempt to find Helga Hufflepuff's Cup, I am curious to know how Slytherin's Locket found its way to the House of Black."

"I don't know, sir."

"Can you think of anyone who might, Harry?"

Harry thought. Hokey seemed to be able to locate the treasures in Mrs. Smith's house… "Kreacher! Kreacher might know."

The professor smiled again. "Shall we ask him?"

Harry called, "Kreacher?"

Kreacher popped into Dumbledore's office and bowed low. "Master called Kreacher?"

Harry nodded. "Yes, Kreacher. I've got a question for you."

"Master has given me honor by allowing me to own the Black cake plate. Kreacher will do his best to answer to Master's satisfaction."

Considering this same house-elf's hostility of not quite a year ago, Harry was speechless for a moment. "Kreacher, two summers ago, there was a big gold locket in the drawing room in 12 Grimmauld Place. How did it come to be there?"

Kreacher gulped for air. His hollow chest rose and fell rapidly, then his eyes flew open and he uttered a bloodcurdling scream. _"The locket! Master Regulus's locket! Kreacher did wrong, Kreacher failed his orders!"_

Harry instinctively launched himself at the elf before he could find means to harm himself grievously as a punishment for his failure. Kreacher continued to scream, but Harry shouted, "Be still!" Kreacher lay flat on the floor, tears cascading down his face.

Harry looked up at Professor Dumbledore, who asked gently, "Kreacher, what were your orders?"

"Master Regulus Black, the pride of my Mistress's heart, told me to destroy the locket! But nothing Kreacher did made any mark upon it. Kreacher tried everything, everything he knew, but nothing, nothing would work…"

Harry picked up the distressed elf. "Kreacher, I destroyed Master Regulus's locket."

Kreacher stopped shaking and stared at him. "You did?"

"I did."

Kreacher threw himself at Harry and practically strangled him in a hug. "Then Master Harry has honored Master Regulus's wishes! Master Harry is too good to Kreacher."

Harry patted Kreacher's back. "Nonsense. But I'm glad I could make you happy." The house-elf howled in relief and thankfulness. It took nearly half an hour to calm Kreacher down.

When it looked like the elf would be ready for rational speech, Harry asked, "Kreacher, how did Regulus come to have the locket?"

Kreacher told them of Sirius's younger brother Regulus being a Death Eater, and how the Dark Lord needed the service of an elf, and how Voldemort took Kreacher to a cave beside the sea, and of being forced to drink a poisoned potion. It took as much internal strength as Harry had not to cry out on the abused elf's behalf. Kreacher described how Regulus switched Slytherin's locket for another one, and of Regulus's death, hoping to take down the Dark Lord by making him one step closer to vulnerable.

Harry comforted Kreacher over the loss of Regulus. Professor Dumbledore asked questions about the cave and its location. When it was clear that no one intended to make Kreacher return there, the elf had no problem describing the cave in great detail.

At the end of the recitation, Harry said, "Thank you, Kreacher. You have been a very great help."

"I'd do anything to help my great Master Harry," Kreacher said, puffing out his chest with pride.

"Thanks again. Have a good night."

"Good night, Master Harry, Headmaster Dumbledore." With that, he popped back down to the kitchens.

Professor Dumbledore sat contemplatively as Harry mused over his house-elf's new attitude. "Hermione's going to kill me, isn't she?"

Albus chuckled. "Not at all. I believe she will be thrilled that you now have two elves who love you and will do anything for you. You did what no one else could do: you made them happy by giving them the one thing they wanted most. Dobby wanted freedom from his cruel enslavement, and Kreacher wanted to successfully complete the one task he could not accomplish."

Harry took a moment to absorb all of this. "Professor, you said something of a puzzle. What did you mean?"

"Very astute of you, my boy. I'm trying to find the pattern to Voldemort's hiding places, and thereby hope to discover the final hiding place of the last Horcrux made from an inanimate object."

"Okay." Harry bit his lip and stared off to the side in thought. "Mr. Malfoy had the diary. The ring was in Marvolo Gaunt's house, the diadem was in the Room of Requirement, and the locket was in that cave."

"Right. Now, let's think of what these places might have meant to Voldemort."

Harry got up and started to pace. "The ring was in the Gaunts' home. That's… that would be his major connection to the Wizarding World. It would be the place he saw connected with the whole Heir of Slytherin thing."

"Very good, Harry!"

"The diadem was here at Hogwarts. Hogwarts was the first place he thought of as home."

Professor Dumbledore nodded. "That it was. It is also the place he fought hardest to seek employment."

"Professor?"

"Teaching students is probably the most overlooked source of power that exists. A good teacher will teach students their material and to think critically and independently. But a teacher also has a great deal of influence over what students will learn. Dolores Umbridge sought to indoctrinate the school with Ministry propaganda. Professor Masters has influenced many to treat sentient magical creatures with the same respect as wizards give humans. A great deal of power lies in the hands of teachers. And Voldemort wanted to teach here."

"Let me guess – Defense Against the Dark Arts."

"Right in one. And when he didn't get the position, he cursed it. I haven't had a DADA professor for longer than a year since Voldemort was denied the position."

That was a perspective on teaching that Harry _never_ considered before. He might talk to Severus about his ideas on that matter later. "Okay. So what about this cave?"

Dumbledore closed his eyes. "Unless I'm mistaken, we've viewed a memory that discussed the cave before, but I'll revisit its importance. That cave is not far from the seaside where the orphanage Voldemort lived took the children for a summer outing. I believe that, as a boy, Voldemort used his magical power to harm two of the children."

Harry stood, fairly disturbed. "So the cave was somewhere Voldemort exercised his power over people."

The professor nodded gravely. "That is my thought precisely."

Harry blew out a breath. "And Mr. Malfoy had the diary. We could ask Dobby where Malfoy kept the diary, but… what if the main idea is that it was kept by a person Voldemort respected?"

Professor Dumbledore sat forward, with all of his attention on Harry. "How do you mean?"

"Well… If I've got it right, Draco was always on about his family, a 'respectable pureblood family of long standing,' and like that. What if Voldemort just wanted to put his Horcrux with one of his most trusted servants who had something he never had – a respectable pureblood family name, and all the money, power, and privileges that go with it."

Albus's eyes twinkled. "Harry, you are brilliant! And you've come up with a perspective I would never have come to on my own. I will have to reflect on that. We may have another meeting within the next two weeks, depending on what I come up with until then."

"Sir, I don't understand."

"Harry, give me some time. As soon as I figure it out, you will be the first to know. But now, it is late. You have given me hope. Have a very good night, Harry." Professor Dumbledore hugged Harry briefly before leading him to the door of his office.

After the gargoyle sprang back into place, Harry paused. "That was weird." He shook his head and headed back to his dorm.


	42. Chapter 42

First of all, I want to thank everyone who read and reviewed, and put this fic and me on your assorted lists. There are new readers all the time, and I truly appreciate the fact that you enjoy this story as much as I enjoy writing it. In thanks, I give you all Nestlé's Turtles and Hamentashen of your favorite variety.

Disclaimer: I do not own _Danny Phantom_, _Harry Potter_, or _The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe._

Chapter 42

Monday night, Draco was bemused. At dinner, Danny told him that Harry was looking forward to talking to him. He had to figure out what to say. Then there was Professor Dumbledore. Would the Headmaster even listen to him after last year's debacle? It was one thing to lord power over the students, especially Potter and his gang… Now he had to not only get along with but also actively seek support from Harry. Professor Snape suggested it, and Danny made it sound so easy. Maybe he could snag the attention of the Gryffindor in the break between Herbology and Transfigurations.

Pansy still wasn't talking to him. After Draco talked to Danny about Harry at dinner, Pansy refused to talk to him. She couldn't possibly understand what he was going through. After all, Voldemort stayed in 'his rooms' during the party, and no one but the individual Death Eaters, his mother, or himself even knew the Dark Lord was there. Would _she_ understand?

Draco shook his head. He just didn't understand her. She wanted Draco's attention, but when he gave it to her, she didn't want it. _Girls!_

That still left him Crabbe and Goyle to talk to. Both Professor Snape and Danny suggested getting Crabbe and Goyle on board with an anti-Voldemort Slytherin movement. Danny seemed pretty sure of himself. Now was the moment of truth: was Danny right?

Draco straightened the front of his robes looking a lot more self-assured than he felt, and called over Crabbe and Goyle, who finished discussing possible Beater strategies in their next Quidditch match. "Crabbe, Goyle, I need to talk to you."

Vince and Greg looked at each other. If Draco had something to say, he usually just said it. Goyle cleared his throat. "What do you need, Malfoy?"

"To talk to both of you. Privately." Crabbe raised his eyebrows.

Goyle shrugged. "Okay. Our usual spot, or in a classroom?"

Draco widened his eyes. Goyle was more perceptive than he was often given credit for. "A classroom sounds great." Draco led them to the dungeon classroom he used earlier for Danny's conversation, and he once again Silenced the door.

Crabbe and Goyle both took seats as Draco stood, ready to pace. Crabbe asked, "So, what's this about?"

Draco thought for a moment. "I don't know if you know it, but the Dark Lord's decided to take over my household."

Crabbe tilted his head, and Goyle said, "Okay."

Draco took a breath and paced a bit. "Right. You know my father is in Azkaban." He turned to the large students who nodded in acknowledgement. "Well, last summer, the Dark Lord told me that he would come up with a way for me to redeem my family – apparently, he was supremely displeased with my father's failure and capture." He glanced back at them, and they nodded again.

Draco walked up to the table, put his hands on it, and leaned towards them. "When I first got home on December 21, he summoned me to the sitting room and started asking questions about Danny. I don't know why, but it sounds like he's got something against Danny the same way he's got something against Harry."

He looked hard at both of them. "I don't know what's going on, but everyone knows that the Dark Lord means to kill Harry. If that's what he wants to do to Danny, that's too high a price." Draco gulped. "If the Dark Lord made me choose to be true to him by betraying either of you, I wouldn't do it."

Both Crabbe and Goyle raised their eyebrows. Goyle said, "I would make that same choice for both of you." Crabbe nodded. He would, too.

Draco closed his eyes a minute, and then reopened them. "I feel the same about Danny." They stared back at him. He took a breath. "I don't know what he wants with Danny, but it's obvious to me that it isn't good. I would rather abandon the Dark Lord forever than let him hurt Danny. Are you with me?"

Draco sincerely hoped Danny was right about this. Crabbe and Goyle's fathers were as much a part of Voldemort's inner circle as his own father was. Vince and Greg would either stand with him, or they would turn him over. He gulped again and waited.

The seconds ticked away as the large Slytherins sat in silence. They had their own choices to make. They could follow their fathers' footsteps, or they could strike out into foreign territory. Greg looked at both Draco and Vince. "I'm with you. Da's not gonna like this, but between Professor Snape, the Headmaster, Fenton, and you, I think we can make this work."

Vince looked at both of them. He promised his father he would take the Mark this summer, when he turned 17. This choice between his promise to his father and his relationship to his friends had him question where his loyalty belonged. Fenton was a good kid, but was he worth going against his father? Vince wasn't sure.

Malfoy… Vince's own father followed Draco's father, right or wrong, as far as he knew. That should help to inform his decision, but then again, they both served the Dark Lord unquestioningly. _This_ Malfoy was questioning service to the Dark Lord.

But Goyle… Vince and Greg were inseparable. They did everything together. They did their first accidental magic together. They played Quidditch together. They stole food from the Hogwarts' kitchens together… They turned their backs on the Dark Lord together.

"I'm with you. No, my Da's not gonna like this, either. But if it's gonna be you, me, Malfoy, and Fenton… we can do this. We got anyone else?"

Draco sighed with relief. Danny was right! Draco could work with this. "Yeah. We've got others to work with us. I've got to talk to a couple of people this week, and we'll see what we can do."

* * *

Tuesday morning, after Herbology, Draco nodded once at Danny, who nodded back before he left for his meeting with Professor Snape. Before they left the greenhouse environs, Draco called out, "Harry!"

The dark-haired Gryffindor searched for who called his name. That voice in that tone was a new combination. He found Draco, who had urged Crabbe and Goyle to go on into the castle. Danny told Harry of Draco's choice to turn away from Voldemort, and of Draco's fear, and need to talk. To be honest, this was the last conversation he expected to have, but he was privately thrilled to be having it with the one Slytherin student who caused him more trouble over the past five and a half years than all others, combined.

Harry pulled up to Draco, flanked by Ron and Hermione. "What's on your mind, Draco?"

Draco felt at a loss, or at the very least, at a disadvantage – Harry had his friends, but Crabbe and Goyle left. He took a breath, and realized that whatever else happened, this conversation had to have a safer outcome than what he was afraid of last night. "I understand that you and Danny talked last night."

Ron eyed Draco mistrustfully. "And what if he did?"

Draco rolled his eyes. "Look. Voldemort," Both Ron and Hermione's eyes flew wide open, "Has something against Danny. I don't know what, but I don't want to know. What I _do_ know is that I don't want anything to do with said Dark Lord. Right now, this was probably the one thing that will guarantee a break between what my father did and what I want to do."

Harry blinked. "Glad to hear it."

"Don't think we'll be best mates because of this," Draco snapped.

Harry smirked. "Perish the thought, though stranger things have happened."

Ron crossed his arms. "But what do you _want_, Malfoy?"

"Before this gets heated or complicated," Hermione suggested reasonably, "why don't we find somewhere to sit? Lack of becoming best mates duly noted, but there's no rule that says we have to make this more uncomfortable for you than it already probably is."

Draco wanted to say something unpleasant, but the Know-it-all was right. "Fine." No one commented that this single syllable was the most civilly Draco spoke to Hermione in their entire acquaintance. Harry led them to a spot by the lake where the snow had melted and the grass had dried.

The four of them sat, and Draco considered how to proceed. "Professor Snape and Danny suggest that you would be a receptive audience, and they've never steered me wrong." Harry nodded. Draco sighed. "My life has gotten infinitely more complicated. I can't go home, as Voldemort has taken up residence there and decided 'I'm useful enough to live, for now.' I don't want to help him, or be useful, or whatever. He was asking about Danny and Professor Masters. When I told him about it, Danny turned as pale as a ghost."

All three Gryffindors succeeded in fighting down snickers, but Draco realized that _something_ was going on. "Anyway… the Dark Lord already figured out that you and I have ceased hostilities, Harry. I realize this… whatever you call this, what we have, is mutually beneficial, but I'm also going to need to find some like-minded people – besides Danny – in my own House. But I can't very well _ask_ people. Those choosing to ally themselves to… _him_ would have no problem sending me to my death." He was thoughtful. "You probably know all about that, don't you?" He asked quietly.

Harry laughed mirthlessly. "Third Year is the only year he hasn't tried to have me killed since I got back to the Wizarding World. So yeah, you could say I know _exactly_ what you mean."

Ron's mistrustful gaze lessened, but not by much. "You're saying you're not interested in You-Know-Who, and that Professor Snape and Danny know of your choice. Got that. And now you've told us, which is a useful thing on your part. But you still haven't said what you want."

Draco hardened his eyes. Did he have to spell it out for these people? Apparently, he did. "I spoke to Crabbe and Goyle, and they're with me on this."

"Of _course_ they are," scoffed Ron.

"There is nothing 'of course' about it, Weasley." Draco was losing his patience. He hadn't lost it yet, but he was getting there. "In choosing to follow me on this, it means choosing to ignore their own fathers, and what _they_ want. They may _also_ need to make different summer arrangements, until this is over. So don't think you know everything." Ron was taken aback by Draco's quiet fury.

Draco looked away from the trio for a few moments to collect his anger. When he was able to speak calmly again, he said, "Look – as leaders of the DA, you know who the repeat Slytherins are. More likely than not, they can be a source of anti-Voldemort sentiment. I know a few, but mostly I've been focusing on practicing, not who is there. All I know for sure is that Crabbe and Goyle and I'm in, Pansy isn't anymore, and… even though Danny's not in the Club, he is anti-Voldemort."

He paused, realizing that this request was going to forever change his relationship to these three, for better or for worse. "I'd like a list of anti-Voldemort Slytherins, if the DA leadership has one. It occurs to me that… while the Dark Lord is living in _my_ house, there are others who might need protection from classmates' reporting, or even," he closed his eyes, "from our own parents."

Hermione said, "I don't have a list, but there are people. I've heard some talk while working with different groups. I could canvasse the student leaders and see what they come up with. But what do you want with this list?"

Draco cringed in emotional pain. "Professor Snape told me to speak to Professor Dumbledore about my personal situation and safety options. As long as I'm doing this for me, Crabbe and Goyle can benefit from this. While not every Death Eater comes from Slytherin (I heard about Pettigrew), the majority of Death Eaters I _do_ know about are."

He looked over the three Gryffindors in front of him. "If you decided to have general anti-Voldemort talk in your Common Room, most people are in agreement. I wouldn't know, but I would guess you have the freedom to have as much ra-ra as you want. In Slytherin, a general anti-Voldemort conversation with the wrong people can get you turned over for 'punishment'." Ron and Hermione paled, and Draco nodded. Harry seemed to understand what he was saying. Draco decided to explore this fact at another time.

"So… I want this list for two reasons. One, of course, is to find out who I can talk to about Voldemort and plans against him safely. Secondly, if anyone needs protection, Dumbledore is the man to talk to, in order to get it. It would be nice to have a list of names of people to give him, so we can be taken care of at the same time."

Harry stared at Draco. "You are good at this. You helped Danny, and now… I'm impressed."

Draco shrugged. "Good to know."

Harry sighed. Draco was an enigma. This choice raised this Slytherin in his estimation, but he was still… Draco. "We'll get back to you, but this is a worthy endeavor. I'm looking forward to working with you on this. And, of course, we'll keep your secret."

Ron shook his head. "This is getting weird."

Draco crossed his arms. "You're telling me? Now we should probably get to Transfigurations." He grabbed his bag and ended up leading the four of them to class.

* * *

During Tuesday's afternoon office hours, Vlad looked up when he heard a knock at his door. "Come in." He glowed with pleasure when he saw who it was who entered his office. "Daniel! What a pleasant surprise. To what do I owe the honor of this early meeting?" He waved Danny over to a seat.

"There's a lot on my mind, and we didn't really have time to talk about it last night." Danny stared at the edge of Vlad's desk. "Harry, Ron, and Hermione have figured out every one of my secrets, with the possible exceptions of our ability to overcome the Killing Curse, my Ghostly Wail, and overshadowing."

Vlad came out from behind his desk and sat in the seat nearest Danny. "They are very clever, and observant, and…"

"And they figured out that you're a half-ghost, too."

"Shoo-fly pie and apple pandoughty! Well… As I said, they are observant and clever. And they seem to understand and appreciate our need for secrecy."

"I just… I don't know. I just… you know, _no one_ in Amity Park figured out anything. I mean, Sam and Tucker were there during my accident. Jazz… well, she's my sister, and was brilliant, and happened to catch me during a transformation. For all my in-school transformations, and ghost fighting all over town, no one figured out anything. If anything, Paulina realized my ghost form showed up wherever my human form did, without realizing they were both me. Here, Harry, Ron, and Hermione figured out _everything_. Luna merely _looked_ at my ghost form and knew. And my history class, and Ernie, and Melissa… well, I already told you about them."

Danny ran a hand through his hair. "I don't get it. No one's seen me operate as Danny Phantom, except for Harry. No one at _all_ has seen me transform. Four students even _saw_ me as Phantom. But ten students here know more about me in a few months than anyone did in Amity Park in two years. And I've done less here to help anyone discover anything."

Vlad sat back for a moment. Daniel was right. "My dear boy, you are correct. However, the two situations are nothing alike, besides the school settings. In Casper High, you were – forgive me – unremarkable as a student. You were in class, much like anyone else, but the classes were larger. Nothing, really, made you stand out in any way, personally. Here, you are new, you are from a different country, your background is a mystery, you are very close friends with the resident celebrity, and you shun honor while you're in a House practically defined by ambition. You stand out in _every_ way.

"As such, people are more apt to pay attention to almost everything about you. In Casper High, when your ghost sense went off, no one knew or cared. Here, you have four Ravenclaw students, noted for being observant and hungry for knowledge, all in place to observe you in the one class you have a ghost as a teacher who would set off your ghost sense. Melissa's unfortunate intrusion into the classroom where we held our… altercation tipped our hand in a way neither of us anticipated. I'm not sure how Ernest got involved."

Danny sighed. "I guess you're right."

"And Harry is practically your cousin. You have so much in common that it is truly remarkable. And unlike the folks in Casper High, Harry got to see your ghost half as a student. Your personality is exactly the same. I wasn't expecting it, but when he told me he figured out you were both human and ghost, it made a lot of sense. Further, he probably came to the conclusion with the help of Hermione and Ron.

"Luna… She is an enigma. She is a Ravenclaw, so she has a predisposition to be brilliant. But she is unlike any other person I've ever met."

"Yeah." Danny's eyes twinkled. "She is smart, pretty, her eyes shine like the moon, she has a great sense of humor, and we kind of have a date after the DA meeting this Sunday."

"Really! I do believe you are taken with her. I suppose I should wish you luck."

Danny was startled back to the present. "You know, Papá, I haven't ever… really… Well, the one time I ever told Dad I liked a girl, he… well…"

Vlad smirked. "I imagine you've never had a heart to heart with a parent to discuss feelings you barely understand." He sighed sadly. "While you loved your father very much, the fact is that he didn't understand many things about you, certainly not the way I do." He looked thoughtful. "Technus told me he was 'rooting' for you and Valerie."

Danny blushed. "Yeah, well… she is smart, pretty, amazingly talented. And even though she no longer hates my ghost half (thank you _again_ for that), I just… I like her. I even sent her a necklace like the one I gave Luna, except it had an emerald in a silver setting. It matches her eyes, and the note I sent said, 'A pretty gift for a pretty girl.' But I don't think she'll trust me if she discovers that Fenton is really Phantom."

Vlad smirked again. "You gave her jewelry with your House colors."

Danny rolled his eyes. "Yes, Vlad, but the jewelry shop specialized in Hogwarts paraphernalia. I couldn't get a ruby without a gold setting, or a yellow stone without a jet setting. When I got the thing for Valerie, it wasn't like a class ring or something. It was because it matched her eyes."

Vlad raised his eyebrows. Too much teasing took away the title he's come to love to hear from his son. "Very well, very well. While I'm honored to have the glimpse you've given me into your love life, I'm quite sure that wasn't your aim for coming to me. The exposure of your ghost nature (and mine, for that matter) is disconcerting. I hope you are comforted enough for now." He took one of Danny's hands. "Was there anything else?"

"Yeah." Danny slumped his shoulders. "Draco told me that Voldemort has been asking questions about us."

"WHAT?"

"Right. Voldemort has no reason to know who I am, but Draco told me it wasn't his fault. He already knew something, and Voldemort threatened him because Draco couldn't tell him what he wanted to know. Draco wants to start a Slytherin anti-Voldemort movement, once we know who is agreeable."

"Hmm…" How could Voldemort have known? "Perhaps the Animagus wasn't the only Death Eater to observe us in Hogsmeade. Pity. We could have built so many memories as the only two Muggles in the one and only pure Wizarding village in all of Britain. Now, we'll have to wait until this foolishness is over."

"Um, Papá?" Vlad smiled. The title returned. "He was asking questions about you, too. Are you sure it's still safe for you to go to London?"

Vlad thought for a moment. _Was_ it still safe for him to go to London? "It probably is still fine. I only go to the normal parts of London: to the post office, the bank, an Internet café, and a newspaper stand. There are other places I go when necessary. But as far as these people know, I'm a wizard, and would most likely be in Diagon Alley when I visit London, if they figured out that London is a regular destination of mine." He frowned. No one knew where he went, unless he told them himself…

Vlad cleared his throat. "Not to worry, my son. You get ready for your next class."

* * *

On Wednesday morning, Professor Snape and Vlad found each other in the faculty lounge. "Vlad, we need to talk."

"I gathered that."

Severus nodded. "I would prefer if you met me in my office after you finish with Daniel's lessons this evening. It's alright if… my favorite nephew knows where you're going. This must happen."

With no further fanfare, Vlad accompanied Danny to the dungeon after they finished their lessons at 10:00pm. "What's this meeting for, Papá?"

"I believe your professor and I will discuss some of what we talked about yesterday. I'll let you know if I find out anything relevant for you. We'll know better after this conversation."

Danny felt weird, but it was oddly comforting to have Vlad with him. Over the course of the year, he and Vlad have been getting closer, but… It wasn't just words. This whole adoption thing felt right. Vlad was never going to be Dad, but whatever it was, well, he was glad it was there.

Vlad hugged Danny. "You have a good night, Daniel." He dismissed Danny and knocked on Snape's door.

"Come in." Severus smiled and waved Vlad into a seat. "It looks like someone's had a good day."

Vlad returned the smile. "Besides the fact that _every_ one of my students Fourth Year and higher had a decent amount of speculation on why Dementors bothered to ally themselves to the humans they'd rather prey upon, Daniel's made significant inroads to increase his power, and he was able to compare and contrast Narnia's 'first Christmas in centuries' to a scenario we came across in the Ghost Zone. It is days like today that almost make me question why teaching was not my first career choice. But only almost."

This whole 'first Christmas in centuries' in the Ghost Zone was something Professor Snape decided he needed to speak with Daniel about at another time. "Speaking of Christmas, various faculty and staff were very much amused by Daniel's gifts. We'll thank him personally, but really… I knew he was clever, but a wit with words I didn't know he was."

"I've had years to get used to his snappy banter, but please tell me what has you so amused."

"He gave me this gold watch, and it came with a note, saying, 'Thank you for watching over me.' Filius received a set of twelve ice mugs, and his note said, 'Thank you for helping me find the Charm in my powers.' Hagrid and Filch's notes weren't so clever as much as the gifts were sentimental. Daniel gave Hagrid a rather large box filled with a fittingly large variety of teas, with a note thanking him for being a friend. Argus Filch was floored to have received a gift from a student."

"Oh?"

"Daniel gave him a simple plush bear with a note that said, 'Thank you for caring.' It was wonderfully thoughtful."

Vlad smiled. "That's my boy. I'm not sure why he's taken with care for the caretaker, but there you go."

Professor Snape furrowed his brows. "The most eclectic, to me anyway, was his gift to Firenze. Daniel gave the centaur an ectoplasmic ball of light encasing a Galleon, a Sickle, a Knut, and the leaf of a rowan tree. The note that came with this said, 'You showed me the beauty of putting cultures together, keeping them separate, and respecting them all, regardless.' The gift demonstrated the concept perfectly."

"Indeed. Daniel has an uncanny ability to find new perspectives. I am proud of him, and as entertained as we both are by my son's gift selection, that isn't really the purpose of tonight's meeting."

Severus sighed. "Voldemort has become aware of Daniel's identity. Further, he was asking about _you_."

Vlad nodded somberly. "So Daniel said. Draco told him. I've already cancelled further plans for him to visit anywhere until further notice. With the exception of visiting America to complete the adoption."

The Potions Master stared at Vlad. "And how do you propose to take him there? Voldemort is looking for you."

Vlad raised an eyebrow. "The Headmaster brought us here with a Portkey. I do realize that security is of the utmost importance."

"Then you realize the ridiculousness of the notion of removing Daniel from heavily warded areas that keep him safe."

Vlad snarled, "And you fail to realize that there are modes of transportation with which you are entirely unfamiliar, or you would not be so swift to ridicule that which you don't understand."

Severus cocked his head. "What did you have in mind?"

Vlad sniffed haughtily. "I intend to take Daniel through the Ghost Zone, and have my lawyer meet me in my Wisconsin home. Otherwise, the public would want to know why everything would not have been done in my home country, state, and city."

"I appreciate the concept of appeasing the public, as the government and media have a way of meddling with celebrated personas. However, I don't see the need to do all of this maneuvering now."

Vlad answered simply, "I want the adoption to go through as quickly as possible. I don't have an appointment yet, but I intend to change that over the next couple of weeks."

Severus drummed his fingers on his desk and frowned. "Vlad, I don't think you understand the danger you face with Daniel outside of protective magical wards."

"No, Severus, I understand perfectly. Traveling through the Ghost Zone is something that can't be detected or traced without some of the Fentons' technology, which doesn't work here."

"Vlad, the problem isn't the transportation, but what happens when you get there."

"Severus, it's my own home. Everything should be fine."

Severus narrowed his eyes. "And the last time Daniel was in America, whole hosts of Muggles were decimated. You aren't taking him. It would be an irresponsible security breach."

Vlad's eyes glowed red. "How dare you tell me this?"

Severus sneered. "So much for your Sorting into Ravenclaw. You are far too emotional, and not logical enough. Unless you intend to have your solicitor enter the Ghost Zone, you are taking Daniel into as much of a dangerous situation as he escaped in July. Unless… Of course!"

Vlad growled, "What are you babbling about?"

The wizard laughed. "I can't believe it just came to me. Vlad, it would be irresponsible for you to take Daniel with you somewhere that isn't as heavily warded as Hogwarts or the Burrow. Unless, of course, you have a fully trained wizard with you."

The half-ghost raised his eyebrows. "You mean to come with us when we go."

"I do indeed."

Vlad shook his head. That was an unexpected development. "Was there anything else?"

Severus tapped his chin. "I believe Draco is trying to organize something anti-Voldemort, but I'll get back to you when I have more details."

Vlad sighed. "Right, then. Oh, you may enjoy this." Vlad turned the book in his hand visible. "This is a description of how Daniel and I spent Christmas Eve. I thought you might find it entertaining. Have a good night, Severus." He disappeared in a pink mist.

* * *

On Friday evening, Draco was rather proud of himself. During the morning break, he spoke to Harry and Hermione, who gave him a comprehensive list of the Slytherins who were repeat DA members. The student teachers listened to conversations around the room, and between the 23 of them (Zacharias would have made 24, but Draco personally kept him busy last meeting), they formed a composite list of which Slytherins would be safe for him to talk to about Voldemort. There might be more, but this was a good place to start. He made himself two copies, one of which he intended to share with Danny. He had plans for the original list.

Professor Snape brought Draco to the Headmaster's office. "Seriously? Butterscotch toffee?"

The professor smiled wryly. "The Headmaster has an interesting sense of humor. How do you feel?"

"I'm nervous, but this is the right thing to do."

"Focus on the fact that you are a student leader, here to help your fellow students and Housemates."

"Okay."

"Look at me." The professor turned Draco to face him, holding the boy's shoulders. "Are you ready?"

Draco gulped, wiped his hands on his robes, and then straightened his robes, allowing his face to become an aristocratic mask of confidence. "Ready."

"Then knock."

Professor Dumbledore called, "Come in. Professor. Mr. Malfoy! To what do I owe this honor?"

Draco nodded to steady himself. "Professor, Lord Voldemort has taken up residence in my house. I didn't know that until I got home for Christmas break."

Raising his eyebrows, Professor Dumbledore said, "I see. Please, both of you take seats." Professor Snape put a hand on Draco's shoulder before both of them took seats. Fawkes flew over and landed on the back of Draco's chair, and started to sing.

Draco spun to look, and asked, "Sir?"

Professor Dumbledore's eyes twinkled. "Not to worry, Draco. Fawkes has decided you need comfort in a way that only a phoenix can offer. Truly, don't worry." Draco closed his eyes, and let the phoenix song help to calm him down.

Taking a cleansing breath, Draco said, "Voldemort asked lots of questions about Danny and Professor Masters. I'm not sure what he wants, but that can't possibly be good."

Professor Dumbledore nodded. "You're right."

"I already told Danny, and…"

The old wizard was concerned. "What is it, Draco?"

The blond looked up at his Head of House, who nodded in encouragement. "Professor, I reject what Voldemort has to offer." Dumbledore relaxed visibly as he listened. "You do realize this presents a serious problem – he's living in my home. I…" Draco's aristocratic cool flew out the window as panic set in. "What am I going to do?" Professor Snape grabbed Draco's closest hand and looked at Dumbledore.

"Professor, I, myself, would like to know what type of solution you have in mind."

The Headmaster covered his mouth with a hand and stroked his beard with a downward stroke. "This is serious. I'm not sure what to tell you at first glance. I will need to consider and make arrangements."

Draco sighed. "Professor… I'm not the only one who is going to need this kind of help. I have a list of names of various Slytherins, some of whom are children of Death Eaters, who also reject Voldemort's message, service, or anything else. We are going to need help and protection."

"I acknowledge the difficulty. I will need to come back to you after speaking to people to make arrangements. Please give me your list." Draco handed him a scroll, and Albus read it.

"This isn't a complete list, but it's a start."

The Headmaster nodded sincerely. "Thank you very much. It took great initiative and courage on your part to get this started. I will make it my business to do what is necessary to solve this problem." He rolled the scroll and tapped it on his desk a few times. "Draco, may I ask you a personal question?"

Draco looked up quizzically. "Uh, sure."

"Has your father or any of your relatives made mention of the honor of holding an heirloom for Voldemort?"

Professor Snape stared. He had no idea what the Headmaster was on about, and was about to snap at his employer for bothering his student with ridiculous questions until Severus studied the boy. The teen furrowed his brows in thought. "Yes, I think so. Aunt Bella crowed about being entrusted with 'her lord's greatest treasure.' She rather went on about how much of an honor it was, and didn't even share it with Uncle Rodolphus. She went on and on about being chosen 'as a part of the Noble and Ancient House of Black,' and how anyone would be hard-pressed to find an older, more pure Wizarding bloodline. So she put this 'greatest of treasures' in the ancestral Black family vault."

A happy twinkle came to Dumbledore's eyes. "Excellent! My dear boy, with this fantastic news, your problems will soon be over! I will, of course, check on all the other things I mentioned. Your safety, and the safety of your fellow students, is paramount. But the information you have provided me will bring us one step closer to defeating Voldemort for once and for all."

The two Slytherins shared a glance, neither having a clue about what the elder wizard meant.

The Headmaster smiled kindly. "My dear Draco, do you have anything else you care to discuss?"

Draco clasped his hands in his lap and looked at them for a moment. "No, sir. Not right now."

"Then I thank you for coming. Please take a lemon drop – surely, your throat must be dry after discussing such nerve-wracking topics."

Draco looked up with wide eyes, and accepted one. "Thank you, sir."

* * *

Saturday evening, Vlad visited Professor Dumbledore after his evening with Danny. "Welcome, Professor. Have a seat. Would you care for some tea?" The Headmaster was curious about how his half-ghost professor would surprise him this time.

"Thank you kindly. We have much to discuss, and some refreshments would not go amiss."

Professor Dumbledore poured them both cups. "Where would you like to begin?"

Vlad smiled. "First of all, you should know that Daniel and I spent the first part of our Christmas vacation in the Ghost Zone. It was wonderfully satisfying to meet many of Daniel's friends and allies. We discussed one of them last August – the Ghostwriter."

The wizard thought for a moment. "He is the one who can change reality with his Keyboard, right?"

"Correct. But he truly is a fine author. As you know, six of the regular Hogwarts ghosts came to the Ghost Zone to attend the annual Christmas party the ghosts hold. Daniel and I attended it this year. I commissioned the Ghostwriter to describe it in poem form (after the fact. No one was forced to do anything), and I thought you would appreciate a copy." Vlad handed Albus the wrapped book.

"Astounding! Of all the books I receive as gifts, I can't remember one I looked forward to reading as much as this. Thank you very kindly, Vlad."

Vlad took a sip of his tea. "It was a great pleasure. But nothing has given me greater pleasure than what Daniel surprised me with as a Christmas present. He asked me to formally adopt him."

"How wonderful for both of you!" Professor Snape, Professor Sprout, and Molly Weasley informed him of this, but there was no need to diminish his excitement on the half-ghosts' behalf.

Vlad nodded. "Indeed. And before you remind me of the warnings I received in October, Severus already did so. Also…" How would the Headmaster deal with this little fact? "I spoke with Clockwork, the Ghost Master of Time. He _also_ reminded me of my commitments to Daniel that I made and renewed in October."

"A ghost who is Master of Time? What a fascinating concept. I wonder what he would think of the Wizarding invention of Time-turners." At Vlad's puzzled look, he explained, "They are devices that can bring a person back into the past. Of course, I understand that they've all been destroyed…"

Vlad smirked. "I imagine he would say that everything is as it should be."

Albus tried, but he couldn't restrain himself. "Did he… say anything about the situation concerning Voldemort?"

"As a matter of fact, he did. He was cryptic, and Daniel said that was par for the course, but he sounded rather optimistic. It all comes down to choices, but the likelihood that the anti-Voldemort crowd will make useful choices seems rather high."

The Headmaster nodded. "That is comforting to hear. Danny is familiar with this ghost?"

Vlad grimaced. "Apparently. Clockwork is Daniel's Guardian in ways I can't begin to fathom. It seems more authoritative than my own relationship to the boy. He did congratulate us, though, and told Daniel that his decision to allow me to adopt him was a fine choice."

"And so it was. Congratulations on your adoption. Has Danny decided which name he'll choose as a last name?"

Vlad took another sip of tea. "We haven't discussed it yet. We have time." Albus chuckled, and Vlad rolled his eyes. After the discussion concerning Clockwork, Vlad should have anticipated a pun on time.

Albus took a sip of his own tea, and Vlad cleared his throat. "That is another thing I intend to discuss with you this evening. Earlier today, I sent a communiqué to my secretary to arrange an appointment with my lawyer to arrange the legal details to make Daniel my son. By next Saturday, I'll have a date and time, Central Standard Time. Because of the time differences, it will require me leaving the castle after hours. I will try to arrange it for a weekend."

"Alright. But something tells me this will be more complicated than your disappearing for a few hours one evening."

Vlad closed his eyes. "It will require taking Daniel to America for the appointment."

Professor Dumbledore frowned. "I'm not sure I can allow you to do that."

"There _is_ one more aspect I hadn't mentioned yet." Albus raised his eyebrows. "Severus suggested that he would come with us."

Albus covered his mouth with a hand. "That is an interesting suggestion. And how do you intend to take my student and professor to America?"

"The same way I got there last time – through the Ghost Zone."

"Oh, my." Professor Dumbledore smiled. "I do believe my Potions Master is in for a surprise. With the protection Severus can offer you once you get back to… the Real World, I think you call it? With Severus present, I can allow you to take Danny. I mean to give no offense, but I take the safety of my students and staff _very _seriously."

"I appreciate that." Vlad frowned. "But that brings me back to a real topic of concern. I hear that Voldemort has been asking questions about me and Daniel. This is a problem."

Professor Dumbledore sighed. "Indeed, it is."

"How could this happen? We are supposed to be safe here."

"I couldn't say for certain. I would imagine it is a combination of things. One that stands out most in my mind is that Voldemort very rarely operates by using one lone Death Eater in the field. On the day you killed Peter Pettigrew, there was almost certainly another Death Eater with him."

Vlad narrowed his eyes. "I seriously hope you aren't telling me that our breach in security is _my_ fault."

"No, Vlad, I'm not saying this is your fault."

"What are you doing to stop Voldemort? You always say that something is going on, but I don't know what any of these results are. Considering the breakdown of my son's safety, I deserve to know."

Professor Dumbledore drummed his fingers on his desk. Vlad was rightfully angry, and… he proved to be trustworthy enough for this. "We know the location of Voldemort's hideout. But before you ask, let me explain. Using some of the Darkest, vilest magic known to man, he has arranged to create a few tokens to help him cheat death. These tokens are the reason that, when Voldemort's Killing Curse backfired on him when he tried to kill Harry as a baby, the evil man didn't die."

"Interesting."

"I've been systematically hunting down and destroying these tokens as I find them. As of now, three of them exist. One is an inanimate object, and I only discovered its location yesterday. One is Voldemort's pet snake Nagini. The third… has to be dealt with more delicately. The token is an innocent human being who was simply in the wrong place at the wrong time.

"After the object and the snake have been destroyed… Let's just say that this is not a simple thing to do. Dealing with Death Eaters is far simpler and much more straight-forward."

Vlad furrowed his brows. "I see. Is there anything I can do?"

Professor Dumbledore poured himself a new cup and drank deeply. "Not at present, with the sole exception of keeping all of what I've said about the tokens to yourself. Don't even tell Danny. The fewer people who know about it, the better. I wouldn't have told you, but considering the fact that your security was breached, you deserved _something_ in return."

"I thank you for your trust and your candor."

Albus picked up the note of mollification in Vlad's tone. Refilling Vlad's teacup, he said, "I hear that you've suggested the Patronus for tomorrow's DA meeting…"

* * *

Saturday evening, Danny had an early night. Sometimes, he used early nights as excuses for ghostly adventures, but this time, he just needed the rest. Both Ida and Valerie sent him things that Vlad picked up in London earlier on Saturday. Valerie was always an interesting pen pal. But he was truly curious to see what Ida had to say. Danny sent Ida a plush unicorn that could ride in her scooter basket. The note he wrote to her was heartfelt: 'Sam helped me discover the magic of life. You always supported her, and you were always there for me. Thank you. Happy holidays.'

He was as curious to read her response to him as he was to know her reaction to Vlad's gift. Vlad gave Ida a diamond encrusted wire basket for her scooter. It was useful, obnoxiously opulent, and a horrifically blatant snub to the rest of the Mansons. It was utilitarian enough to be used every day, and it was sparkly enough that there was no way Sam's parents could miss it when she entered a room. Even in his kindness, Vlad was a bit of a Froot-Loop.

Regardless, Danny would wait to read any and all responses until Sunday, after breakfast.

All of this filled Danny's head Sunday morning. He cheerfully greeted Draco, Crabbe, Goyle, Blaise, and Pansy. Pansy studied the unusually buoyant boy. "Good morning, Danny."

"Good morning. It's been a while… How was your vacation? I wanted to ask you earlier, but you were always busy."

Pansy was dangerously pleasant. "I had a lovely time. _I_ went to Draco's house for a few days before Christmas until the day after Boxing Day."

Danny frowned as he remembered Draco said that Voldemort had taken up residence there, but he remembered that Voldemort's presence wasn't public knowledge. He smiled. "That's great, Pansy. Draco told me he was having a few friends over. I'm glad you had a good time."

It frustrated the girl that she couldn't spark any jealousy in him. When he frowned, she thought she had him, but no. "Only the _best_ people are invited to Malfoy Manor during Christmas."

"Okay. I'm glad you feel that way." Danny scratched his head. He also got an invitation, and it was nice to know she thought he was one of 'the best people' after she spent more than a month ignoring him.

Pansy observed him. It was a shame he looked so cute when he was confused. "Danny, what are you doing after breakfast?"

Danny shrugged. "I'm going back to the dorm to write some more Thank You notes. I did _not_ expect to receive as many gifts as I got for Christmas. By the way, thank you for the…"

"Don't worry. It was nothing." She nodded at Zacharias, who peaked his eyebrows and left his table.

Danny furrowed his brows. "I'm sorry I didn't get anything for you. I didn't think…"

"Oh, don't worry about that. Come, Tracey, let's help Danny find his way."

Danny looked up. "Draco, is everything okay?" Pansy was acting too weird.

Draco shrugged. "I don't know. Two pretty girls offered to accompany you anywhere you want to go. Maybe today is your lucky day."

Danny smiled. "Okay. I'll catch you later." He followed Pansy, and Tracey shook her head. "Um, ladies, what's going on?"

Pansy turned back to him. "Professor Masters likes giving you surprises. Today I'm giving you a surprise."

"But I thought you didn't like me?"

Pansy paused for a moment. "You worry too much."

Tracey muttered, "Or not enough."

Through gritted teeth, Pansy growled, "Shut it."

Danny's skin started to crawl. As soon as they got outside of the Great Hall, he said, "Listen. I'm flattered by the attention, but I think I should go."

"Not to worry. You will."

Zacharias cast _Stupefy!_ Danny fell unconscious. Pansy clapped. "Well done, Smith, well done. I'll Disillusion him." She suited word to deed. "And now, Tracey can use a Levitation Charm to take him… Where are we taking him?"

Zacharias was distinctly unhappy. In the past week, especially when the other Slytherins gave him a hard time (they STILL didn't forgive him for Astoria), Danny stuck up for him. He wasn't sure if hurting Harry was worth all of this. But unless he cast _Ennervate_ on Danny right now, he was stuck for this. "We're taking him to the seventh floor."

Tracey looked askance. "You couldn't find somewhere closer?"

The Hufflepuff shrugged. "If it's important to you that Danny's not found, then no. The room is Unplottable, and no one goes there unless they know about the room."

Tracey grimaced, but Pansy said, "What are we waiting for? Let's go!"

The three of them took the unconscious Danny to the seventh floor, and Zacharias said, "Let me set the room for you."

Pansy wasn't sure what he meant, but whatever it was, it could wait. "Soon." She brought Danny back to visible. "First, Zach, do your lovely Binding Spell. It won't hurt him, but it will keep him still once the Stunning Spell wears off."

He looked at her. "I don't think I should. Isn't it enough that he'll be missing for hours? No one knows what we've done, or where we're putting him. He'll be missing, and he'll wake up terrified and disoriented. That's enough."

Pansy glowered. "No, it's _not_ enough. I want him _gone_."

The Hufflepuff stood up to his full height, which was close to six feet. "I've done what I've told you I'm doing. I'll open the room, and even put him deep within it, so it will take even a few _more_ hours for him to find his way out. But I signed on to help pull a prank. I never signed up to give the kid a death sentence."

Pansy looked to Tracey, who shook her head. "Pansy, you're going too far."

The vindictive Slytherin rolled her eyes. "Fine. Open the room." Zacharias walked back and forth three times, wishing for the Room of Requirement to open to be the Room of Hidden Things. As promised, he led them deep into the heart of what appeared to be the city of stuff. Just as they were about to leave, Pansy shot a Stunning Spell at Tracey.

Zach cried, "What do you think you're doing?"

Pansy sneered, "Nothing you need to worry about. _Imperio!_" She commanded him to put a Binding Spell on Danny, putting the ropes around him tightly, but not tight enough to cut off circulation. Pansy conjured a gag and tied it so Danny wouldn't be able to call out. Just to make sure he stayed out, Pansy recast a Stunning Spell on the already unconscious Danny. "There. He should be out for no fewer than twelve hours. But no one will find him." She Disillusioned him again, and commanded Zacharias to levitate Tracey out of the Room.

Once they were out, Pansy released Zacharias. He shouted, "Pansy! You used an Unforgivable on me!"

"I did? _Obliviate!_"

While Zach was muddled and struggled to figure out what just happened, Pansy revived Tracey, who remembered that Pansy Stunned her. Tracey cried, "What have you done?"

"All _we've_ done is put someone inconvenient out of the way. It's guaranteed to hurt Harry and Danny." She purred, "Now Zach, what did I do?"

He thought for a moment, trying to remember. "You… asked me to help you pull a prank. Did it work?"

Pansy grinned. "Far better than I would have imagined."


	43. Chapter 43

I am always pleasantly surprised by the number of new readers, reviewers, and folks who put me and this fic on your assorted lists. Welcome, and I thank you all. I thank you all, the new readers and the faithful followers of old. I offer you more Hamentashen, grape juice, and M&Ms.

Disclaimer: I do not own _Danny Phantom_, _Harry Potter_, or "The Emperor's New Clothes."

Chapter 43

Vlad remembered how bubbly and cheerful Daniel was at breakfast. As such, he was puzzled when his son did not show up at the Slytherin table at lunchtime. "Severus, did Daniel say anything to you?"

Professor Snape turned to look at him. "When are you asking about?"

"Today. Last night, he was overjoyed when I gave him the mail he received from overseas, and I know he's looking forward to a rendezvous later today with a young lady." Severus raised his eyebrows. "However, all of this points to the boy's happiness. He only misses meals when he's upset, so I wondered if he told you anything – I have no idea why he would be unhappy about anything today."

Severus frowned. "No. I haven't seen him since breakfast. He left the table in the company of two young ladies."

Vlad rolled his eyes. "He's not socially aware enough to be a Casanova." Professor Snape smirked and raised a hand to say that stranger things have happened. "Did you happen to notice who he left with?"

"Miss Parkinson and Miss Davis, although he looked rather surprised."

"Hmm…" Vlad noticed that Pansy was more animated in her conversation with Draco than she was all week. He sent an invisible duplicate over to the table to overhear what was going on.

* * *

At lunch, Pansy immediately took what was usually thought to be Danny's seat by Draco's side. Draco smiled. "So what did you do this morning?"

Pansy smiled back. "We explored a part of the castle I've never seen. Imagine! It's Sixth Year, and there are nooks and crannies I would never thought existed. But my company this morning was so very clever…"

Draco sighed happily. "So how was it?"

Pansy waggled her eyebrows. "It was _most_ satisfactory; believe me."

Draco reminded himself why he enjoyed being around this girl. She was pretty, and pleasant when she chose to be. This was how he preferred her. He smiled at her again, then looked around. "Where's Danny?"

Pansy scowled. It always came back to that, didn't it? Then she remembered – it wasn't going to matter much anymore. "He's a little tied up at present. He may be busy for a while."

"Oh? Doing what?"

"He didn't say. You know how he can be sometimes."

Draco sighed. He knew _exactly_ how Danny could be, when he chose. "I know. But this morning, he looked so happy. I hope he got a jump on those Thank You notes. A job well done always brings him out of one of his darker moods. Well, sometimes…"

Pansy grabbed his hand. "Well, what do you plan on doing this afternoon?"

"I was going to the library. I have some homework I need to finish up, and I wanted to organize a few 'happy thoughts' for when we learn how to cast a Patronus in the DA."

"Ugh. You're still in that dreary Club? I think it's as useless as DADA this year."

Draco stared at her. "Pansy… We're learning amazing things, and the DA really is a great place to sharpen our skills. I mean, you remember what Professor Snape said?"

Pansy rolled her eyes. "Yes. And I _also_ remember it was Danny who nominated Saint Potter to lead the stupid club."

"And Danny was right. Even Professor Masters said…"

"And of _course_ Masters favors 'his son,' who can do no wrong. Between you and him, you'd think we have a second Golden Boy. _Everything_ comes back to Danny. What is it with you? Just… never mind. Come find me when you can find something useful to discuss!" She flung Draco's hand from her, got up, and stormed out of the Great Hall.

Vlad's duplicate hung in the air. He was not aware that Pansy was so violently against Daniel. Vlad processed all he heard. 'Well, not everyone can love you,' he thought. 'Though Miss Parkinson did well enough this time, she consistently doesn't seem to care. Her attitude _will_ be reflected in her grade.'

Still… Draco observed that Daniel was in a pleasant mood. Pansy was almost evasive in her answers. Vlad narrowed his invisible eyes. Something was not right, but he couldn't put his finger on it.

Reabsorbing his duplicate, he said, "I'm headed to my rooms. I have a little research I'd like to do before the DA."

Severus smiled. "Very good. This week, it's my turn to join you. I'm rather excited to see Harry teach students this complex spell."

"Then I'll see you there." Vlad left the Head table.

* * *

Once Vlad got to his quarters, he again turned invisible and intangible, and sank through the floors. He needed to check the Slytherin dorm for his son. In the Common Room, different students discussed what positive thoughts might be useful for a Patronus. It appeared that far more students than last meeting were interested in coming. He preened; even Severus' suggestion that they come to the DA wasn't sufficient to attract larger numbers of Slytherin students, but his own suggestion was. Well, it was either that, or the possibility of learning a spell from a teenager who was touted to be more powerful than adults twice his age.

Pansy Parkinson sat in a chair, fuming, with her arms crossed. Tracey Davis worked on her own list, shooting wary glances at her friend every now and again. Vlad thought, 'Interesting.' Daniel was not in the Common Room, so he took a turn in the direction of the dormitory.

After making this trip many times, he knew precisely which room Daniel's group of Sixth Year Slytherins was in. Daniel's curtain was open, and Morph was curled on his pillow, napping. Where could the boy be?

Miss Parkinson said, 'He's a little tied up.' He was busy. Perhaps he was in the library. Soaring out of the dungeon, and up to the library, he searched the tables and the stacks. The boy was nowhere to be found.

Hovering just beneath the vaulted ceiling, Vlad spat, "Fiddle-faddle! There are countless classrooms in this castle, and if the little badger doesn't want to be found…" Well, Sir Nicholas once found him out by the lake. It was cold, but Daniel had an affinity for the cold.

Leaving the castle, Vlad noticed a few students who simply joked, freely using products from the Weasley twins' store. It was odd to his way of thinking. While there was nothing unusual about children playing, the fact that so many students looked forward to learning this spell had all _kinds_ of students talking about happy thoughts and contemplating what form their Patronuses might take if and when the students were successful. These students didn't seem to care at all.

Vlad shrugged. It was their loss, and the DA was voluntary.

He reached the lake. Daniel wasn't there. Vlad growled and went to one more place where Daniel might be. He turned visible and tangible and knocked on Hagrid's door.

Hagrid smiled when he opened the door. "Pr'fessor! Come on in, out of the cold!"

Vlad entered Hagrid's cabin, a shiver passing over him, and said, "Thank you, Hagrid." He allowed the games-keeper to direct him to a chair by the table, and accepted the mint tea in a mug the size of a beer stein.

"While it's a pleasant su'prise, what brings ya out here? Yer not even dressed fer the outdoors."

Vlad sipped his tea. "Hagrid, have you seen Daniel?"

Hagrid shook his head. "No, Professor. Not since breakfast."

The half-ghost slammed his fist on the table. "Mushroom-stuffed calzones! What's wrong with the boy? Where could he have gone?"

"Why do you think there's summat wrong with Danny?"

Vlad rolled his eyes to gather his patience. "He didn't come to lunch. He only doesn't come to meals when he's upset, and I know for a fact that he had a lot on his mind to make him happy."

Hagrid stroked his beard. "Could 'e have lost track o'time studyin'?"

Drumming his fingers on the table, Vlad considered. "Well… Normally, I wouldn't think so, but perhaps… He does have a few things planned this afternoon. It _is_ possible, however improbable."

"Then, not to worry, Pr'fessor. When are ya supposed ta meet him next?"

Vlad drank some more tea before answering, "I expect to hear from him during the DA meeting. He attends invisibly, observes, and asks relevant questions."

"You've a right to be proud o' him, Pr'fessor. He's a good-hearted lad, studies hard, and is good to his friends. I'm honored that he considers _me_ a friend." He grinned. "That tea yer drinkin' is only one o' many he sent me for Christmas."

Vlad raised an eyebrow. "Is it? I suppose I'll compliment him on his taste, after I excoriate him for not bothering to leave word about _where_ he would hide himself to study so thoroughly that he missed lunch."

"Come, now. You'll see. He'll prob'ly have a perfectly good reason."

"We'll see, now won't we?" Vlad hissed.

"We got time before 4:00. How'd yer trip go?"

* * *

At a quarter to four, Harry, Ron, and Hermione entered the Great Hall, frustrated and disappointed. Harry's eyes widened as he noticed a much larger Slytherin turnout than the first and second DA meetings combined. Apparently, more students overcame their dislike for him, or whatever, to learn to cast a Patronus. Unfortunately, the _one_ Slytherin he was supposed to meet 45 minutes ago never came. "I wonder what happened to Danny," Harry murmured disconsolately.

Ron noticed Draco in his usual place. "Let's ask Malfoy. He would know if Danny was in one of his 'moods' today, or something."

Hermione crossed her arms. "Ron, as far as Draco knows, Danny has no reason to be here."

Harry furrowed his brows. "True, but he might have a clue about where he might have been at three." He walked over. "Draco, have you seen Danny?"

Draco rolled his eyes. He might look to Harry for support, but that didn't mean they had to get along any more than necessary. "Danny doesn't belong to the DA. _You_ told me that _last_ session."

"Right. But we were supposed to have a study session close to an hour ago, and he didn't show. But… Danny _never_ misses a study session," Harry explained.

Draco shrugged. "Last I heard, he was writing Thank You notes. Apparently, he managed to snag far more admirers than even you, and he hasn't finished writing them yet."

Harry rolled his eyes, folded his arms, and tapped his elbows with his fingers. Draco smirked; he could still annoy Harry.

But Danny's location was still unknown. "But even that had to come to an end sometime. Danny missed lunch, but that doesn't make sense. He was in such a good mood this morning. Unless _you_ know of something that would put him into a tailspin, I have no clue what his problem might be. Anyway, I was in the library all afternoon, and Danny wasn't there."

Harry nodded curtly. "Gotcha. Thanks." When he reached Ron and Hermione, Harry shook his head. "He doesn't know, either."

Watching the room fill to his increasing satisfaction, Harry stepped up to the teachers' table. Professor Snape and Vlad smiled at the number of students. Harry smiled at them. "Severus. Uncle Vlad, have you seen Danny? He was supposed to meet me, Ron, and Hermione at three for a study session. He never came."

Vlad frowned. "No, Harry. I'm not sure where he is." Harry raised his eyebrows. There was a different note in Professor Masters' voice than Harry was used to hearing.

Severus furrowed his brows. "Perhaps he's running late."

Rolling his eyes, Vlad expressed his exasperation. "Severus, at last count, he missed lunch and managed to disappear, and now he missed a study session. There _better_ be a rational explanation for this."

Severus narrowed his eyes. There was no call for that threatening tone, or what it portended. However, Vlad _was_ worried, despite his poise. "I'm sure there will be. Good luck, Harry. It's about time to begin."

Harry stood front and center, and the room grew quiet. "Everyone Fourth Year and higher has first-hand experience with Dementors. So that you know, Dementors feed on the unhappiness they cause, and their very presence causes people to forget their happy thoughts and memories, to make you dwell on things unpleasant. And that is assuming they're not doing worse.

"The Patronus Charm you are all here to learn is a protection from them. You didn't need me to tell you that, but this is the kicker: the Patronus is a tangible expression of your most positive thoughts. I can't tell you _which_ is your best, as it's different per person. But I can suggest that, if the one you chose doesn't work, to think of a more powerfully positive thought. And if you can get _something_ to materialize, it will be a useful protection against the Dementors.

"The words to get this started are _Expecto Patronum_. It might take a few times to get the mouthful straight, but…"

A forest of hands went up. Harry called on Astoria Greengrass. "Harry, they say that you've been able to cast a corporeal Patronus since your Third Year. How come?"

Harry sighed. It was a good question. "There are a few reasons. First of all, the Dementors always seemed to go after me, personally. Some of my unhappy thoughts really are much unhappier than most. So they affected me worse, and…"

Cynthia Gale didn't wait to be called. "I heard they made you faint. Why did they do that?"

Harry turned to her and said calmly, "When Dementors get close enough, I hear Voldemort killing my parents. I think you'd agree that is a powerful cause for unhappiness. But this isn't about 'poor me'." Harry curled his fingers into air quotes. "The fact is that this whole fainting thing was embarrassing, although Professor Lupin assured me it had nothing to do with weakness. I was motivated, I practiced hard and long, and now I have a corporeal Patronus. Every time.

"Now, let's practice saying the words. Then we'll work on casting the spell."

Severus was amazed. If he weren't already convinced that Harry was not a duplicate of James, this would have done it for him. James _loved_ to attract attention, and he would have called attention to every last unpleasantness in his life, and Harry had plenty of that. But no – Harry downplayed everything, deflecting attention from his personal life to his hard work, which any of the students could be capable of, if properly motivated. Further, it separated true quality from the likes of that fraudulent popinjay Lockhart.

Vlad watched as last year's DA members glided through the large crowd, listening and correcting pronunciation. It troubled him that Daniel hadn't popped in to observe and ask questions. Vlad shook his head to clear it, and focused on the lesson.

After about ten minutes, Harry returned to the front. "Very good! I think you've all got it. Now, focus on a positive thought or memory. If you manage to produce a silvery mist, you will have done well, especially on a first try. That's what I did. With practice, and honing your positive thoughts, you'll be able to produce something better. Like this: _Expecto Patronum!" _A pearly white stag shot out of his wand and cantered about.

The Great Hall burst into a lot of Oooooooh!s and Ahhhhhhh!s as the stag walked up and back along the front row. Harry sent it to the teachers' table where Severus and Vlad could inspect it. "Remarkable!" Severus gasped.

"Is this warm feeling normal?" Asked Vlad quietly.

Severus murmured, "It is indeed." The stag bowed to both professors and came back to Harry's side.

Harry cleared his throat. "Now, you try."

Severus and Vlad observed that most of last year's DA hadn't moved around to try to help, but stood practicing on their own. Out of the 24, only six students were as of yet successful. Harry's stag was magnificent, as it strode around the Great Hall. Hermione produced a lovely otter that gamboled around her ankles as she made her rounds. Ron was quite proud of his Jack Russell terrier. Cho had a graceful swan that warmed the air it soared through. Ernie's boar charged down an aisle of students, and Luna stroked her rabbit Patronus as she told various students to concentrate.

The room was full of students shouting the words and waving their wands. The presence of the corporeal Patronuses seemed to help, as the positive emotion they were made of soothed the discouraged students who still struggled to produce the silvery mist.

All of the students worked hard. Some of the senior DA members produced parts of animals. Seamus was sure he saw the beginnings of a paw and muzzle. Lavender Brown's silver mist coalesced into something, but it was still amorphous. Zacharias Smith still only produced a fine, silver mist. He was disappointed, but distracted. He couldn't blame his failure on Harry, this time.

Many other students around the Great Hall had varying degrees of success. Draco was determined, and his silver something was more solid than Lavender's, but not firm enough to take a solid form of any sort. While he might not admit it, he thrilled when Harry told him how impressed he was with Draco's current output.

By 5:30, most of the students were producing something useful, if still amorphous. Harry congratulated them, telling them sincerely that some of their products were far better than what Harry produced at the end of his first lesson. What he failed to tell them was that during his own tutoring sessions, Harry fought a Boggart that took the form of a Dementor around him. But such information was too personal to share, and counterproductive.

The Hall cleared out, with the exception of the members of last year's DA. Vlad applauded them. "I am very impressed. It was a pleasant surprise to see that _five_ of you had already mastered the spell I only knew Harry was capable of. And the rest of you… Most adult wizards can put forth what you did today. You ought to be proud of yourselves for what you've accomplished."

Most of them beamed. While Professor Masters was often generous with his praise, he rarely said that he was impressed.

Severus asked, "Harry, how many weeks do you intend to devote to the Patronus? It is a useful spell, but there are others far more versatile."

Harry thought for a bit. "I don't know. I was thinking about a few weeks or a month and a half. While other spells are useful, nothing interested and drew in half so many students, or caught their imagination."

Neville shrugged. "While no one expects to be quite as powerful as you, Harry, everyone wants to work on it. Certain Third Years are hoping to have the honor of producing a corporeal Patronus the same age as you did."

Harry laughed. "Power to them. I just hope they never have to deal with everything I did before I got there."

Katie observed, "You've loosened up a lot over Patronuses since last year, Harry. I mean, last year, you had a canary when we noted how pretty the corporeal ones are."

Severus raised an eyebrow and Harry blushed. "Yeah, well… I didn't exactly have the best year, last year, did I? I mean, it's true that no one is fighting a real Dementor here, and when I learned to cast a Patronus, I faced a Boggart that always turned into a Dementor. But then again, I wouldn't have it any other way. I didn't want the Dementors to make me faint on casual contact again.

"But this year, I'm also not getting hammered from every direction but this Club, like I was last year. I guess… I've loosened up, more or less, because for the first time, I feel like I can afford to. Yeah, it's still a battle to the death out there, but…" Harry looked at Ron, Hermione, Ginny, Severus, and Vlad. "This time I don't feel like I have to do it all on my own." He smiled at Neville and Luna.

Ginny put a hand on Harry's shoulder. "You never had to be alone, you know."

Colin Creevey chirped, "Is there a way we can practice this one on our own? I mean, we don't have to hide, this year, but still… practice makes perfect. Right, Harry?"

Harry sighed. "Right, Colin." He looked to Severus and Vlad.

Severus said, "I don't see why you couldn't form study groups and practice in otherwise unused classrooms."

Padma Patil looked to the Potions Master. "Professor, I don't think you made such a suggestion before. After the Dueling Club, you never…"

Professor Snape glared darkly. "I don't think you want to finish that thought, Miss Patil. And I'm rather shocked that a Ravenclaw such as yourself would have missed the obvious – study groups to practice Charms have always been an available option." The girl bristled – Colin is the one who asked, and the professor answered the question before she had the opportunity. While Professor Snape was marginally nicer on the whole, and a _lot_ nicer to Harry, he was still an acerbic, snarky git.

Anthony Goldstein peaked his eyebrows. "I don't think a prefect meeting about this would go amiss. So far, I'm here, Padma's here, Ernie's here, Hannah's here, Ron and Hermione… Professor Snape, would you get Draco and Pansy to meet here at 8:00 tonight so we can arrange study groups and times, perhaps apportioning the DA members who _can_ produce corporeal Patronuses and such… Please, Professor?"

Severus nodded in approval. "Of course. For future reference, _that_ is an example of a _useful_ Ravenclaw." Terry and Michael nodded; this proactive decision-making is what Professor Snape was looking for. Cho, Marietta, and Padma sighed. Apparently, questions about the professor's marginal change in disposition were unwelcome. Anthony was already lost in thought with the idea of who would be available and when. Luna was supremely unconcerned, one way or the other.

Vlad asked, "Are there any other questions, comments, or suggestions?"

Harry answered, "I'm glad this worked out as well as it did. And I think Cho, Luna, and I should come to this prefect meeting – we may not be prefects, but as far as time management goes, if we are going to be leading study groups, we really should be consulted about our availability."

Hermione piped up, "Fair enough."

No one else seemed to have anything else to share with the DA, so they broke for the evening. Harry, Ron, and Hermione hung back to get Vlad's impression of the Patronus Charm and to ask what it felt like to him as a ghost. They all left the Great Hall, as it had to be rearranged in time for dinner.

The small group of five encountered an unusually stressed Luna. "Professor Masters, Danny is missing."

Vlad was taken aback by the rather forthright statement by this otherwise dreamy student. "Oh?"

Luna nodded. "Yes. He told me he would meet me here after the DA meeting, but he's not here."

Morag MacDougal sneered at her. "Maybe he just stood you up, Loony!"

Luna straightened her shoulders. "Danny would never do something like that. That's not who he is."

Vlad almost gaped at Miss Lovegood's perceptivity. She would be a useful resource as far as Daniel was concerned. He would encourage their fledgling relationship. "No, he would _not_ do something like that, purposely. And five points from your House, Miss MacDougal, for your sheer nastiness."

Morag shook herself in shock. "But I'm in Luna's House!"

Vlad inclined his head. "That isn't the point. It was the principle of the matter. I suggest you find something more productive to do before I take any more."

Morag winced – maybe it didn't pay to tease Luna. Or, at least, a wiser course of action would involve teasing her away from the professors. On the other hand, Luna was one of the six students who were capable of producing a Patronus. Maybe she should rethink this teasing. She wandered away to think about this.

Draco noticed the Golden Trio with Professor Snape and Professor Masters. "Professors, I don't know where Danny is. Blaise stayed in the dorm to study, and he said that Danny never came back to the dorm, though he said he wanted to come back and finish his Thank You notes. He wasn't in the library where I was. I was hoping you might know."

Vlad appraised the group around him: Severus and Harry, Ron and Hermione, Luna and Draco. This was a decent sized group for a search party. "Earlier, I checked quite a few places he might be, but he wasn't in any of the usual locations. Does anyone have any suggestions about an out of the way place he might be?"

Severus mused, "The castle has all kinds of places…"

Harry suggested, "You know, we could check the Marauders' Map."

Severus jerked his head. "I beg your pardon!"

Harry shrugged one shoulder. The professor wasn't going to like this. "Well… you know that 'spare bit of parchment' you almost took from me?"

Professor Snape narrowed his eyes. "The one that insulted me and that Lupin confiscated?"

Blushing, Harry nodded. "That's the one. Remus told me that he, my Dad, Sirius, and… Peter made a map of the school."

He looked to Ron, who nodded. "They can't get in trouble for it any more, Harry. It's your story."

Harry took a breath. "In Third Year, Fred and George gave it to me. The map doesn't just show the rooms and secret passages, it shows _anyone_ in the school or on the grounds."

Severus stepped back and raised an eyebrow. "Does it?"

"Yes, and before he resigned, Professor Lupin gave it back to me."

Professor Snape spat frostily, "Indeed. Mr. Lupin and I _will_ have a talk about this, and soon. Do you have it now?"

Harry pulled it out of his pocket. Vlad and Draco looked on in wonderment as Harry touched the tip of his wand to the parchment and recited, "I solemnly swear I am up to no good." Vlad raised an eyebrow. "Hey, don't look at me. _I_ didn't set the password."

Opening the parchment to its fullest length and width, they saw an aerial view of the outline of the whole school, and the passages. Luna noted, "It doesn't show the Room of Requirement. Perhaps it doesn't exist when it's not in use. Or, maybe the Room's Unplottable."

Upon hearing the unfamiliar term, Vlad looked at Severus, who mouthed, 'I'll tell you later.'

Vlad nodded. "Harry, you know where Daniel and I study. Have you seen us on your map during those hours?"

Harry was thoughtful. "No."

Vlad nodded. He was proud that he worked out what an 'Unplottable' location was. It was just as it sounded. Then a thought hit him. 'Butter cookies! I guess moving through the castle undetected isn't as "undetected" as I thought. No matter. Harry is in possession of the map, and he already knows our secret.'

Hermione said, "Well, Danny's not _anywhere_ on the map."

Draco asked, "How likely is it that he would leave the campus and sneak off to Hogsmeade or something?" He felt like he should know, but Danny was so mysterious that such a simple fact evaded him.

Vlad scoffed. "Not at all. When I've been away… well, he told me that he didn't bother leaving." In a much gentler tone, he said, "I never would have thought he would have been as obedient as he truly is." He closed his eyes for a few seconds. When he opened them, he asked, "Are there any other Unplottable rooms in the castle?"

Severus narrowed his eyes. "I don't…" He swept off in the direction of the teachers' lounge. Vlad shrugged and directed the search party after the Potions Master.

When they got to the staff room, they found Professor Snape throwing Floo powder in the fireplace. "Lupin!" he roared.

A rather surprised Remus Lupin appeared in the fireplace. "Severus! What's going on? How can I help?"

"We need you here, now!"

Considering that this was the most emotional conversation they'd had in recent memory without an insult, veiled or otherwise, and the urgency, Remus simply said, "I'll step right through."

Matching word to deed, Remus Lupin stepped through, entering the staff room. "What's wrong, Severus?"

"Daniel is missing, and has been for several hours. Further, we are going to have a talk about the map you gave my s- Harry. But right now, I need to know if there are any Unplottable rooms you know of besides the Room of Requirement."

Vlad perked up. Severus almost called Harry 'his son.' Interesting. This would be useful to explore at another time.

With a rueful smile, Remus admitted, "I'd say we thoroughly explored the castle. If there is anywhere Unplottable besides the Room of Requirement, we never found it. Does Professor Dumbledore know I'm here?"

Impatiently, Severus waved a hand. "No, but stay ready to return. Where were you, anyway?"

Remus noticed who was in the party and said, "Order Headquarters. Since the excellent student letters were written and delivered, many werewolves decided to turn from or remain against Voldemort. Therefore, well… I'll be able to tell you more details later."

"Fair enough. Go back, and I'll tell you if we need more help or if it turns out well."

Remus patted Vlad's shoulder. "Good luck." He stepped back through the Floo, having whispered his destination.

Vlad murmured, "Of course. The Room of Requirement…" He was tempted to teleport directly there, but Luna and Draco didn't know his secret. "What are we waiting for? To the seventh floor!"

The group made its way to the seventh floor with all possible haste. The door was already visible. Vlad yanked it open to reveal the Room of Hidden Things. "Oh, blast it. Daniel!"

The party split up, but not before Severus cast a _Colloportus_ on the door. If there was foul play, it made sense to not allow it in any further than he could control. The search spread out, seeking between the blocks' worth of stuff. Vlad noticed that the walls were not pressure-proofed, as they would be if Daniel practiced his Ghostly Wail. By this time, Vlad was of the mind that if Daniel was here, it was not by choice.

Aisle by aisle they searched, but this room felt more like a city than ever. A randomly interspersed _Point me! _Spell helped to keep the witches and wizards oriented on which direction was north, and that would help to remember which way was out.

There was no time Vlad was more aware of Daniel's caution in this room to the life that might be hidden behind a pile of dross than he was right now. If this band of seven couldn't find Daniel by morning, Vlad decided he would enlist Skulker to help with his halfa-locator. But that was a last-ditch effort – it would be used as a last resort.

It wasn't until after 8:00pm that their hallooing was answered by a groan. It was muffled at first, but then there was a shout. "Hey, where am I? Who's here? What's going on?"

Vlad and Severus chorused, "Daniel, stay where you are!"

* * *

Danny was surprised. When he first woke up, he was invisible, and tied tightly and gagged with silk cords. He turned intangible, letting all his bindings and magical invisibility fall off. After calling out, Vlad and Severus told him to stay where he was. Danny shouted back, "Okay!"

Severus asked, "Daniel, do you have your wand?"

Danny searched his person, and his 'wand' was in its regular front pocket. "Yeah!"

"Send up some green sparks!"

Danny thought about this. If he was being directed to do anything with his wand, there were people about who didn't know his secret. But he couldn't send sparks, or anything like that with his wand. He smacked himself in the head. Right. His right hand held the faux wand, and with his left hand, he sent up several tiny balls of ectoplasm that lit up his location. He made one of them stay stationary, hoping that any witch or wizard not in the know would think this was a cool bit of magic.

Danny's light worked perfectly as the beacon it was meant to be, and soon Harry, Ron, Hermione, Draco, and Luna found him. "Danny!" they chorused.

Vlad and Severus were only a few minutes behind them. Vlad saw Danny and shouted, "Daniel!" With a speed that was supernatural, he ran to Danny and hugged him tightly. "Daniel! I'm so glad we found you! You have no idea how worried I was."

Severus caught up quickly. "We were all worried, and glad to have found you."

Allowing himself a moment or two of Vlad's comforting warmth, Danny disentangled himself and said, "Thanks. What happened? What time is it?"

"It's after 8:00pm. Oh, no! We've missed the prefects' meeting!" Hermione wailed.

Ron glared at her. "I think this was a little more important."

Draco looked up. "What's this about a prefects' meeting?"

Hermione explained, "Well, after the mini-meeting of the student teachers…"

Professor Snape barked, "Reschedule it." He assessed all of the students present. "Actually, all of you were scheduled to attend. Everyone except Harry and Daniel should leave. Miss Lovegood, head to your dorm. Prefects, tell the students that all activities except detentions are cancelled, and all students not already accounted for are to head directly to their dorms until further notice. When you get to the Great Hall, tell your fellow prefects your new directive. Go!"

Once the four students were on their way, Professor Snape conjured four comfortable armchairs. "Daniel, what happened?"

Danny thought for a moment. "I don't know. I remember leaving the Great Hall after breakfast with Pansy and Tracey. It was weird, though. Something wasn't right. Then I heard a male voice cast a Stunning Spell. When I woke up, I was magically invisible, bound, and gagged." Danny shivered. "If I wasn't able to make myself intangible to get out of those bonds, I might still be stuck. Not being able to make noise above a whimper or able to be seen… It could have been _days_ before you found me. Whoever stuck me here wanted me…" Danny couldn't bring himself to say the word 'dead.' "Gone. Permanently. But who would want to kill me? They were students!"

Harry shook his head sadly. "I don't know, Danny."

Vlad narrowed his eyes. "But we're going to find out."

Both Danny and Harry shivered at the dangerous tone of Vlad's voice.

Professor Snape looked at the three people before him. "We will inform the Headmaster. This will not go unpunished. We will send for Aurors – Wizarding police. Vlad, you and Daniel should head over to the Headmaster's office. Harry, I'll walk you to your dorm before I go down to fetch those girls."

Harry nodded. "Thanks, Severus. But why was I allowed to stay?"

Severus stood and put a hand on Harry's back. "Harry, Vlad's son went missing for hours. Did you honestly think I'd let you out of my sight until I knew you were absolutely safe?"

* * *

Outside the Gryffindor Common Room, Severus hugged Harry tightly. While he would gladly do without the accompanying worry, the professor decided he could easily get used to this warm, intimate contact with the boy. The fact that he was James Potter's son was entirely irrelevant. _He_ cared for the boy now. Since the blinders of his own stubbornness and stupidity were removed, Severus realized what a sweet, loving boy Harry truly was. And that, of course, did not yet take his courage, loyalty, intelligence, or power into account. He loved this boy, and Harry loved him in return. He wondered what Harry would say if he offered… no. Severus was sure he wanted it, but it was an unwarranted gamble, at present. That didn't mean the former spy couldn't dream.

Dismissing Harry for the evening, Severus waited for the portrait door to swing shut before he turned his thoughts to the dark matters at hand. The Potions Master stormed down the empty halls to the dungeons. When he reached the Slytherin Common Room, the Slytherins turned attentively to him, wondering what was going on. Nodding patiently, Professor Snape said, "We will talk later. Now – Miss Parkinson and Miss Davis, come with me." He saw the girls peel away from their peers to follow him.

He swept gracefully, silently, and angrily up any number of stairs to what the girls thought of as an unfamiliar passageway, facing a gargoyle. The girls blinked when they heard him murmur, "Butterscotch toffee." Tracey's eyes widened when the gargoyle sprang aside to reveal a spiral staircase. The Head of Slytherin didn't look at them as the staircase carried them up to a door. Professor Snape knocked.

The door opened. "Headmaster," Severus greeted.

"Professor Snape. And Miss Parkinson and Miss Davis. Come in."

The girls were surprised to see the Headmaster, but the room was very full. Each of the four Heads of House were now here, as were two Aurors from the Ministry, but nothing surprised the girls as much as the presence of Danny and Professor Masters.

Professor Snape snapped, "Sit." They did as they were directed. "And hand over your wands." Tracey did immediately. Pansy was more reluctant, but Professor Snape's quick _Accio_ settled that.

Professor Dumbledore's persona of a kindly grandfather was replaced by the image of the very powerful wizard that even Voldemort feared as he looked at the girls before him. "An interesting thing has occurred. Mr. Fenton was found in the Room of Requirement. Apparently, he was Stunned, bound and gagged, and Disillusioned. Further, he last remembers being in your company before he awoke to find himself thus. Would you care to tell us how this came about?"

Tracey cried, "Pansy, I _told_ you that binding him was going too far. We were playing a _prank_. You left him Stunned, bound, and Disillusioned? How… how could you?"

Vlad repeated, "A prank…" The anger gleaming in his eyes terrified Tracey.

Pansy sat, annoyed that her confederate turned on her so readily. "Oh, no. We are not going down without Zacharias Smith."

Danny covered his eyes with his hand. "You've got to be kidding me."

Professor Snape reminded him, "You did say that a male voice cast the Stunning Spell."

"I know, but still… no one's gotten off his case since that first DA meeting. Ignoring Astoria and whoever else wasn't cool, but dude, it was over a month ago, and…"

"And Daniel, whether or not the students have given him a hard time has no bearing on his innocence or guilt in what happened to you," Vlad commented.

Professor Sprout sighed. "The fact you're so forgiving speaks well of you, Danny. I'll head down to get him." With that, she departed.

"And why _are_ you so forgiving, Danny?" Pansy sneered. "I suppose it doesn't matter to you that he callously taunted and ignored a number of Slytherin students…"

"Of course it matters! But since then Professor Snape punished him," he looked up at Vlad and shook his head, glaring at Pansy. "Professor Masters punished him, and almost every Slytherin student who caught him alone in the hall has teased and humiliated him. Yeah, Zach probably deserved some of what he got, but after a certain point, the punishment turned to persecution. Enough is enough! If you're singling him out 'cause he helped you hurt me, that's one thing. If this is one more way to give him grief for December 8, leave him alone!"

Professor Dumbledore raised his eyebrows. For a student to be this interested in justice and not revenge was almost unheard of. However, Danny also had a few run-ins with unjust law enforcement agents and false accusations. Perhaps it was not so far out of the realm of reasonable for this particular teen to be aware of what was actually due.

Pansy shrugged. "Whatever."

Professor Snape eyed all three of his Slytherins. How could he have missed something this big? He prided himself on knowing the ins and outs and the scuttlebutt of Slytherin House. Apparently, this was a deeper secret that even he was aware of.

As Snape anticipated, there was a bit of anti-Daniel sentiment after the House meeting on the evening of December 8. There were students who resented his overt support for Harry Potter, and there were students who resented the idea of turning a bid for leadership away from Slytherin, wherever it was sent. But, also as anticipated, these students had to contend with Daniel's friends and supporters, and Daniel seemed to be completely oblivious to all of this.

Who originated this plot against Daniel? Tracey Davis seemed to place more blame on Pansy Parkinson. How did Zacharias Smith play into all of this?

Professor Sprout brought in a rather nervous Zacharias Smith. After she directed him to take a seat and handed his wand to the Headmaster, Professor Dumbledore locked a piercing gaze on him. "Mr. Smith, what was your part in this 'prank' on Danny?"

The boy shifted nervously. "I don't remember. I _do_ remember participating in something. I remember the reason behind it, but I don't remember doing anything."

Vlad observed the interrogation. It struck him as odd that the students were rather more forthcoming than anyone he'd ever seen accused of something. No one bothered to deny anything. Surely, wizards weren't that different from normal people, such that their sense of self-preservation was lacking. He would wait and see what would happen. If necessary, he would ask questions later.

The Headmaster nodded, taking in the words of the Hufflepuff. "Let us work with what you _do_ know. Why would you participate in something like this?"

Zacharias looked around the room. His own Head of House was very disappointed. Professors McGonagall and Flitwick were cold and impassive, but seemed to reserve judgment. Professor Snape was angry. Danny was hurt, but curious. Professor Masters looked positively homicidal. The Aurors stood with their arms crossed but their wands at the ready. There was nothing left to lose.

He took a breath. "To be honest, I have nothing against Danny. Nothing at all. I was not thrilled with Harry Potter leading the DA. I didn't like all the questions he left unanswered last year, and there were some spells he taught that I couldn't get right, no matter what. And then he got voted in again for the leader."

Zach ran a hand through his hair. "Nothing I say will be a useful explanation, or even a valid excuse, but this was my reasoning at the time. Harry's biggest message was unity of the four Houses. Since I was discontent with Harry, I tried to disrupt his program. Since the other three Houses were more or less unified because of last year's DA, the weakest link in the unity was Slytherin. So there were eight Slytherins I was distinctly unhelpful to. I have since paid for that over and over and over again." He closed his eyes. "I may never live this down. Ever.

"On the morning of December 9, Pansy and Tracey caught me after I left Professor Snape's office. After my severe dressing down, they said they didn't think the professor would mind if they 'distracted' me. Considering the fact that no one but Professor Flitwick and Danny have even shown objection to how badly all of Slytherin's been 'distracting' me, it wasn't a threat I took lightly.

"Pansy told me about a plan for a prank that would upset Harry, and – at the time – such a thing matched what I thought was my interest. But everyone knows that Harry's the best skilled student when it comes to DADA, so a magical prank directly against him wouldn't work, and Ron and Hermione are almost as good. Pansy reminded us that Danny admitted he was no good at Charms, so a prank against Danny would upset Harry, and would more readily work."

Danny wanted to object, but Zach said, "I told both Pansy and Tracey that it was a bad idea. I asked what they had against Danny." Zach blushed. "They asked me what I had against Astoria Greengrass. I didn't have a good answer, and I felt trapped, but there you go." He stared at his hands, clasped in his lap. His words sounded incredibly lame, even in his own ears.

Professor Dumbledore absorbed what Mr. Smith had to say. He also noticed that neither Miss Parkinson nor Miss Davis objected to anything the boy said.

Professor Snape glared at the girls. It was true, the professor was more apt to pick on students from other Houses, but it was clear that, from this unobjected-to recitation, Zacharias had the least malignant of designs on Daniel.

Of the two girls, Tracey appeared to be most ready to dissemble. Professor Dumbledore turned to her. "Miss Davis, what _do_ you have against Danny?"

Tracey was close to tears. She never meant to hurt Danny. Danny could have _died_. That was never part of her plan. "I was just annoyed that Danny was so close to Harry."

Danny burst, "Come on! Look – what is it with you people? Harry's just a kid, same as you! So Harry is the leader of the DA. Big flipping deal. Do you realize how dumb this sounds? You are _so_ upset because Harry Potter, who happens to totally rock as a tutor, was elected to lead a club devoted to learning a skill _everyone_ knows he's good at. How does this even make sense as an excuse?

"And I acknowledged this, having been tutored by him, and this is a reason to hold a grudge against me? Because I pointed out the obvious? Do you want to hold something against me if I told you the sky is blue, or that the castle is made of stone?"

Tracey started to cry in earnest. "Look, it made sense at the time. He's famous, he beat You-Know-Who…"

"And these are impressive reasons to hold something against him…why?"

Tracey buried her head in her hands. For five and a half years, it was taken for granted that Slytherins held something against Harry Potter, and it was granted as a logical excuse for discontent and random complaint. This one student from America shook the foundation of the status quo. Once he explained it baldly, it didn't make much sense, even if Harry _was_ expected to be the savior of the Wizarding World. Danny _did_ state the obvious. As much as people thought of Harry as a hero, or an ideological figurehead, or a symbol, or whatever, they missed the simple fact that Harry was as much a teenager as they were.

Danny looked around the room and noticed that the adults besides Vlad and Professor Snape appeared to be uncomfortable. Danny shook his head and muttered, "Unbelievable."

Vlad stood and put a hand on his shoulder. "Now that we've established that the emperor is naked, let's move on to why Miss Parkinson, who seems to have masterminded this plot, decided it was worth the effort to kill my son."

Professor Snape raised an eyebrow, and Tonks glared at Pansy, while the other professors and Auror Proudfoot were confused by Vlad's reference. Zach and Pansy looked to Professor Masters, and Tracey still covered her face, crying in shame.

Feeling the focus of all (but Tracey's) eyes back on her, Pansy sat back and crossed her arms. Professor Snape narrowed his eyes, and commanded, "Answer Professor Masters' question." She said nothing.

'Finally!' thought Vlad. 'A magical person reacting the normal way one does when accused of a crime. It's about time!'

Professor Snape handed Pansy's wand to Professor Dumbledore, drawling, "If you won't talk, you're wand's evidence of what you've done will suffice." Still unmoved, Pansy shrugged, arms still crossed, and said nothing.

Professor Dumbledore sighed heavily. He took out his wand and cast _Priori Incantatem_ on Pansy's wand. The first spell out was _Ennervate_. Tracey sniffed back some tears and looked up. "That's when Pansy woke me up after she Stunned me."

The second spell out was _Obliviate_. Zacharias grumbled, "That's probably why I can't remember anything."

Professor Snape purred, "Not to worry. We'll check your wand next." Zach shivered.

The third spell out was a Disillusionment Spell. Danny said, "You really didn't want me to be found. Pansy, why?" She still said nothing.

The next spell out was a Stunning Spell, and the one after that was _Imperio_. Professor McGonagall covered her heart. "Miss Parkinson! That's an Unforgivable! You will serve a life sentence in Azkaban for this. What did you do? Why did you do this?"

Pansy broke her silence. "Smith Stunned Danny outside the Great Hall. I Disillusioned him so no one could see what we did with him. Tracey Levitated Danny to the seventh floor, and Smith opened the Room of Requirement. I made him visible again, and told Smith to bind Danny, but he wouldn't do it. We put him deep in the heart of the Room of Requirement. Then I Stunned Tracey, who didn't want to go further. I cast the Imperius Curse on Zacharias, who put the Binding Spell on Danny, as he's good at that spell, and I'm not. Then I Stunned Danny again, to make sure it would take twice as long for him to rouse, and then I Disillusioned Danny again. I didn't want him found."

Zach blanched. "So you Obliviated me so I wouldn't remember… What else did you make me do?"

Pansy shrugged. "I had you Levitate Tracey out of the room."

Danny looked at her searchingly. "But why, Pansy? Why did you do this?"

"Draco."

Danny shook his head. "What?"

"That's right. Draco. You monopolized every last minute of his time. And when you're not around, all he can talk about is you."

Danny waved his arms. "Let me get this straight. You kidnapped me and attempted to kill me (by starvation and dehydration) because you decided that Draco spends too much time and energy on me? Even though I'm not in Transfigurations, I spend three hours every night with Vlad, and I'm not even in the DA? I don't go to Hogsmeade (except that one time), and you still decided that despite all this that Draco spends too much time with me?"

"Yes. And if you were out of the way, Draco would remember that I exist. We were promised to each other, and you were distracting him."

Vlad said, "And how much time do you think you'll spend with him now that you're off to Azkaban?"

"My plan didn't work. It would have, if you didn't find him."

Tonks used the Binding Spell on Pansy's hands. "And that's enough from you. You are hereby under arrest for Attempted Murder and casting an Unforgivable Curse. We're going to take you to a Ministry holding cell until your parents are notified. Once they've seen you off, you are bound for Azkaban. Headmaster?"

The old wizard sighed sadly. "I'm sorry it's come to this, Pansy." Turning to Tonks, he said, "Severus will contact her parents after the other students have been dealt with. Thank you for your services." Aurors Tonks and Proudfoot took Pansy through the Floo to the Ministry.

Severus looked darkly at the remaining perpetrators. "While it is clear that neither of you intended to participate in the attempted murder of a fellow student…" Both Zacharias and Tracey trembled. The seriousness of what almost happened was not lost on them.

Snape continued. "Professor Sprout, as Mr. Smith's Head of House, it is up to you to decide what to do with him. But I have a suggestion, which you might find palatable."

Pomona asked, "What do you have in mind?"

"As partners in crime, I'd take 50 points from both their Houses, and give a month's detention, starting tomorrow. However, since the victim of this is from my House, I would offer a choice. The detention can be served with me, Mr. Filch, or Professor Masters."

Professor Sprout agreed, "Your suggestion is reasonable. Zacharias, who will you serve detention with?"

With one glance each at Professor Snape and Professor Masters, Zach quickly said, "Mr. Filch."

Professor Sprout nodded. "Very good. Further, you were on probation because of your abominable display of lack of leadership a month ago. You put your considerable skills to ill use. As of now, you will not be considered for a leadership position for the rest of your Hogwarts career. You will not be a student leader in the DA, you will not be a potential prefect. You will not be a captain of the Quidditch team next year, or anything of the sort. Use what you have left to be a model student. But it will take considerable work to prove you are worthy of positions of authority. Think of eventual job recommendations."

Zacharias gulped. This was harsher than he had ever known the affable witch to be. But then again, he couldn't remember the last time a Hufflepuff brought this much shame to his House as he had.

Severus was impressed with Pomona. "Nicely done. As for you, Miss Davis, who will you be serving detention with?"

Very quickly, Tracey answered, "With you, Professor."

"Well played, Miss Davis. As for your personal punishment, we are going to have a House meeting, and between you and I, we'll tell everyone what you've done. I can't imagine such a thing will be well received, especially considering that Danny is close friends with a prefect." Tracey turned pale. The harshest student punishment in Slytherin happened when the prefects were given free reign. Among others, Draco was _not_ going to be happy.

Danny watched all of the proceedings and was exhausted. "Professor? Would it be okay if I skipped this House meeting? I'd really feel uncomfortable with all this fuss."

Severus observed Danny, who was still rather shaken by the ordeal. "Of course, Daniel. Feel free to spend as much time as you like with… your father. Try not to come back too late."

"Thanks, Professor."

23


	44. Chapter 44

Thank you once again to everyone who read, reviewed, and put this story and me on your assorted lists.

At the time of this update, Chapter 43 has more reviews than any other chapter. The entire story currently has 783 reviews, over 60,000 hits, it belongs to 9 communities, and it is on more than 175 favorite and alert lists each. Thank you all very kindly. The only thing I can do is update as soon as I can and offer you cookies and chocolate milk.

Many good questions were asked in the bountiful reviews. I hope they will be answered over the course of the chapter.

But one question deserves a public answer. MiaMoore889 asked: If Danny were duplicated, what would the Marauders' Map show? Would it show 2 Dannys or would it show 1 or would it give the duplicates a different name?

The answer: Assuming they weren't hanging out somewhere Unplottable, however many duplicates exist would all show up as Daniel Fenton, as that is his real name, and the Map doesn't recognize nicknames or aliases.

Disclaimer: I do not own _Danny Phantom_ or _Harry Potter_.

Chapter 44

Danny sat in Vlad's rooms on the couch by the fire. Vlad held him in a fierce hug that he was reluctant to release. "You're here, you're fine. I was so worried about you."

"Thanks, Papá."

"Parkinson is no longer our problem, as I don't believe the Wizarding World understands the concept of parole." Vlad sat back with smug satisfaction.

Danny fidgeted, shrugging one shoulder and then the other. "I know. But… I don't know. I think it's kinda harsh. I mean, she didn't _really_ hurt me. To be honest, I don't think she really could if she wanted to."

Vlad clucked his tongue in irritation. "Daniel, that isn't the point. You said it yourself. If you didn't have the ability to get out of those bonds, you could have died a slow and painful death. She might not have _actually_ done much damage, but she intended to kill you. Attempted murder is a serious offense." Vlad ignored the fact that he was guilty of that very thing countless times over and studied the boy for a few seconds. "Showenhower didn't _actually_ kill your family. Are you telling me _his_ sentence deserves to be commuted?"

"No," Danny said quickly. Never mind that the Guys in White will never know about that incident – Freakshow's grand larceny would keep him out of circulation for a long time. And his ghost envy would keep the Guys in White busy for a while.

Vlad raised an eyebrow. "And an Unforgivable Curse is just that – unforgivable. While I thank every power that is that no lasting damage was done to you, that whole unforgivable thing would have… Hmm."

Danny turned to face Vlad fully. "What?"

Vlad narrowed his eyes. "There should have been a trial. But then again, the Headmaster is also… a Supreme Court Justice of the Wizarding World. Maybe the evidence from the wand, the confession, and the Aurors as witnesses were enough. After all, an irrefutably signed confession is enough to convict a felon in the Real World."

Danny shrugged. "I guess." He was quiet, and Vlad put an arm around him again. After a few moments of thought, Danny sighed. "I guess no one will ever leave Zach alone now, huh?"

Vlad looked askance at the teenager. "Your hero complex knows no bounds. _You_ were missing for hours, an attempt was made on your life, and you are worried about the Smith boy?" He sneered, "You're probably also worried about the Davis girl, too. As I recall, Mr. Baxter never generated this compassion."

Danny was indignant. "Yeah. And Dash would regularly beat me up, stuff me in lockers, and all kinds of things. But even then, when he really needed help, I still helped him."

The man shook his head at the boy. Danny shrugged again. Vlad raised an eyebrow. "Zacharias might be serving his detention with Mr. Filch, but I can assure you he won't have escaped my wrath." Danny covered his eyes. Vlad smirked.

The man thought for a moment. This was the second time Daniel actively sought his company for comfort. The first was right after the House meeting following the first DA meeting. He put his other arm around the teen for a complete embrace. "I love you, Daniel. And I truly was worried about you. I am truly glad that you are safe, and here with me."

Danny sighed. "Thanks, Papá."

* * *

Professor Snape and Tracey Davis entered the Slytherin Common Room, where the gathered students eagerly awaited whatever information their Head of House would impart. Snape nodded at an empty chair near the door, and Tracey took it. She looked at her fellow Slytherins and then let her eyes settle somewhere over their heads. She wouldn't show any more weakness than was absolutely necessary.

The good professor began. "Tomorrow morning at breakfast, Professor Dumbledore will make an announcement regarding this night's events, but you need to know about them now. A student here in Hogwarts has actively and maliciously attempted to murder another student."

There was silence. Students threatened as much all the time in a colloquial expression of exasperation, but no one actually tried to do this – that they knew of. A mutter came from the shadow in the corner of the Common Room, "I hope whoever it was tried to get a Gryffindor." A murmured "Hope it was Potter," resounded from a different part of the room, along with a few "Yeah"s that came from the massed crowd.

Draco blanched, and he noticed a few others did as well. Tracey trembled, and a traitorous tear escaped from her eye.

Professor Snape cleared his throat. "Truly? While the sentiment isn't completely unexpected, I would have thought better of you. I have never accepted or condoned the general sentiment against our House, but it pains me to believe that the anti-Slytherin stereotype that we are evil has actually been vindicated within full earshot of a House meeting."

The murmuring was silenced. "No matter what you believe, or who you choose to follow once you leave these hallowed halls, you must know that you need to _live_ to accomplish your goals. If you choose to hold life cheap _here_, others may choose to retaliate. I can't believe that as intelligent as you are, you need me to tell you that the attempt on another's life is completely unacceptable behavior."

Different voices were heard murmuring. This tide of emotion wasn't as strong as the professor would have preferred, but it was something. "As it happens, the targeted student was a Slytherin." Ah. There was the firestorm of whispers he was waiting for. "The guilty party was caught and confessed, and has been sentenced to life in Azkaban."

It was interesting to watch some students think and rethink the concept of justice. Some students were just glad that justice was served. Others looked thoughtful, trying to determine whether they did or should feel the same, regardless of what House the victim was from.

Millicent spat, "I bet it was a Gryffindor. They have it in for us worse than most."

Professor Snape put a finger to his lips in consideration. "I see why you might think so, Miss Bulstrode, as the inter-House rivalry is particularly bitter. But no. Gryffindors' hands are completely clean in this."

Astoria Greengrass, who enjoyed a bit of notoriety as a known target of other malevolence, narrowed her eyes. "It was a Hufflepuff, wasn't it?"

The professor watched her and the other seven students who Mr. Smith purposefully neglected during that first DA meeting and their friends furrow brows, cross arms, and/or nod heads in righteous indignation. "No, Miss Greengrass. While a Hufflepuff was involved, he in no way intended such violence against a fellow student."

Terence Higgs furrowed his brows. "But that only leaves Ravenclaws and Slytherins. That just doesn't make sense. You'd think a Slytherin would have House pride, and a Ravenclaw would be too smart to get involved."

Severus nodded. "You are right, Mr. Higgs. It _was _a senseless crime. If the perpetrator would have paid attention, she could have accomplished her goal by the simple and non-violent expedient of communicating her will to a separate party, unrelated to her plot. But I'm sure you'll be surprised that the would-be murderer was a fellow Slytherin."

The silence following this statement was deafening. Students with pro-Death Eater tendencies might have reported blood traitor Slytherins to parents, but actually _killing_ a fellow Slytherin themselves was beyond the pale.

Draco narrowed his eyes, folded his arms, and did a quick, silent headcount. Neither Danny nor Pansy was present. Since Tracey was sitting in the Room and looking miserable, and Danny was the target, that left Pansy as the criminal. Draco had nothing to say, and decided to wait for Professor Snape to say it his way.

Goyle frowned. "Professor, who was the target?"

Professor Snape nodded to him, briefly met the eyes of everyone in the room, and announced, "Daniel Fenton."

Gone were the polite murmurings – the entire room was in an uproar. The members of the Quidditch team were particularly vocal. Anyone who was in class with Danny, particularly where he earned points regularly, became quite indignant, and any number of the people who gave Danny Christmas gifts were annoyed. Draco said nothing, but glared at Tracey, who met his gaze and closed her eyes. She knew that _he_ knew she was involved, and she knew she'd feel his severe displeasure before long.

Professor Snape let them carry on for three minutes before raising a hand to silence the angry crowd. "And the would-be murderer is our own Pansy Parkinson." At this, there were a few gasps and angry mutterings, but the general reaction was quiet shock.

Draco thinned his lips and shook his head. They might have been promised to each other, but neither really had to work for their relationship. While Draco usually liked her company, the fact is that they took each other for granted.

Danny was a mystery Draco started to unravel from the first day they met. Trying to puzzle out his moody, withdrawn friend took a lot of work. Draco treasured his hard-earned friendship with Danny. He already risked a great deal to protect Danny from Voldemort, and even though he didn't understand it, it meant a great deal to Draco to save Danny from his worst fear.

Further, Danny was a good friend. The dark-haired Slytherin made sure Draco spent time with his other friends. He helped Draco understand Professor Masters' interesting values, and he was considerate of Draco's feelings, even though Danny _was_ closer to Harry. While Crabbe and Goyle were emotionally close with Draco, and Blaise and Theodore were interesting to talk to, Danny was special.

Girls were easy enough to come by, especially now that a whole new vista was open for him with the anti-Voldemort group. He had all kinds of avenues to explore on many different levels. But there was only one Danny.

He shook himself out of his reverie when Professor Snape started to speak again. "I'll remind you that Miss Parkinson is currently in the hands of the Aurors, and after her parents have been notified, she is headed for a life sentence in Azkaban." There were quite a few satisfied murmurs at this pronouncement.

Professor Snape let it continue for a few seconds. "Now, Miss Parkinson is the only one who had this violence in mind. However, she duped two other students into becoming accomplices. The two accomplices were only guilty of the stupidity required to join a conspiracy neither understood, and the desire to play a prank on Mr. Fenton.

"Please be aware that not a day goes by wherein we don't make choices. As Slytherins, we pride ourselves on weighing the consequences of our actions. Are the possible gains worth the probable risks taken?

"This is one of the reasons I've continuously stressed weighing the pros and cons of following the Dark Lord. Among other things, joining the Dark Lord involves committing crimes of escalating seriousness, and it involves a lifetime commitment to serve Lord Voldemort. Is the gain of the promise of power, of hurting, torturing, or killing people whose blood may not be as pure as yours worth getting branded with a mark that will always flare with pain when the Dark Lord summons you? Is the honor of his favor worth joining a band of outlaws on the chance that the Dark Lord will rise to power? Is the honor worth the pain of being tortured when the Dark Lord capriciously shifts his moods? He _does_ reward those for services he considers well done, but he thinks nothing of killing those he no longer feels are useful; he is not a sentimental man.

"Is service to the Dark Lord worth the effort? Many people believe it is. Many people joined without considering all the positives and negatives. Many who joined but changed their minds were killed or hunted (past and present) as traitors. Many people joined, and in the service of the Dark Lord, earned themselves life sentences in Azkaban, Dementors' Kisses, or death. For some, it was worth the price. But the consequences of the risks involved are known, and people have made choices.

"The attempt on Mr. Fenton's life was not made at the behest of the Dark Lord, but it was made out of a sense of petty jealousy. Not knowing the terms, the goals, or the consequences, the accomplices joined with Miss Parkinson to play a prank."

Tracey blushed deeply. That was another level she didn't bother to think this through.

Crabbe asked, "I get pranks. But why Fenton?"

Professor Snape stood back. "Perhaps Miss Davis could enlighten us."

Tracey gulped as every eye focused on her with varying degrees of anger. She was thoroughly ashamed, but she wasn't going down alone. "Actually, neither Zacharias Smith nor I have anything at all against Danny." She held up a hand. "To be perfectly honest, Zach never had anything against the Slytherins. All of his anti-Slytherin efforts and my participation in the plot against Danny was all…" She closed her eyes as she knew how stupid what she was about to say was going to sound. "It was all in the name of hurting Harry Potter."

At this, Draco raised and spread his arms. "What are you on about?"

Tracey took a breath and squared her shoulders. She was going to pay later, but she decided to be as proud as she could be for now. "Everyone knows that Harry and Danny are close. Everyone _also_ knows that Harry is the best student in DADA, and he's even more powerful than some adults twice his age. Therefore, a prank against Harry himself would be useless. Also, a prank against his closest friends wouldn't work, 'cause even though Ron and Hermione aren't as good as Harry, they are close to it.

"But anyone who's been in Charms with Danny, or attended the first DA meeting, or the House meeting that night knows that Danny isn't good at Charms or casting Defensive spells. As I understood the prank (though – admittedly – I didn't know Pansy's full intentions), we were going to Stun and hide Danny for a few hours. Harry would panic, Danny would wake up and be unhurt, and he'd come back, no real harm done but the temporary panic caused by Danny missing for a few hours.

"Some of you can stop glaring now – Danny _is_ fine, and while I've apologized to him and I realize what I've done wrong (and still have to deal with my punishment), the thing is that most of you might have done something equally stupid just to hurt Harry. Danny explained why the idea of hurting Harry is useless to the extreme."

Professor Snape raised his eyebrows. This was an interesting and unexpected tack. Tracey plowed onward. "Everyone knows that Harry Potter defeated You-Know-Who, several times. Everyone _here_ knows that Slytherins have given Harry a hard time since his First Year. Why is that?

"No one mentions Harry without calling him the Boy Who Lived, or the Golden Boy, or whatever. But you know… It's not Harry's fault that he's famous. No one _here_ might admit it to _him_, but everyone knows he's awesome at Quidditch. He's famous for defeating You-Know-Who, and – as Danny observed – Harry is fantastic as a DADA tutor. Unless anyone here is seriously connected to You-Know-Who, does anyone have a logical reason to give this student, who is an obvious asset as a student teacher, a hard time?" She looked around, noticing all the sheepish and guilty faces. No one made a move to respond.

"No one's got a good reason, huh? I'll take what's coming to me for pranking Danny, but remember that the _reason_ I did is something most of the rest of you have either done or thought of doing since Harry's First Year."

Even Professor Snape blushed at this declaration. It was true that he loved Harry and wanted to adopt him and call him his son, but this did not erase the five or so years Snape took deep pleasure in tormenting the boy, and his reasoning for it was no better than Tracey's. "Very well stated, Miss Davis. You have given all of us something to reflect on when it comes to Harry Potter. Each of us will have to deal with our own thought, speech, and behavior patterns towards Mr. Potter as each conscience dictates. And this will be taken under advisement.

"However, while such reflection may create a mitigation of Mr. Smith and your chastisement, it cannot be denied that the reason you are being punished is the danger you put Mr. Fenton in, a fellow student, and a fellow Slytherin." Tracey took a breath and lowered her eyes to her hands, clasped in her lap. It was too much to hope for that this would be completely avoided.

"Both non-criminal miscreants have been given a month of detention, with whatever additions their Head of House sees fit. We'll come back to Tracey in a moment." The named Slytherin lifted her head. If Professor Snape called her by name, then she had hope that she would not be in permanent disgrace.

"As Daniel has made it clear that he feels the _extra care_ given to those you chastise in the halls is excessive, it would be prudent that any such thing happen without his knowledge, especially considering that it is _him_ you are avenging.

"Hmm… As far as Mr. Smith is concerned, whatever you choose to do… You are _not_ to do any permanent damage. And take special care not to get caught, particularly by anyone who might report back to Daniel. Certainly, don't do anything in any class Daniel is a part of, or anywhere around Professor Masters. I may very well give extra points for creativity, and for success if you're not caught.

"As far as Miss Davis is concerned…" Tracey gulped. "It goes without saying that you may not do any permanent damage. However… As a fellow Slytherin, her intra-House chastisement will be _far_ more circumspect. It will last only from tomorrow until this Friday, and only during the three hours Daniel spends with Professor Masters – from 7 to 10pm. Then, it will only be in the Common Room, where you _will_ report, Miss Davis. As your detention with me will be during your afternoon break, you will be available to be here during the hours of 7 to 10. But whatever will happen here will be only under Draco's direction and supervision. (If he should be otherwise occupied or elsewhere, Miss Davis will have a respite.) Further, it can be nothing immediately visible, and must be healed or cured before breakfast, where Daniel would see it." Tracey sighed with relief. Whatever would happen to her… well, the limits were reasonable.

"If any of you value Daniel's friendship, neither Tracey nor Zacharias's student-administered punishment will be made known to Mr. Fenton. He already knows about the month of detention our miscreants will serve. Is this clear?" A sea of heads nodded, some simply, some resentfully.

"Oh, and one more thing – fifty points have been taken from each of the pranksters' Houses." Fear leapt to Tracey's face as eyes narrowed and plans against her were formed.

"I have to go, as I have numerous fire calls to make. However, nothing besides taunts and possible unkind words – no spells attached – is to happen this evening," he looked at all students present, "Or I will be _most_ displeased. Have a very good night."

* * *

Severus sat back in his chair by the fire. The Parkinsons were devastated, of course. Purebloods full of pride, they railed in fury at the idea that their own daughter was under arrest. They weren't Death Eaters, and were horrified to hear of their daughter's use of an Unforgivable Curse, coupled with the murder attempt.

Since Voldemort's rebirth, Severus feared the day that would come when he would have to bring similar bad tidings to the parents of junior Death Eaters. This sheer stupidity and viciousness over petty jealousy caught him by surprise.

Thinking it over, the last time he could remember such callous student behavior towards the life of a fellow student happened when Sirius lured him to face a full-grown werewolf. One major difference is that the would-be killer was punished.

Severus closed his eyes. As angry as he was with Sirius, James did save him, blast him. But Remus was innocent. And if Sirius was expelled or arrested, Remus would have been killed by the same department that sought to destroy Buckbeak. Remus, whose worst crime was befriending the brilliant but still idiotic Gryffindor bullies, would have been put down like an animal. Severus teased the werewolf endlessly, but even he didn't deserve that. Until now, Severus clung to this grudge like a drowning man clutching a life preserver. Taking charge of two continually life-threatened teens helped Snape put things into perspective.

Pinching the bridge of his nose to ward off the migraine he felt building, the professor threw Floo powder into the fireplace. "Lupin," he called.

After a few seconds, he was answered. "Severus. Is Danny okay?"

The Potions Master sighed. "Yes, Remus. Danny has been found, and he's safe. Step through. We have much to discuss."

Remus didn't blink or otherwise display his shock; Severus was almost civil. This was a gift unlooked for. "Sure thing." Stepping into the Potions Master's office, Remus looked at him. Once directed to a chair in front of the desk, the werewolf cleared his throat. "Severus, what did you have in mind?"

Seating himself behind his desk, he answered, "May I ask what, in Merlin's name, were you thinking when you gave Harry…" Severus wrinkled his nose in disgust at the name. "The Marauders' Map?"

With a half-smile, Remus stated, "I had in mind safety from unexpected people going missing or turning up. I wouldn't have known about Peter in 1994 but for the Map."

Shaking his head, he continued. "Severus, I'm sure you've figured out that Harry never had James' penchant for mischief." Remus had the grace to look sheepish. "It's true that when the… four of us made the Map, hiding and finding the best locations for… whatever _is _what we had in mind. Harry's never been that carefree in his life. I had the feeling it would come in useful, on occasions such as these."

Severus absorbed this. These were not the words of the self-absorbed twit he spoke to on December 21. The ideas were carefully thought out. Thinking of Remus Lupin as a reasonable, rational individual was a serious paradigm shift, but Snape would do it. Now that said twit came to his senses about Harry, he could be a valuable asset in all sorts of capacities. Snape nodded curtly – he accepted Lupin's reasoning.

Remus breathed a sigh of not-quite relief. "Please tell me what happened to Danny. I'm glad he was found, and is now safe. But apparently he wasn't before."

The Slytherin closed his eyes. This was not an easy topic, and it would be the third time he discussed it this evening. "Pansy Parkinson decided that Daniel was inconvenient, and arranged – with the assistance of two dupes – to kidnap and attempt to kill the half-ghost."

"No!"

"It wouldn't have worked, as his most basic powers overcame the difficulties she set for him, once he woke from being Stunned, but intent counts. Further, once her accomplices realized the plot she intended was far more nefarious than the prank _they _intended, she Imperiused at least one of them into compliance."

"Poor Danny!"

Severus nodded. "Indeed. So Daniel will stay with Vlad until they've decided to send him back to the dorm. For all I know, he might stay in Vlad's quarters over night.

"Miss Parkinson is on her way to Azkaban as we speak. The accomplices, who had nothing quite so violent in mind, have their assorted punishments to look forward to. They both have a month's detention and 50 points deducted from their Houses. It goes downhill from there."

Remus whistled in appreciation. Severus chuckled. "Further, the Slytherin miscreant – don't ask – simplified my job of normalizing my House's relations with my ward by explaining how pointless the eternal grudge against Harry Potter truly is."

Putting a finger to his chin thoughtfully, Remus asked, "Was that part of the punishment?"

Severus smirked. "No. It was almost incidental, or it would have been had she not intended to use this fact to help to mitigate her Housemates' ire."

Remus raised his eyebrows. "Interesting. Anything to make Harry's life a little simpler is a good thing."

"Agreed." Severus blinked as he startled himself. The idea that he admitted that he agreed with Lupin on anything wasn't as wondrous a novelty as he thought it would be. Now that he decided to allow himself to recognize the man for who he was now and not the childhood tormentor he never forgot he was, Severus discovered that he might have far more in common with the werewolf than he initially suspected.

"Remus," Snape began, opening up further than he ever did to this man who he discovered was more than just a Marauder. Lupin started, as he registered Severus's mention of his given name. "I… Harry and I have been getting closer, and… I'm thinking of adopting him properly."

Remus peaked his eyebrows, at once glad for Severus and Harry and also desperately jealous. He closed his eyes, straightened his shoulders, and gave a sad smile. "I suppose I should be very glad for you. Considering that you have patterned your relationship after Vlad and Danny, I can't really say that I'm surprised." He sighed. "You might even be perfect for each other." Remus tried not to let the disappointment of his missed opportunity show as painfully and obviously as he felt it.

Severus swallowed silently. "Thank you for saying so. While I'm sure he returns my love and affection, I'm not sure if he's ready for this. I'm pretty sure I am." Remus nodded. "I'm just not sure of how to proceed," Severus admitted awkwardly. "What should I do?"

Remus's cast-iron control slipped. "If I knew the answer to that, don't you think I'd have done it years ago?" he spat bitterly.

Severus had the grace to blush sheepishly. "Yes, of course. Forgive me."

It was only December 21 when Severus had harshly criticized the man for his own cowardice for not making any real overtures. The crushing weight of Remus's sense of insecurity came down on Snape with the force of the weight he remembered seeing Daniel lifting effortlessly.

Remus _had_ liked Harry since the boy was an infant. Snape hated the boy until… well, until Vlad made him jealous. And now that he allowed himself to see what a treasure his ward truly was, Severus had no intention of letting go. While he now saw Remus as a valuable ally (just when did that happen?) and a supremely useful resource, he recognized that the Gryffindor was perhaps unable (if not necessarily unwilling) to help Snape move forward with this.

Even though it went against his grain, Severus realized that he might have to ask Vlad for help again. This time, however, he didn't find the concept at all distasteful, especially considering how wildly successful the half-ghost was; he only needed to find the time. And now he had a depressed werewolf to entertain.

* * *

At about 11:30pm, Severus was still up in his office, drinking tea and contemplating the many events of the day, when a knock interrupted his reverie. "Who is it?"

A quiet "It's Vlad, Severus," came to him.

Realizing that the discussion with the elder half-ghost was the other shoe he was waiting to be dropped, Severus invited, "Come in, Vlad. Take a seat and have some tea."

"Thank you." Since his son had gone missing, and was in such potential danger, Vlad's exhaustion was neither unreasonable nor unearned. "I convinced Daniel to sleep on the couch in front of the fire in my rooms. I didn't leave until I was sure he dropped off. Considering that two of his assailants were from his own House, I felt he was safer spending the night with me. However, he'll probably return to his dorm tomorrow."

"I suspected that might be the case."

Vlad nodded. Daniel's Head of House (and uncle) now knew where the boy was. "Apparently, the double Stunning and the awful implications of what was intended for him took a serious toll, albeit subconsciously. He's used to his ghostly persona being hunted down. Such serious designs against his human half are truly beyond him."

Severus frowned. "Indeed."

Vlad sighed. "I've been meaning to ask. That interrogation was the oddest experience I've ever had, and being a half-ghost in the Wizarding World, I'd say I've witnessed my share of unusual events." Severus inclined his head. "In all of my days, I've never seen any accused individual be as forthcoming as Zacharias or Tracey were. Pansy was at least normal, withholding damning information until the evidence was so stacked against her that attempting to hide would have been useless. I don't get the feeling that wizards have less of a compulsion for self-preservation than other people, but neither Zacharias nor Tracey even tried to hide. Why not?"

It was a good and logical question. "Both the Headmaster and I are accomplished Legilimens – unless a wizard successfully Occludes his mind, we have the ability to look into his mind and see all kinds of things. Regardless of whether the students actually know this, they tend to believe that both Professor Dumbledore and I are omniscient." He chuckled. "Not that many of the students have figured it out, but the fact that all of the professors, portraits, ghosts, elves, and staff report to the Headmaster makes him quite knowledgeable of practically everything that goes on here. I've been a spy for years and am an expert at reading body language (when I'm not being stupid and willfully blind)." Severus rolled his eyes at himself. "Standing before two apparently omniscient individuals, none of the students believed any attempt at subterfuge or obfuscation would have been useful, so they held nothing back."

Vlad raised his eyebrows, impressed.

"Further, between the Headmaster and the two Aurors, they were well within their rights to administer Veritaserum, or Truth Serum, should the students have been less than forthcoming. Telling the absolute truth as they saw it was inexorably the only option. It's not a matter of self-preservation. Once they were caught, hiding information would have been an exercise in futility."

Vlad nodded again. "Thank you for that explanation. You have thus restored my faith in the humanity of the Wizarding World."

"You're welcome, I think."

Vlad smirked. "Indeed." The Wizarding World had far more reliable methods of extracting the truth from alleged perpetrators than anything he'd ever seen, heard of, or experienced thus far in the Muggle World.

Raising his eyebrows briefly, Vlad hardened his face into a mask of vengeance. "I heard what Pomona said regarding Mr. Smith. What have you decided regarding Miss Davis?"

A cruel smile graced the Slytherin's face. "While Pomona's sentence for Mr. Smith is longer lasting, I don't think it will be as painful as what Miss Davis will go through. From tomorrow until Friday, Miss Davis will be required to submit to whatever interesting torments Mr. Malfoy will have devised to avenge his friend while Daniel is with you for his evening lessons. I set parameters, but never underestimate the deviousness of the Slytherin mind. Besides informing my House of what was done to the most popular student therein, I also told them that Miss Davis was responsible for a 50-point loss for Slytherin. I don't envy the girl's position this week."

"Impressive."

"I thought you would appreciate knowing that."

* * *

When Draco came up to breakfast Monday morning, he strode up to Danny where he, Crabbe, and Goyle were particularly protective and possessive of Danny. Other Slytherin students were also far more solicitous than usual, and Danny felt something between grateful and bemusement.

Towards the middle of the meal, Professor McGonagall tapped a fork against a goblet to get the attention of everyone in the Great Hall. Professor Dumbledore stood up, and everyone grew quiet to hear his announcement.

"My dear students, it is my deepest misfortune to have to announce the expulsion, among other things, of one of our students. Yesterday, a student attempted the heinous act of committing murder against a fellow student. Rest assured, the perpetrator has been convicted and sentenced for her crimes. Miss Pansy Parkinson is no longer among us, as she is serving a life sentence in Azkaban for her crimes." The room broke out into both angry and speculative whispers. "The intended victim is fine, and no lasting damage has been done." Relieved murmurs made their rounds. Danny sighed in relief – he didn't need or want any further recognition because of this.

Harry met his eyes from across the Hall, and he mouthed, 'Are you okay?' Danny nodded. Harry sighed in relief.

"Miss Parkinson had two unwitting accomplices. They never intended such violence, but they _did_ participate in a crime. Therefore, the prank they intended to pull has resulted in the loss of fifty points from each of their Houses." Many Hufflepuff students were annoyed, as they noticed the significant loss of House points, and they now knew the reason. The Slytherin students glared daggers at Zacharias and Tracey, both of whom noticed and closed their eyes – they didn't want to have to deal with what was coming to them any sooner than necessary.

Professor Dumbledore shook his head. "I hope this will be the last time such a horrible announcement will be necessary. The safety of each and every one of you is paramount." He sat down and continued to finish breakfast.

Professor McGonagall turned to Vlad and asked, "How is Danny doing? From here, he seems to be fine but… really, is all as it seems?"

Vlad sighed. "He was shaken, but it appears to me that once the danger was over – not that Daniel _was_ in real danger – and the shock of a human trying to kill him dissipated…"

"I beg your pardon?" Professor McGonagall was ill at ease.

Vlad tilted his head in pride at Danny. "Yes. Well, where _we_ are from, any number of malevolent ghosts have similarly attacked Daniel, although never for something as petty as the boy 'taking too much of a friend's time.' No – it might have been to collect him as a unique specimen, or revenge for foiling some nefarious plot of theirs. But now that I think of it… No, no one has truly been out for his blood." There _was_ Valerie, but neither Vlad nor Technus gave her anything that would hurt Daniel _too_ badly.

"To put him out of commission, well, anyone whose schemes had been foiled like that might want Daniel to have stopped, or powerless enough that he would no longer pose a threat to them." Vlad rubbed his chin. "No – not even Daniel's worst enemy wanted the boy dead, but besides Pariah Dark, a tyrant among ghosts, Daniel never came across anyone who actually had the power and ability to permanently harm him, ironically, but his parents and me. But for someone to actively seek the life of Daniel Fenton, simply as a human child, is entirely new to his experience."

Putting a hand over her heart, Professor McGonagall cried, "Merlin!"

Vlad continued, "I'm not sure that he internalized the matter at all, as last we discussed it, he was more worried about the fates of his assailants than himself."

Professor Burbage sat, both aghast and confused. "What do you mean, that a malevolent ghost wanted to collect Danny as a unique specimen? As what, a wizard amongst the Muggles of his hometown?"

Vlad turned to her and raised an eyebrow sardonically. "What do you think?"

Professors Snape and Flitwick covered their mouths to hide smirks. Vlad didn't actually lie, but he misdirected Charity such that she would never know how wrong she was. However, Filius sobered quickly. "Vlad, if Danny doesn't seem to understand the seriousness of what happened to him, perhaps we should sit him down and explain it to him. He's not a stupid child, but intellectual honesty would not go awry."

Severus tapped his chin. "No, I don't think so. While being as informed as possible has obvious merits, we must remember with whom we are dealing. Daniel, while a bit more generous of spirit than is good for him, is not the most emotionally stable individual at present. We are doing what we can to correct the situation. However… If the seriousness of this attempt on his life has not thrown the boy into a panic or a depression, let's just count our blessings and move on."

Professor Dumbledore and Vlad listened closely, each furrowing his brows. Albus asked, "What do you think, Vlad?"

Vlad ran a hand over the top of his head. "At present, I'm inclined to agree with Severus. No matter how evil Miss Parkinson's intentions may have been, the fact is that no harm was done. Further, as far as Daniel is concerned, the encounter was unavoidable. Unless you are truly going to tell Daniel that he must hide in fear from his Housemates, which is patently ridiculous, there is nothing to be done. If he reflects on the matter and comes to an emotionally dark place, I'll handle it. And if I can't, I can get help."

This seemed to satisfy the professors, who turned their attention to the students. Almost as a unit, the Hufflepuffs frowned in consternation. Who would help to pull such a nasty prank? Zacharias shook his head, not showing his guilt. The Gryffindors (well… most of them) cast worried looks at Danny. The Ravenclaws were curious, but had nothing to go on. The Slytherins hissed angrily, but anyone talking to Danny was perfectly congenial.

The professors decided that whatever happened, today would be an interesting day.

* * *

In Defense Against the Dark Arts, the Gryffindors and the Slytherins greeted Danny solicitously, while the Slytherins besides Danny glared venomously at Zacharias. Zach smiled apologetically at Danny, and looked ashamed and embarrassed when Professor Masters also eyed him viciously. However, other than the initial glare, Vlad ignored Zach throughout the class. As he lectured, Vlad glanced surreptitiously at the Smith boy, and enjoyed the boy's exquisite discomfort, born from not knowing what would happen.

When the class let out, Vlad called, "Mr. Smith."

His nerves a bit frazzled, Zacharias approached his furious teacher and gulped. There was a reason he chose detention with Mr. Filch. "Yes, sir."

"Come see me in my office during your break after Transfigurations."

Zach nodded, staring at the floor. "Yes, sir." This was one meeting he was _not_ looking forward to.

He looked forward to Charms. Professor Flitwick was the one professor who managed to keep the predations of vengeful Slytherins down before, and he hoped he could count on the relative protection once again.

Unfortunately, Zacharias soon discovered that Charms class was not the sanctuary he hoped it would be. As the students waited for Professor Flitwick to enter the classroom, Draco cleared his throat. "No doubt, everyone wants to know the identity of Pansy's accomplices."

Danny covered his eyes. "No, Draco. Please don't." However, the students in the class gazed intently at Draco.

Harry watched Danny, who was uncomfortable, and decided that he didn't need to sate his curiosity. Ron had no such compunctions. "Who were the others who tried to hurt Danny?"

"Ron!" Danny cried.

Draco crossed his arms. "Tracey Davis and Zacharias Smith."

Danny looked between the two pranksters apologetically. They met his eyes and saw he wanted no part of this, and Tracey recognized one more difference between Danny and the other Slytherins. Zach shook his head. Whatever was going to happen might not be Danny's wish, but it _would_ be on Danny's behalf.

Both Tracey and Zach became the recipients of baleful glares from members of all four Houses. They were intensely grateful when Professor Flitwick entered the classroom. Danny desperately tried to ignore the furious whispers around him and focus on the wand movements he was supposed to imitate.

Notes were passed, and Danny, Tracey, and Zach were whispered about. But no one other than Harry would meet Danny's eyes. When class was over, the two co-conspirators bolted from the room to what might be the relative safety of the Transfigurations classroom. While Professor Snape put a leash on the Slytherin hostilities, Tracey realized there was no such guarantee that Danny's friends from the other Houses would exercise such restraint.

Danny stared after the two escapees from Charms class. "Draco, what is going on?" he asked accusingly.

Draco thought for a moment as he stowed his notes in his book bag. "Well… The whispers and notes you saw passed involved a discussion of a project taking place in Transfigurations." Danny raised an eyebrow, and Draco became more comfortable with his line of thought. "No, really. Don't worry about it. Further, it's all about House unity – all four Houses will be working together for a common goal."

Danny cocked his head. "Draco, I'm not deaf, and I'm not stupid. I heard everyone talking about me, Zach, and Tracey."

"Well, yeah. Everyone is concerned. You have a lot of friends who are angry on your behalf." Draco smirked. "But honestly – we were discussing something that we have to accomplish before Transfigurations begins." Danny furrowed his brows. The blond patted his shoulder. "Gotta go – I'll see you at lunch."

Danny shook his head. He didn't know what was going on. This whole 'House unity' thing would be great, if it was real, but the situation seemed suspicious to him. In any event, he had an appointment with Uncle Severus to discuss Patronuses. The very name 'Uncle Severus' made Danny smile.

* * *

Vlad sat behind his desk, steepling his fingers. He would find some reason to call Miss Davis to his office, but for now, Mr. Smith would provide an interesting diversion. A hesitant knock came, and Vlad purred, "Come in."

Zacharias took a breath and entered the office, eyes on the floor. 'Good. This is a good place to start,' Vlad thought. "Please have a seat, Mr. Smith."

"Yes, sir."

Vlad raised his eyebrows briefly. "Now then, Mr. Smith. What do you think I should do with you?"

Zacharias closed his eyes in resignation. "Whatever you want, sir."

Vlad dropped his hands and stared at the boy. This was _not_ the reaction he was expecting. There was no apprehension; there was no fear. This boy was hopeless and utterly defeated. "Come again?"

Shrugging his shoulders, Zach sighed, and Vlad decided if he ever heard a child in that much despair again, it would be too soon. "Even if I'm a model student and a paragon of student behavior from now until I leave Hogwarts, it won't matter. No one will leave me alone. I apologized to Danny, and he forgave me, right before your class. He even said there were no hard feelings. At all. I really _didn't_ mean to hurt him." He sighed again, and looked up into Professor Masters' eyes.

"Danny forgave me, but it seems no one else will. Between Astoria, Danny, and those other Slytherins…" Zach shook his head. "It's a good thing I play Chaser in Quidditch, or as a Beater, I'd never be able to play again, for fear of hurting someone. Ever. Especially in Slytherin. You want to punish me for hurting Danny, too? Go ahead."

Vlad frowned, becoming upset. The goal of this meeting was to come up with a suitable punishment for the boy's untoward behavior towards his son, not to crush the spirit of life from him in learned hopelessness. "I see." Zach closed his eyes again.

"Zacharias." The boy lifted his head and opened his eyes, shocked by the almost tender tone from this most fearsome professor. "Come and have a seat by the fire." Vlad led a slightly dazed student to a couch near a coffee table and fireplace, away from his desk. Thinking about what he wanted, Vlad snapped his fingers, and a tea set and scones appeared on the coffee table. "Please help yourself. Give me a moment, and I'll be back."

Vlad left his office, turned invisible, and made a duplicate of himself, sending one of himself to Professor Snape and the other to Professor Sprout. Becoming visible in front of the doors, he knocked, asked about the professors' availability, and requested an emergency meeting in his office, ASAP. Concerned, both Heads of House agreed to come with Vlad immediately, who turned them invisible and teleported them to the door of his office. When no one was in the hall, he turned all four of them visible.

Professor Sprout exclaimed, "Oh!" Professor Snape started at seeing two of Vlad, but the witch and wizard relaxed when Vlad reabsorbed his duplicate.

Inviting both professors in, Vlad gestured them to seats in front of his desk while he took his own behind it. "Can you cast the Privacy Spell?" Vlad asked. Severus noticed Zacharias staring at the fire, sipping tea, but toying with a scone. He noticed the boy didn't eat it, as he seemed to have no appetite. Severus cast _Muffliato_, and Vlad sat back. "Thank you."

Professor Sprout asked, "So Vlad, what is this about?"

Vlad looked over at the boy drinking tea and turned to face his colleagues. "What is the point of the elaborate punishment given last night?"

Both Severus and Pomona stared. That was the last question they expected this man to ask, especially considering his quiet fury of last night. Professor Sprout answered, "The point is to punish him for hurting Danny, your… son."

Vlad nodded. "Yes, I appreciate that. But what does Zacharias get out of it?"

Professor Snape cast a sidelong glance at Vlad. "He is supposed to learn that what he did was wrong, and to convince him not to do it again."

Opening his eyes wide, Vlad gestured with a hand. "Oh, is that all? Then the goal has been accomplished. It's done, and there's an end."

Severus and Pomona blinked, stunned. Sprout said, "Excuse me… I'm a bit confused."

Casting his gaze back on the child, Vlad explained, "Zacharias isn't really that bad. Truly. Since the day after the first DA meeting, he learned that what he did was wrong, and he should not do anything like that again. But since last night, the poor boy has _not_ learned that what he did was wrong – he figured that out as he confessed his part in the prank. At present, Zacharias has _no_ _hope_. He has learned not to expect clemency from any party. Actually, he only expects further punishment, whether it is deserved or not."

Professor Sprout covered her mouth, aghast. Even Professor Snape was taken aback.

Vlad turned back to the other professors. "Daniel was right. Enough is enough."

Pomona and Severus stared at Vlad, and then looked at Mr. Smith. Considering that the parent of the aggrieved party just told them the guilty boy no longer needed to be punished, they both realized that they needed to rethink a few things.

After sitting with her chin in her hand for a few moments, Pomona furrowed her brows. "Things _have_ gone a bit too far. But Zacharias _did_ abuse his position of power. He was a student teacher, and he took advantage of a student who is acknowledged not to be very good with his magic." Gesturing to the three of them, she continued, "_We_ all know that Danny is a Muggle, and for a wizard to use magic against a Muggle is a serious crime. While Zacharias has no need to know all of that, ambushing a fellow student, especially one known not to be anywhere as skilled… This is a gross misuse of power. He should _not_ be rewarded by being put in a position of authority over other students. He should not be a student teacher of the DA, a prefect, or a team captain."

Vlad nodded. "Fair enough. At least…" Pomona jerked her head to focus on him more directly. "For this semester. See if his attitude improves at the end of the year."

She began to protest. "But…"

"Pomona, give the boy something real to hope for. To look forward to. Something."

Professor Sprout looked at the edge of Vlad's desk for a moment. Raising her eyes to look at the boy, she said, "I suppose you're right. I'll… let him know. He does look like he needs some comforting." She wandered over to her student and sat next to him, putting her arm around his shoulder, comforting him, and telling him of his modified punishment.

Severus studied Vlad for a bit. "You didn't need to do that."

Vlad raised an eyebrow. "I most certainly _did_. It was the right thing to do. The point was to punish him for what he did wrong, not to completely demoralize the boy. It might have taken Mr. Smith sitting in front of me in utter despair for me to realize it – you're not the only slow learner here…" Snape sat up and glared. "But Daniel was right. No one ever let up on him from December 9 until now."

Severus tapped his chin. "I suppose you're right."

"Oh, and one more thing. Call off your Slytherin attack dogs."

Severus raised both his eyebrows. "I beg your pardon?"

"You heard me. Make the Slytherins leave him alone."

Professor Snape furrowed his brows. "How do you know they have instructions to do anything?"

Vlad raised an eyebrow again. "You're not very subtle, Severus. It has not been 24 hours since Daniel was found, and Zacharias changed from ashamed and contrite to completely defeated with no sense of fight. The official punishment isn't supposed to start until tonight. Therefore, it is obvious that Smith has been the victim of student torment, and the total despair tells me that the viciousness of the emotional assault built for many hours before breakfast.

"No one but the Slytherins knew who the accomplices were, as the Headmaster didn't mention them, and if looks could kill, at breakfast, the student roster would be short two, from the Slytherins' glares alone." Vlad ignored the fact that his and Daniel's looks really COULD kill, as that was not important at this juncture.

"All of the Heads of House knew who they were, but none of you had the need to be explicit with who did what besides you, who had two of the offending souls AND the victim in your House. I don't know what you told them, but I'm telling you: end it. Now." Severus was amazed at Vlad's powers of deduction.

Filled with sudden inspiration, Vlad asked, "Severus… You haven't told Argus the reason for Mr. Smith's detention yet, have you?"

Severus shook his head, as if to clear it. "No, not yet."

Vlad nodded. "Good. Keep it that way."

"But…"

"But nothing. I know Argus favors Daniel. If you tell him the reason Mr. Smith is being punished, he will be particularly vicious. If you at all care for the welfare of your students in general, you should know that I'm right."

Severus sat back. "Indeed." He passed a hand over his mouth. "Vlad Masters, you are not the same man I chastised on October 1." Neither am I. Maybe this whole guardianship thing has changed us. Well, mostly. "You are right. I will make this happen."

* * *

At lunch, most of the Slytherins looked rather satisfied with themselves. Tracey was tired and harried, but she had no problem holding a conversation with Millicent. Danny looked across the Hall and noticed Zacharias shivering, his pale face pink, as if he finished scrubbing it hard.

Danny asked Draco, "How was your project in Transfigurations?"

Draco smirked. "Even better than expected." Crabbe and Goyle snickered.

Danny was about to ask further, but Professor Snape came to their table. "Tonight, there will be a House meeting at 7:00pm." Most students nodded curiously.

"But Professor, I have lessons with Papá at seven," Danny protested.

Snape nodded gravely. "And you will go to your lessons, Daniel. This meeting is in regards to…" He frowned and paused for a moment.

Draco noticed the problem. "Danny, you know that… if you aren't included, it probably has to do with… a class you're not involved in. Like Ancient Runes or Transfigurations."

Severus raised his eyebrows. 'Nicely done, Draco. I may award points later,' he thought. "Indeed. Something came up in the Sixth Year Transfigurations class, and this meeting involves an inter-year project that was started and undertaken therein." The professor eyed the students knowingly, and everyone but Daniel knew what he was referring to – as it should be.

"The project was an experiment that had unintended results. The project has been cancelled, and any work done to further progress on the project will cease and desist. It will be best for everyone this way, and I will explain the details at 7:00. Further – it was a collaborative effort, involving all four Houses. Considering the fact that Slytherins initiated the project, it is up to you to tell your inter-House collaborators that the experiment has been aborted."

Students furrowed their brows, expressing their reluctance to let it go. "I will award extra points for expediency, and you may earn up to (but not more than) 50 points if the recall is known and respected by all participants in all four Houses by our meeting tonight at 7:00." Those who were unhappy before looked at the other tables speculatively.

Danny frowned. "But Professor… I thought the goal was inter-House unity." He was particularly unsettled because of this excitement he was excluded from.

Severus smiled. "Five points for your perspicacity, Daniel. That was indeed one of the goals, and that goal has been reached. As for the rest of it… the project had dangerous implications that were unforeseeable at the time the project was set. Transfigurations have a way of having… interesting results. I will see you later this evening. Enjoy the rest of lunch." With that, he swept away from the table.

Danny peaked his eyebrows, and turned to Draco. "Did that make any sense to you?"

Draco sighed. "Unfortunately, yes. But good going for earning us an extra five points."

* * *

During the afternoon break, Danny sought refuge from the general weirdness by going to the library to do some homework. He could always count on Professor Snape to tell him the truth, but… Something about this Transfigurations project was not on the level.

As he looked for an unoccupied table, he found Luna. He missed their not-quite date! Taking a breath, he walked up to her. "Hi, Luna."

She smiled warmly. "Danny! How nice to see you. Please have a seat."

The last time Danny felt this nervous, he lost control of his tangibility and his pants fell down. "Uh, thanks." If he was sitting, his pants couldn't fall off. That didn't mean something _else_ unpredictable wouldn't happen…

Danny shook his head to get it clear. "Luna, I'm sorry I missed our thing yesterday." He almost got lost in the serenity of her eyes.

"Danny, you seem to have forgotten that you were missing. When you didn't come, I knew something was wrong. You would never purposefully break a promise."

Staring, Danny said, "You're right, but how do you know?"

She regarded him seriously. "It's only logical. Everyone you've studied with says that you avoid cheating like most people avoid Dementors. But it is important to you that certain things about you are not known. So, it makes sense that you would be deadly honest about anything that doesn't have to do with your secrets. It is both in keeping with your honesty in studies, and people don't suspect honest people of lying."

Danny's eyes widened. Luna was right. Come to think of it, he didn't even couch his secrets in lies, as far as he could remember.

"But lying to a girl about an appointment smacks of cheating, and you would never do a thing like that."

The enraptured ghost nodded. He prayed fervently that he was as worthy of Luna's praise as she believed he was, and he resolved that if he wasn't, he would make it his business to be.

Danny closed his eyes for a moment to collect himself. "Okay. Um… I've got homework to finish just now. Can we try again this Sunday?"

Luna laughed lightly and quietly. "Of course. Assuming no one else plots against us, I'll see you outside the Great Hall on Sunday. But, just so you know, I like this table in the afternoons during the week." She patted one of his hands.

"I'll remember that. Thanks."


	45. Chapter 45

Thank you once again to everyone who has read, reviewed, and put this story and me on your assorted lists. I offer you cheesecake and chocolate milk. Your reading and reviewing is truly appreciated.

Quidditch and a few other surprises will have to wait until a later chapter. I really should stop attempting to make promises about what will happen when, because things develop as they develop, and not as I necessarily planned them to develop.

The lawyer Lewis Greer is a tip of the hat to a law firm I spent time working in, Lewis & Greer, P.C. My sources for the laws of adoption in the State of Wisconsin come from www . wiadopt . com and other online resources.

Disclaimer: I do not own _Danny Phantom_ or _Harry Potter_.

Chapter 45

Tuesday morning, an odd wash of emotions settled over Harry. Before Potions, Draco told him that Operation Make Zach Pay they came up with before Transfigurations was called off. While the non-Slytherins came up with something similar for Tracey, they decided to give her the same reprieve. Both 'operations' and their cancellations were the quickest and most complete bout of inter-House cooperation Harry could ever remember. And all of it went mostly unnoticed by Danny, who would never have approved of it in the first place.

It was amusing, however, to watch the entire student body at the Slytherin table sigh or shake their heads in frustration when Susan Bones smacked Zach upside the head at dinner. Danny was annoyed because Zach already had a month's worth of detention and all leadership opportunities taken from him; he didn't need more harassment. Then Danny shrugged – for all he knew, Zach might have made an impertinent comment about her boyfriend or something. The other Slytherins were disappointed, as what Harry understood was the harassment recall was not as complete as Professor Snape wanted it to be. Slytherin still gained 25 points, so Harry wasn't sure what the problem was.

This morning, though, everyone at Slytherin seemed to be back to normal, if a bit subdued. Zacharias at Hufflepuff was far more relaxed than he'd been in over a month, and though there was a disappointed undercurrent from all over the Hall, all seemed to be right with the world.

"Harry." The addressed boy spun in his seat to see Professor Snape.

"Yes, sir?"

"Professor Dumbledore wants to see you tonight at 8:00. He is particularly excited, and said, 'This is the beginning of the end.' Do you have any clue what he's talking about?"

Harry thought for a moment. "Maybe. I'm not sure, but if I'm right, Voldemort's days are numbered."

Severus blinked. "I don't suppose you'd care to explain that."

Harry shrugged. "Nope. It's not my secret to tell, and this isn't the place to talk about it even if I were allowed."

Snape narrowed his eyes. "Cheeky brat."

Harry's eyes twinkled mischievously. "I hear it's bad form to get out of practice."

The man stared for a moment and then chuckled. "I'll see you later. And don't be late for the Headmaster's appointment."

* * *

Vlad sat in the staff room. He finished marking papers, and… ah. There were the two people he wanted to see. Anyone else was bonus.

"Severus, Professor."

Albus Dumbledore smiled and raised his eyebrows. He was curious to see how his DADA instructor would surprise him today. "Good morning, Vlad. What is on your mind this fine day?" Severus also looked at the half-ghost curiously.

"This weekend marks the two-year anniversary of when Daniel and I met."

Severus furrowed his brows and tapped his chin. "I imagine that means that this weekend is… Martin Luther King's Day celebration, right?"

Vlad smiled. "Exactly."

Professor Sinistra shook her head to clear it. "Wait a minute. I thought you were Danny's uncle. Why would you have only met him two years ago?"

Vlad sighed. "My dear Aurora, Daniel has an aunt in Arkansas who he has rarely seen. It isn't that far of a stretch to imagine that, living out of state, the Fentons and I lost touch. Further, I had a falling-out with Jack, Daniel's father. Let's just say that I wasn't pleased with Maddie's choice of husband."

A burst of understanding came to the confused professor. "Of course! Forgive me. You are Danny's uncle, and your last names are different. I should have realized… Was Maddie your sister?"

Vlad spluttered. Pomona and Filius joined Severus and Albus in an amused but curious glance to see how Vlad would resolve this. Vlad himself wasn't sure how to answer. He drummed his fingers on the table as he thought this through. 'At this juncture, it won't hurt if the professors know the truth. Well… some of it, anyway.'

Clearing his throat, Vlad answered, "She might as well have been, for all that she was available. But no. Daniel's parents and I were friends in college. We fell out of touch, but we reconnected when I held a 20th year college reunion. I met Daniel at that time, and 'uncle' was a term of respect and affection. Now that I'm properly adopting him, he calls me by a moniker designating me as his father."

Professor Sinistra nodded. "Oh."

Professor Dumbledore was surprised to see Vlad so forthcoming about this, but considering that the man was about to adopt Danny formally, it helped to explain Danny's switch of address from 'Uncle Vlad' to 'Papá.' "So this is a rather fortuitous weekend for both of you. But what did you have in mind?"

Vlad drummed his steepled fingers. "Well, I thought a more private, intimate dinner this Friday night would be an appropriate way to celebrate the occasion."

Severus raised his eyebrows. "Not unlike Thanksgiving."

"Not altogether different, no. But instead of a culturally ingrained celebration, this is much more personal." And this is a memory Daniel won't have shared with Jack, Vlad almost crowed. He peaked his eyebrows as he realized it was also a memory Daniel won't have shared with Maddie. Vlad sighed. How could someone be triumphant, disappointed, and simply happy at the same time? He didn't think he could sustain all three emotions at once, and he gave over to the simple joy he would share with his son, and their new little family.

The professors beamed, except for Severus, who tried to determine if there was a similar date he could use as a turning point in his relationship with Harry. It wasn't coming to him as easily as he would have hoped.

Professor Dumbledore smiled warmly. "Very good, very good. Why don't you come to my office after Danny's lessons this evening, and we can discuss the details?"

"It will be my pleasure, Professor."

* * *

At 8:00pm, Harry knocked on the Headmaster's door. "Chocolate frog, huh?" he murmured to himself.

"Come in, Harry. Come in." Professor Dumbledore was seated in front of his desk, and his blue eyes twinkled madly. "Please sit and have a lemon drop."

Harry smiled, sat next to Dumbledore, took one, and popped it in his mouth. "Thank you, sir. Severus told me you said 'This is the beginning of the end.' What's going on?"

The professor smiled warmly. "The final inanimate Horcrux has been located."

"That's great, sir! Where is it?"

Albus sighed contentedly. "Your bout of brilliance at our last meeting gave me a clue, and the news came to me quite serendipitously. One of Voldemort's closest associates put the Cup in a vault in Gringotts."

Harry furrowed his brows. "That's good, but doesn't that leave us hopeless? I mean, breaking into Gringotts is seriously…"

"Ah, but that is the beauty of it. No one has to break into anything. We can waltz in quite legitimately and destroy it at our leisure."

Harry shook his head as if to clear the cobwebs. "Excuse me?"

Professor Dumbledore became sober before introducing the next idea. "Harry, what do you know of Sirius's family?"

Unsure of what the professor was aiming for, Harry frowned. "From what I can tell, almost everyone besides Sirius, Tonks, and Andromeda were really Dark witches and wizards." Phineas Nigellus harrumphed. "Regulus turned against Voldemort, but…" The boy shrugged, and grimaced apologetically at the offended portrait.

Dumbledore nodded. "For the most part, you are correct, Harry. That is the case, especially in more recent generations." Phineas made a mollified noise. "But are you familiar with his cousins?"

Harry closed his eyes as a dark cloud seemed to bathe his face in anger. "You mean Bellatrix, who killed him? Narcissa, Draco's mother?" His expression softened. "And Andromeda, Tonks's mom?"

Albus nodded gravely. "Indeed. At some point, all of them had access to the Black ancestral vault."

Harry thought for a few minutes. "Do they still have access?"

"That is a good question. In theory, they might, but not without your express permission."

"_My_ permission?"

Albus smiled. "I don't know if you remember, but Sirius designated _you_ as his heir. All of the ancestral holdings of the House of Black belong to you."

Harry blinked. "Wait. That's… that's…"

"That's right, Harry. Bellatrix put Helga Hufflepuff's Cup in that vault."

"But…" Harry was more than a little overwhelmed.

Albus reached over and patted Harry's knee. "Perhaps later this month, we'll arrange for a trip to Gringotts?"

Harry looked down for a second. While Harry would have much rather had Sirius than Sirius's money, the fact is that he had what he had, and his Black inheritance brought them that much closer to destroying Voldemort.

Between sadness for his loss and firm determination, Harry's eyes turned glassy as he looked up and said, "I'll be honored, sir. I'm looking forward to it."

* * *

On Friday, Vlad was smugly satisfied and particularly buoyant during Defense Against the Dark Arts. Danny was puzzled, but there didn't seem anything dangerous in Vlad's bearing. When class was over, Danny asked him, "Uh, Papá? I'm glad you're happy, but what's going on?"

Vlad sighed contentedly. "Ah, my son. Today is a beautiful day."

Danny blinked. "Okay…" Vlad didn't say anything more, but he started to hum to himself. Shaking his head, Danny left the classroom to continue his day.

Before Potions class, Professor Snape stopped at Danny and Harry's table and told them to stay after class. They stared after him as he swept to the front of the class. Danny whispered to Harry, "What's going on?"

Harry followed Professor Snape with his eyes. "I don't know." Neither a quick glance at Ron and Hermione, nor a peek at Draco and Blaise helped to inform them in any way. With a shrug, they turned their attention to the current assignment.

When class was over, Harry and Danny were joined by Ron, Hermione, and Draco, but when Danny's curious eyes met Severus's gaze, he sighed. "Look, guys, we'll catch up with you later."

Ron started to open his mouth, but Harry held up a hand. "We don't know what's going on. That will be one of the things we'll get back to you about."

Draco shook his head. He decided it wasn't fair: Harry probably would report _everything_ back to the other members of the trio, and Danny was… unpredictable about sharing information. It wasn't fair, but there was nothing he could do about it, either. "Good luck with whatever it is." He sighed and glanced at the other Gryffindors. "Let's go – dinner awaits."

After the other students left, Danny asked, "So… Uncle Severus, what is going on?" The title was still new, and it felt like an illicit liberty taken, but Snape explicitly said it was okay and didn't seem to mind. Under his breath, Danny muttered, "Man, that's cool!"

Severus studied the two dark-haired young gentlemen in front of him. "Your new father requested that we join him for a private dinner."

"Okay." Danny didn't feel he was any closer to an answer than he was before he asked his question.

The three of them arrived at Vlad's apartment. The living room was once more transformed into a dining room. Remus was there, and Vlad was joyful beyond expression. Vlad welcomed them. "Ah, this is a glorious day. Please come to the table."

Danny took a seat at the round table between Vlad and Remus, who sat between the two boys. "Um, Papá, what's so glorious about today?"

Vlad smiled expectantly. "Come now, my boy. What day is it today?"

Danny furrowed his brows. There wasn't anything he could think of that was special today. "It's Friday." True, but he knew that wasn't it. "January 17." Danny shrugged. "I still don't get it."

Vlad looked at his son for a moment. Why didn't he… Well, they were in Britain, and Daniel even lost track of Thanksgiving. While Martin Luther King Day was practically national, it was a bit obscure when it came down to dates, and it didn't have that whole deeply ingrained family tradition. Vlad wasn't completely surprised that Daniel lost track of the day without assistance from the American media.

"Two years ago today, your family came back into my life at my 20th anniversary college reunion." Vlad beamed.

"Oh." Danny quietly turned away.

Severus noticed Vlad's pained expression when he realized that the boy didn't share his own ecstasy. Severus asked, "Daniel, what's wrong?"

Looking up, Danny saw that Vlad was disappointed and the wizards were concerned. "I'd rather not talk about it."

Vlad put an arm around his shoulder. "But… why, Daniel?"

Danny closed his eyes. "You really don't want to know."

Narrowing his eyes, Vlad said, "I'll be the judge of that."

Opening his eyes, Danny stared at his empty plate. "Vlad, it's two years since you trapped me powerless in a box, and you totally tried to humiliate Dad. While it was cool to discover another half-ghost, you told me I had to renounce my father in order to learn from you. It's two years since… let's just say I have different memories of the day than you do. It was the first time you called me 'son,' but it was the _last_ thing I would have wanted at the time."

Taking his arm away, Vlad peaked his eyebrows. "I… hadn't thought of that."

Severus closed his eyes. He realized he had it now. The day that would have been comparable to a day like this for himself and Harry was that first class in Potions, and he had done nothing to endear himself to the boy that day.

Harry was a bit lost. He felt like he was intruding on a very private moment, but Uncle Vlad was the one who pried the unhappy perspective from Danny.

Remus sat thoughtfully for a moment. "Please excuse me for a moment. Vlad, may I borrow one of your other rooms for a moment?"

"Of course," Vlad stated flatly.

"Danny, please come with me." Wordlessly, Danny followed Remus into Vlad's bedroom, and Lupin shut the door.

Vlad frowned. "Now what do I do?"

Severus peaked his eyebrows. "I really don't know."

Harry thought for a moment. While part of Harry and Severus's relationship was similar to that of Danny and Vlad's, the personal histories between each man and teen was very different. Snape was emotionally abusive, no question. But he also saved Harry any number of times. There might be a way to solve the problem of his new uncle and cousin.

"Uncle Vlad? May I make a suggestion?"

Vlad looked at him. "What is it, Harry?"

Harry stared off for a second to collect his thoughts. "You've spent a lot of time with Danny since you got here, but I'm guessing you never really talked about… your unhappier moments, have you?"

"We've mentioned them," Vlad defended.

Harry looked at Severus, and then back at Vlad. "You've mentioned them, probably. But did you really discuss them in depth?" Vlad's expression made it clear that such a thing never occurred.

Running a hand through his hair, Harry blew out a breath. Professor Snape watched Harry curiously. He had an idea where the boy was headed with this.

"Uncle Vlad," Harry began gently. "There was a day in October when Severus called me to his office and asked me to…" How did he describe the tearful rant Snape invited him to give? "To air my grievances." Harry decided he spent _far_ too much time with Severus if _that_ crept into his vocabulary. But he was sure he wouldn't have it any other way.

Vlad stopped frowning. "Oh?"

Harry nodded. "Yeah. I… didn't get it at the time, but now I understand that it was _brilliant_." The Potions Master smiled, and waited to hear why his ward decided he was brilliant. "I got a chance to explain, well, everything that made me angry about him, and _he_ figured out how to heal old wounds. Maybe… Well, now that I know I have a right to tell Severus what's on my mind, and I know he _wants_ me to tell him if we're having a rough spot or something, it's a bit easier." Severus raised his eyebrows.

Vlad moved away from the table, and sat in a chair in the odd temporary arrangement. "Such a thing could work, I suppose." Harry and Snape joined him. "Severus, how did you begin this conversation with Harry?"

With a rueful smile, the professor answered, "I made an oblique reference to the first time I knew I gave offense, and asked Harry for his perspective on the matter. In under an hour, I learned more about Harry than I had in the five years since I've known him. He expressed himself, and I… figured out quickly how to rearrange my prejudices and thought patterns. Between us, we still have a lot of work to do, and most of it is _my_ fault. But hearing him out was both painful and cathartic."

Vlad closed his eyes. "I guess I can do that. Thank you. Both of you." With that, they waited for the other two to return.

* * *

Remus invited Danny to sit on Vlad's bed while he took a seat in the chair near the bed. He put a hand on Danny's shoulder. "Hey. Do you want to talk about it?"

Danny studied the man sitting across from him. "Maybe. What do you know of my relationship with Vlad?"

The man smiled. "Besides the fact that you started calling him 'Papá' since Christmas, when he doesn't hit your hot emotional buttons? Quite a bit. You know I'm in the Order of the Phoenix. I was one of the candidates to adopt you, if the need arose."

Raising his eyebrows, Danny asked, "But Remus, why would you do that? You barely know me."

"Are you asking why I would, or why me?"

"Both, I guess."

It warmed Remus's heart to see Danny calm himself, even if only out of curiosity. "The Order chose me because, among other things, I can appreciate you for who you are. I may not have or be able to offer a large family, but I _can_ help you adjust to the Wizarding World, both as a fully-trained wizard, and as someone who can appreciate the difficulties of being marginalized for being not-quite-human."

Danny frowned in thought. "That seems to be a major emphasis of this safety detail offered by the Order."

Remus responded gently, "It would have to be. The Wizarding World can be a cruel place, where hybrids are involved. While any number of Order members are good, kind people, what people know intellectually is not always internalized. However, Molly Weasley has no problems mothering anyone who seems to need it. They were another option."

"Fair enough, I guess. And thanks. Now I see why the Order would choose you." Danny figured that Remus was cool enough of a guy that he might choose Remus as well, but was happy that wasn't necessary. "But, while I'm thankful that you would do this, I don't know why you would choose _me_. You still don't really know me."

"Well… Since we met on Harry's birthday, I've corresponded with Vlad, roughly once a week." He blushed. "And since you've been back at Hogwarts after Christmas, I intend to keep writing at least once a week to you as well." He corrected that oversight with Harry posthaste, after Christmas. "I see that you are a sweet fellow with a good heart, and… I'm here for you." He closed his eyes. "It took Severus to proverbially knock sense into me to realize that the best way to help is to be as available as possible."

Danny nodded. "Thanks again."

Lupin sat back. "It's my pleasure to be able to help. Now, would you like to talk about what's bothering you?"

"Sure, I guess. Where do I begin?"

"Wherever you like."

Danny thought for a bit. "I don't know. Vlad and I have been getting along _much_ better. If we weren't, I wouldn't have asked him to adopt me. But…" Danny picked at the satin lining of Vlad's comforter. "Before July, he _did_ hurt me very much. It was nothing permanent, but I had a few really close scrapes. It was like a sadistic game of manipulation. As I said, we're doing better, but a lot of what he did just… won't go away."

The werewolf furrowed his brows. "Danny, have you actually spent time discussing this with Vlad?"

"Not exactly. When we aren't discussing any of my studies and stuff, we try to keep things light. We've talked about my problems with other ghosts. We've talked about problems with friends. We've talked a little about how he was sorry about not appreciating me and my family. But sitting and talking thoroughly about all the stuff he's done to me? Nah – we haven't done that since…" He gulped. "October 1."

'And it was October 1 that broke the abuse bank, necessitating adoptive candidates,' Remus thought. Clearing his throat, he said, "Danny… It might be a good idea to find some time and talk about this."

"But…" Danny frowned. He just asked the man to adopt him. This wasn't cool. "I don't want to hurt him."

Remus sighed. A hug might have been good at present, but he wasn't yet close enough for that type of contact. "I understand, Danny. How about this: there is no way your reaction tonight didn't cause _some_ reaction in Vlad. If he asks you to talk about it, be honest. The truth will hurt, but if he asks, give it to him. It will give you both a chance to heal."

Danny looked up and put a hand on his neck. "How do you know about this stuff?"

Lupin peaked his eyebrows. "Vlad is very much like Severus. They started in different places, true. But both of them were hurt by perceived grievances, though Severus's were more valid. And despite their assorted ways and means, both men became the guardians of the sons of the women they loved most and their rivals. Neither Severus nor Vlad's hurt was a valid excuse for them to hurt Harry or you, respectively.

"But after five years and a month and a half, Severus did something he never did before: he asked Harry to tell him what Harry felt because of Severus's abuse. After that, their relationship has flourished at a rate I would say is astronomic. I think if you talk to Vlad about how he made you feel, you might feel better, and I think Vlad will figure out how _not_ to hit the sensitive buttons he caused to exist."

"But…"

Remus held up a hand. "Danny, I believe that Vlad set up tonight's special dinner with only the best intentions. Whatever his intentions may have been during the times that he caused you pain, I can almost guarantee that he didn't intend to cause permanent damage, physical or emotional. Your unhappy reaction tonight surprised him. I think a healthy discussion will clear away surprises."

Danny sighed. "You make a lot of sense, Remus."

Remus smiled. "I do try. Are you ready to go out and enjoy dinner with your Papá?"

A smile blossomed on Danny's face. "I think so."

* * *

Vlad looked up when the door opened, and he smiled warmly when Daniel seemed to be calmer. "Are you alright, Daniel?"

"I'm doing better, Papá."

Vlad's smile broadened. "Excellent." He looked tentatively at Harry, who nodded, and Vlad turned back to Danny. "I believe we need to have a rather serious conversation after dinner."

Danny looked back at Remus, who nodded. Meeting Vlad's eyes, Danny said, "That sounds like a great idea." All five dining companions were greatly relieved.

The confidence Vlad normally exuded crept back into him. "I propose a toast."

Severus said, "Oh?"

"Absolutely." Vlad filled the cups of the adults with champagne. Harry poured the cider, which was Danny's job a couple of months ago. Once all five cups were raised, Vlad announced, "To new beginnings."

Everyone smiled. "To new beginnings!"

After everyone present served themselves, Danny asked, "Harry, are you coming to the Quidditch match on the 25th?"

"Of course I am." Harry smiled at his friend.

Danny thought for a second. "You know, this'll be my first time playing on a school sports team."

Harry's smile turned wry. "I didn't know, but I might have guessed. You aren't built for Muggle sports any more than I am."

Danny snickered. "Yeah. Is there any way I can convince you to root for me?"

Harry blinked. "Of course I'll root for you!"

Severus covered his mouth, hiding his grin for a moment. "You do realize that means you'll be rooting for Slytherin, right?"

Harry froze. That wasn't a thought he expected. He opened his mouth a few times to no good results for a few seconds. " I… didn't think of that."

Danny was crestfallen. "I understand." He didn't, really, but that was the way school rivalries worked.

Harry reached behind Remus and tagged Danny's arm. "I said I would, didn't I?"

Both Severus and Danny stared in amazement. "This will be _so cool!_" The glow from Danny's smile lit the room. Harry smiled at Danny's joy. Severus smirked. This moment was almost too good to be true.

Harry continued to smile – it was great to make Danny so happy. Then he peaked his eyebrows and thought, 'Draco's never going to let me hear the end of this.'

* * *

Saturday morning, Vlad hugged Danny after breakfast before he returned to his room to take off his wizard robes before he teleported to London. He had plenty of time to think about the conversation he had last night with Daniel, which was – admittedly – long overdue. Vlad knew that many of the things he did, involving both Daniel and the Fentons in general, were calculated to hurt, to humiliate, and to force the boy into submission. The point was to show the boy his inadequacy and the need for Vlad's tutelage, but most important was to show how completely dominant he was over the boy. Vlad gritted his teeth as he thought to himself that, while such things felt good at the time, he never thought of the long-term implications such things would have on Daniel.

Once the other three cleared out, Vlad asked Daniel what he remembered of that time in his lab two years ago, and he got an earful. It was the most painful litany he'd ever endured. There were almost endless episodes, but not even Vlad, who considered himself quite brilliant, realized how deeply each incident cut. There was that hunting lodge incident, for example. It's true that Daniel tricked him quite cruelly about becoming 'his new dad.' But if Maddie hadn't been there… Vlad intended to annoy and even terrify the boy. Even though he told the mutant ghost animals to kill him, Vlad was sure Daniel would have escaped and come back, begging for mercy. The near-death experience that happened when the boy tripped… If it weren't for Maddie's expert wielding of any number of anti-ghost weapons, Daniel would indeed be dead. That… possibility hadn't occurred to him.

The million-dollar bounty was meant as a distraction, so Vlad could steal the Fenton's Portal (which, ironically, he now held in trust for Daniel as his guardian). Further, it was meant to get Jack out of the way. The entirety of the harassment the Guys in White would perpetrate against the boy was _not_ the intended goal. Though Vlad _did_ work to end the problem with the Idiots in White in November, the fact still remained that the boy would never have rated national negative media coverage if it weren't for Vlad. Strawberry shortcake, but that couple of days of distraction turned into months of the boy having to dodge federal agents, when they knew he was around.

The stealing of the Ecto-skeleton could have been one of the least damaging of plots to Daniel personally (that the boy mentioned). Now, it was not Vlad's intention to kidnap Daniel. That was Skulker's inspiration – the hunter took the opportunity as it came. But even though Vlad formally apologized for the incident he set up between brother and sister in October, it was still amongst the more cruel tricks he played against the boy. And he _did_ command Jasmine to kill her brother. Vlad shuddered as he thought of what _might_ have happened, had she succeeded. How was that supposed to have been a good idea at the time? For the life of him, he couldn't remember.

Daniel forgave Vlad for giving his friends the Ecto-acne, in October. Vlad was rather glad the boy didn't bring it up again. But the incident that hurt the boy the most was that initial meeting. Unbeknownst to Vlad, Jack's exuberant joy in meeting his old college buddy rubbed off dramatically, and even though the child was offended at Vlad's amorous pass at Maddie, Daniel was willing to forgive it. The boy thought the castle, done in Packers colors and paraphernalia, was 'cool', and he wanted to get to know Vlad better. It was Vlad's own betrayal of the boy that set Daniel so firmly against him. If he only asked the boy to wait in the lab and talk to him without trying to force his hand (and turn against his father), they might have gotten along from the start.

And those were only the major incidents Daniel discussed.

Vlad cursed himself as an idiot. Jack might have been a bumbling fool, but he was consistent in his message to Daniel. Jack loved the boy (as he did his entire family) with his whole heart and soul, and there was no question the boy knew that, no matter how many times Jack threatened to destroy the Ghost Boy 'molecule by molecule.' How could Vlad ever hope to measure up to that?

Vlad shook his head as he ended his reverie and reflection. The only thing left to do as far as the boy was concerned was the right thing. And that would continue once he teleported to London.

Once in London, he bought a copy of the _Wall Street Journal_, tucked it under an arm, and went to his favorite Internet café. He liked it because it was in a run-down part of town, across the street from an abandoned department store. He might get noticed as someone who didn't seem to fit the neighborhood, but he was more or less sure that he wouldn't get mobbed by people who knew him by sight.

After looking at the football stats and local news of Madison, Wisconsin and Amity Park, he checked his email. There were a few documents he needed to print out, sign, and scan back. Alicia sent him a missive asking about Daniel. (Where did the hayseed _have_ an Internet connection? She didn't have indoor plumbing, but she had an email address. How could Maddie be so brilliant and her sister have such twisted priorities?)

Ah. _That_ was the one he was looking for. Lewis Greer, Esq., the lawyer Vlad used for years, sent that if Vlad needed a weekend appointment, next Saturday at 3:00pm CST would work. Greer would take care of the paperwork, but a representative from Wisconsin Child Welfare Services would be with him. Lewis could initiate the local police checks, and provide certificates proving _all_ of Vlad's homeowner's insurance policies on each home Vlad owned (that were known about and legally admitted to) in the States, as well as proof of Vlad's vehicle liability insurance. He would also provide WCWS with Vlad's employment references and history.

Lewis requested permission to speak with Vlad's various housekeepers for certificates of full-house inspection on any and all castles and other residences, looking for water testing, fire safety, and good repair, as well as for general permission for the WCWS representative to inspect the home him or herself. Vlad sighed contentedly – all of his homes had strict inspections, much like the buildings all of his companies were in… with the exception of the hunting chalet and other secret residences and locations. The lack of phone service or two-way radio in the Colorado hunting lodge constituted a safety hazard, but besides the ghosts who serviced it in his absence, no one really knew of its location, anyway.

Greer told him they could forego the references from three non-relatives, as this adoption was not starting from scratch, but changing the status of a guardianship, but such references would not go amiss.

The lawyer was almost apologetic as he requested permission from the billionaire to do a credit check, but such things were required by the state of Wisconsin.

Hmm… Everything seemed to be in order. At the appointment next week, they would take care of fingerprinting, he would sign releases for medical records, and the interview would take place.

It was easy enough to look up what types of questions would be likely to be asked. Vlad _would_ be ready. The adoption would be finalized and successful.

After printing out the documents that needed to be signed and scanned (he would accomplish that later in a place like Kinko's) and a list of questions he should think about over the course of the week, he stretched, ordered another cup of coffee (old habits died hard), and left to check his mail in the post office. His quick trip was interrupted by a polite cough, and Vlad noticed a very well dressed blonde woman coming from the direction of the out-of-business Purge and Dowse, Ltd. storefront. She asked, "Pardon me, but… do I know you?"

* * *

The Parkinsons were devastated by Pansy's arrest and incarceration. Gladys Parkinson was particularly upset – the teen was their only child. She had an emotional breakdown, and her husband Walter stayed at her side in St. Mungo's.

Narcissa Malfoy was particularly discomforted. Not only was her husband in Azkaban, her son's intended bride joined him there. Considering that she was the only respectable member of her family who wasn't a Death Eater, it was up to her to speak with the Parkinsons to break off the betrothal. Even though Pansy was no longer available, there was still something to be gained by her connection with the Parkinsons, though that benefit was growing tenuous. Before Pansy's descent into attempted murder, the Parkinsons were respectable purebloods with whom she associated freely. Together, they could commiserate about their imprisoned loved ones, and Narcissa could take a break from the Dark Lord and her insane sister Bellatrix.

Narcissa left St. Mungo's, and while Muggles were normally beneath her notice, the gentleman leaving the Muggle shop across the way caught her eye. He was particularly well dressed, he wore his long, white hair back in a pony-tail, his beard was short and neatly trimmed, and his eyes were a sparkling clear blue. His aristocratic gait kept her attention.

She tossed her head. Any number of middle-aged Muggles could be all over London. But because of the abandoned look of the entrance to St. Mungo's, the class of Muggles that normally visited this neighborhood was not… normally as sharp as a wizard might be.

What would a wealthy Muggle be doing in this part of town… unless he was, perhaps, a wizard traveling _incognito_. She coughed to get the man's attention. When he looked up at her, she asked, "Pardon me, but… do I know you?"

Vlad raised an eyebrow. "You might. I'm not exactly completely unknown. But you also look vaguely familiar."

She cleared her throat. If the man was a wizard, he very well _should_ know of her – the Blacks and the Malfoys spread enough money around to be household names. And Lucius, of course… But if the man was a Muggle, he would have no business knowing who she was. Unless the Muggle was related to a Mudblood…

"I'm not sure." There were many things she was unsure of, and how to continue this conversation was one of them.

Vlad furrowed his brows. He was _sure_ there was something familiar about this woman, though he couldn't put his finger on it. "Forgive me, Madam, but while meeting you was a pleasure, I must be off. Perhaps I'll see you again sometime?" He had no intention of meeting her, but there was no call to be rude.

She studied him for a moment. "Perhaps."

Vlad tipped his head in her direction. "Then good day to you, Madam." He continued on his way to the post office.

Narcissa stared after him. "Indeed," she murmured.

16


	46. Chapter 46

Thank you one and all for making me feel so loved! I appreciate that you took the time to read, review, and put this story (and me) on your favorite and update lists. I'm offering cookies and chocolate milk, this time.

Disclaimer: I do not own _Danny Phantom_, _Harry Potter_, or _The Shining_. I also don't own _Quidditch Through the Ages_.

Chapter 46

At 8:00 that night, Vlad said, "Very good, little badger. You've done well. We're done with lessons for today."

Both Danny and Vlad turned human, and Vlad conjured a fireplace, a couch, an end table, and a tea set.

Danny understood that Vlad wanted to talk about something emotional. After last night, Danny wasn't surprised. "What's going on, Papá?"

Pouring himself a cup, Vlad thought for a second. "Since you asked me to adopt you, I've set the wheels in motion to make it official."

Danny nodded, took a cup himself, and said, "Okay."

"And my lawyer is arranging many things for us, so we don't have to worry about technicalities. Still… we have to meet with a representative or two from Wisconsin Child Welfare Services. They need to decide that I'll be a fitting parent and that you will be happy with me."

Danny stared. "That would mean we have to go back to America."

Vlad smiled. "Very good, Daniel. We have an appointment next week. You and I will bring your favorite uncle to my… our home in Wisconsin."

A shiver shot through Danny. Vlad was serious about sharing everything, or so it seemed. It didn't seem real – a lot of Vlad's stuff would also be Danny's stuff. Kind of. "When, next week?"

"Our appointment is next Saturday."

Danny jerked his head. "But… Papá, next Saturday is the Quidditch match."

"And?"

"But I'm supposed to play in it!"

Vlad snaked an arm around Danny's shoulders. "Daniel, the appointment is for after the game."

Danny shook his head. "But if it's after the game, that won't give me a chance to go to the… well, I hope it'll be the victory party afterwards."

Drumming his fingers of his free hand on the armrest, Vlad said, "That won't be a problem. How long is a game?"

Danny shrugged. "I don't know. It changes per game." Draco told him that a game could go on for hours, if not days.

Vlad took his hand that drummed his fingers and ran it down his face. The boy would use logic if it killed him. "Daniel, when does the game end?"

"Well… when the Seeker catches the Snitch."

Raising an eyebrow wryly, Vlad said, "And you will be the Seeker tomorrow. And unlike other Seekers in this game, you'll see the Snitch the entire game. Catch it quickly, and you'll have plenty of time for a victory party, as I don't envision you'd take your eye off the ball to let Miss Chang get it, hmm? And we'll still have plenty of opportunity to get to our appointment on time."

Danny thought for a second. "But you said it was after the game."

Vlad sighed. "Yes, dear boy, but later in the day. The appointment is for 3pm, Central Time. It will be 10pm here. I'm sure the game will end in enough time such that you can party to your heart's content, and we'll have more than enough time to accomplish whatever needs doing."

Danny felt stupid. "Right."

"Come now, my boy. Even I can tell you're nervous. You're being ridiculous. On your worst day, you can fly better and faster than they can. The item you seek isn't even a matter of finding, as you'll have it in sight the whole time. To be perfectly honest, I don't think I could have stacked the deck more unfairly to benefit Slytherin than you just showing up if I tried."

Danny scowled. "I won't cheat!"

Vlad grinned. "Of course you won't. However, your very existence is a supreme unfair advantage. Not unlike… if Brett Favre played touch football with ten year olds. The man wouldn't cheat, but he'd have quite a few obvious advantages. The only difference is that _your_ advantages are only obvious to those in the know."

Danny frowned. "But…"

"Would it make you feel better if I promised not to place bets on which side will win?"

Danny wanted to object, but he couldn't come up with anything. "I guess."

Vlad laughed, and poured himself another cup. He promised not to place a bet on which side would win. He never said anything about placing bets on how quickly he figured Slytherin would win. Giving the rest of the team a chance to score, he figured under half and hour would be more than sufficient…

* * *

One week later was game day, January 25. Draco woke Danny, who groaned. "Danny, how are you this morning?"

"Awake. Well, now anyway."

Draco snickered. "That's good and rather important. You need to get upstairs in time for breakfast. Both Urquhart and Professor Snape get rather cross with team members if they don't eat heartily before a game."

Sitting up, Danny stretched. "I guess… that might explain how come the House team ate like there was no tomorrow last time. I only got breakfast 'cause you served me some."

Draco blushed as he grinned. "Yeah, well… Are you nervous?"

Running a hand through his hair, Danny said, "About what? Our team is enough to make anyone nervous, but knowing they're _my_ team helps to calm a qualm or two. As for the actual game play… no, not really."

Draco blinked. "Really? Before my first game, I was terrified. Not that anyone who wasn't a Slytherin knew about it. Marcus Flint – a prefect and team captain at the time – told me the night before that if I didn't eat properly on game day, he'd force-feed me. So with proper Slytherin aplomb, I ignored my nerves and took breakfast like any other day."

"Whoa! That's… kinda serious."

Draco shrugged. "Well, yeah. Slytherin has a reputation to uphold. We are proud, and united – mostly. And if anyone else is nervous and sees us completely unruffled, that gives us a sweet advantage. It's a strategy with attitudes. Psychological warfare is almost as important as the game itself."

Danny covered his face. "Oy." It was too early in the morning to think of using Vlad-like tactics, and this was only for a game. It wasn't Draco's fault that such things were practically his House's defining features, but Danny didn't have to like it.

Draco threw a pillow at him. "Get in the shower. We'll talk afterwards."

Danny caught it and glared at him. "Fine."

As the dark-haired Slytherin made his way to the wardrobe and then the shower, Draco stared after him – those were excellent reflexes. Most people would have missed the pillow until it hit their heads, but not Danny. Interesting.

On their way up to breakfast, Danny asked, "Draco, where do I get my uniform?"

"It will be there for you in the locker room. You know where my broom is?"

Danny strove not to roll his eyes. "Yes. You told me three times this week. This will be fine."

"I'm just checking."

Danny almost giggled. "You're too funny. I'm not nervous, so you're practically being nervous for me."

"Well, any Quidditch match is a dangerous obstacle course. And while I'm glad for your confidence, you just… you haven't practiced, and between all the things coming at you, I hope you don't mind if I'm a little concerned on behalf of my friend."

Danny smiled. The obstacle course he went through three days ago was by far more complicated than all 13 other players and the four balls would be. The things coming at him moved much faster than the Bludgers and Snitch were spelled to move. But Draco had no need to know this. "Thanks, Draco. I'll be _fine_."

At breakfast, Danny took pancakes and two sausages, but Draco served him a large scoop of scrambled eggs and poured him orange juice. "Draco, do you mind?"

Draco shrugged blithely. "Not at all. And don't forget a glass of milk."

Danny started to eat but raised an eyebrow. "Not even my mother was that picky about what I ate."

"And I'm betting your mother wasn't the Head of House of a boarding school and making sure the participants in a contact sport didn't pass out from nerves or lack of nutrition. My mother isn't so fussy, either. But Professor Snape makes sure prefects remind the team to eat right. Most of the team doesn't need to be reminded though. Let's just say it's one more reason we've always appreciated Professor Snape."

Danny worked on the hearty breakfast Draco foisted on him, and he thought about that. It sounded like the blond spouted a mantra that had been repeated endlessly. If Uncle Severus was so concerned about the students… that was actually kind of nice.

While teenagers as a rule rebelled against parents, everyone _here_ was away from home with the brief exceptions of Christmas and Easter vacation. And while that almost guaranteed a little more freedom (if your parent or guardian wasn't part of the faculty), it was good to know that someone _was_ looking out for them. As Danny poured himself the recommended glass of milk (it was a square meal – the protein, the milk, the starch, and the juice, and the professor insisted on it? Sweet!), he noticed that the Ravenclaw team didn't seem to care. Cho pecked at a pancake as she talked to her tablemate.

Danny wasn't about to say anything against Professor Flitwick, but it was _really_ nice to know how much Professor Snape cared.

Urquhart clapped his hands. "Men! On your feet. We've got a new Seeker to clothe and to discuss last minute strategy." He waited two beats as the players came away from the table. "Let's move!"

Draco tagged Danny's arm and they exchanged a grin.

* * *

In the stands, Draco joined Harper as they waited for the stadium to fill. "Malfoy, I remember Fenton's record-breaking catch of the Snitch at try-outs. But I haven't seen him practice since then. Was it a fluke? Or is he any good?"

Draco pulled his cloak tighter around him. "I sat with him last game. He seemed to see the Snitch at least two minutes before the thing was even visible. I wish I knew more about his flying style, but with an eagle eye like his, I'm sure it won't be a problem."

Draco looked up to see four new arrivals, three wearing Slytherin scarves, and one wearing Ravenclaw colors. What surprised him was all four were Gryffindors. "Really… The Golden Trio is decked out in Slytherin colors? How… deliciously ironic."

Harry rolled his eyes, but Ron was annoyed at the 'Golden Trio' comment. "Malfoy, do you have a problem?" Ron hissed.

Draco laughed. "Not at all. It was just the last thing I expected (but rather hoped) to see – your sister is more or less what I expected. However, since Danny went to your victory party, I was curious to know if you'd really do it." He laughed again. "I think I've earned quite a bit of money. I suppose I should thank you." Harper grinned – he was in on Malfoy's bet.

Harry huffed. "We didn't do it for _you_, Draco. I figure I owe it to my new cousin." Ron and Hermione smirked.

Draco narrowed his eyes. "I beg your pardon. Did you just call Danny your cousin?"

Harry grinned. "Yeah. It's… a little complicated. But Danny's like a long-lost cousin."

Draco blinked. "How is that possible?"

Shrugging, Harry said, "I'm not sure how it started, but there you go."

Before Draco had a chance to inquire further, Harper drawled, "Well, look at that. Loony Lovegood's not wearing her eagle hat. She's dressed as neutral as Fenton was last game. But she always wears that hat when her House plays. What's she playin' at?"

Luna wore a black and gray scarf, gazing dreamily at the Quidditch pitch. Hermione saw her. "I wonder whether that's Danny's scarf." She mused.

Draco figured this was decidedly unfair. Harry was closer to Danny such that he actually referred to him as family. Granger seemed to have the pulse of Draco's best friend's love life, and the Weasley cretin was lapping it up. Draco comforted himself by knowing that he earned a significant sum in the Slytherin betting pool, because Danny got Harry to wear Slytherin colors. Danny knew nothing of the betting pool, but Draco sat straighter as he thought of a gift to get his American friend for winning him a tidy sum. And the match had yet to begin.

* * *

In the locker room, Danny steadied himself, chanting, "These guys are bigger than Dash, but they _need_ me. These guys are bigger than Dash, but they _need_ me." When he finished dressing (How _did_ they get his measurements? He was smaller than Draco, so the clothes weren't Draco's. Did Madam Malkin deliver this uniform?), he closed his eyes, took a breath, and faced what still felt like the bully bullpen.

Urquhart eyed him and nodded approvingly. "Right. Glad to have you with us, Fenton. You are the ace in the hole, as you are unknown to all but us, and your uncle. You remember _your_ instructions?"

Draco told Danny that style largely equaled substance, and the image of calm was more important than _being_ calm. Ignoring his fear, Danny rolled his eyes and said, "Stay out of the way, distract Cho until we're at least six goals up, but if we're having a scoring rally, hold out for at least ten goals up before catching the Snitch."

A cruel smile spread on Urquhart's face. "Letter perfect. Do your job. We'll do ours, and we will _crush_ the Ravenclaws."

Danny sincerely hoped that the expression was figurative and not literal. With this crew, he honestly couldn't tell.

Goyle smacked Danny in the back. "You'll do fine, Fenton. Do like you did at try-outs. You _are_ better than Potter, you know."

Danny gave a half-smile. "That's what they tell me."

Urquhart looked the team over one more time, and then commanded, "Alright, team. Move out!"

Danny could remember only one other time when he entered a school stadium via the locker room entrance: when he replaced Tucker as the Casper High Ravens mascot. Nobody cared about the mascot – he got trampled into the mud and lost a tooth or two. (Thank goodness for the swift ghost healing! Chipped and otherwise broken teeth had a way of growing back. That just didn't happen for humans…) But here, Danny was a valued team member, flanked by Crabbe and Goyle. It was… a seriously cool feeling.

Once on the pitch, Danny looked up. Solidly half of the audience wore green and silver. That… was unexpected, based on the way Danny understood House relations. The other half wore blue and bronze. He looked until he found Vlad's red cloak – Vlad's penchant for the flamboyant (perhaps it was just the face Vlad showed the Wizarding World?) was supremely helpful when it came to sighting him in a crowd. Vlad smiled proudly, and Danny felt a warm glow inside.

The Ravenclaw team came from a different direction and were also cheered on. Danny nodded in respect to the other team, and he realized that, with the exception of one of the Beaters, _none_ of the Ravenclaw players were built like linebackers. Dude, he _really_ hoped that 'crushing' comment of Urquhart… never mind. Danny felt vaguely ill.

Cormac McLaggen took the magical megaphone from Professor McGonagall. "Welcome to another thrilling game of Quidditch! Today we have Slytherin versus Ravenclaw! So far, each team has played one game; the Ravenclaws won theirs, and the Slytherins lost theirs. As such, the Slytherins are the challengers."

Danny was amazed at how even-handed Cormac was – as far as _he_ could tell, that particular Gryffindor was anti-Slytherin on principle. Adrian tapped Danny's shoulder, and Danny looked up. "Now, the commentator will introduce us. When your name is called, just take off and do a lap around the pitch."

Danny nodded. "Gotcha."

Cormac continued. "And here's the Slytherin line-up. The Keeper – Miles Bletchley!" Miles took off to both cheers and boos. Well, now Danny knew what to expect, more or less. "The Beaters – Gregory Goyle and Vincent Crabbe! The Chasers – Adrian Pucey, James Vaisey, and Charles Urquhart. Bet it boils your blood to remember that you share your name with the brother of King Weasley, eh, Urquhart?"

Danny winced as Urquhart growled. He gave McLaggen the benefit of the doubt too quickly.

"And… this game, we're introducing the Slytherins' Reserve Seeker, Danny Fenton!" Danny took off and was amazed at the tumultuous applause he received. On his lap around the pitch, he found Harry, Ron, and Hermione sitting with a rather smug Draco. Ginny was with them. Danny waved at the bunch. Luna wore his House-neutral scarf. (She asked him if she could wear it at the game earlier in the week.) Danny smiled broadly at her.

Danny was so caught up in locating friends around the stadium that he realized he'd tuned out most of the Ravenclaw roster. "…Lucas Bradley, and Frank Chambers, and the Ravenclaw Seeker, the ever-charming Cho Chang!" Cormac, apparently, liked alliteration. "We've seen Cho's experience and successes, while the Fenton pipsqueak is still untried."

Danny rolled his eyes, but he caught Professor McGonagall reaching for the megaphone. McLaggen dodged her attempts, but hung his head quasi-contritely.

Cho told Danny, "At least Lee Jordan was entertaining. But I'd gladly get rid of this stupid donkey." The half-ghost couldn't help but smile. He knew McLaggen was even-handed with his commentary last game, so it was clear Cho's ire was on his behalf; he noticed no one tried to soothe Urquhart.

Cho said, "Get ready." Danny nodded curtly.

Cormac announced, "The captains shake hands, as Madam Hooch reminds the teams to keep it clean." Madam Hooch rolled her eyes as she did just that. "Ravenclaw will have no problem. With Slytherin, you never know.

"There's the Snitch – take a good look, 'cause it'll be a while until you see it so clearly again. There it goes. And the Quaffle's been tossed… and caught by Adrian Pucey. Pucey dodged the Bludger headed his way, ducked Bradley, shot, and… ten points to Slytherin!"

Danny smiled. Since the Snitch was released, he kept an eye on it as he hovered more or less over the center of the pitch as he watched Cho Chang circle, searching for the elusive golden ball. He winced when he saw Adrian dodge the Bludger, but Adrian didn't duck away from Lucas as much as Lucas shied away to keep from getting plowed into. The scoring resembled more of an aerial touchdown than a basket or goal, based on Adrian's movements relative to the other players.

Being on top of the game helped to give a different perspective, after all.

"Bradley takes the Quaffle, and is – ow! That had to hurt! Goyle blasted him in the back with a Bludger, and Bradley's down for the count. Urquhart takes up the Quaffle, and though he's a hulk, he's a whiz at dodging those Bludgers. And Slytherin scored again, making it 20 to zero.

"Chambers has the Quaffle, and he's zipping down the pitch. He's leaner than the players he's dodging. Vaisey's cobbed * Chambers, making him drop the ball. Madam Hooch has called a foul, and Chambers gets a free throw. And it's good! The game is now 20-10, Slytherin."

Danny kept track of the Snitch and Cho's determination to find it; he carefully gave no hint that it was painfully obvious to him where it was. It hovered over the middle Ravenclaw hoop, and Danny decided it had to be moving too fast to be seen by the human eye – otherwise, _someone_ might have noticed.

He was startled when Cormac said, "Fenton seems to be lost as the lovely Miss Chang circles overhead, looking for the Snitch. The poor waif doesn't seem to know what to do or where to go, just hanging in the air. Idiot."

Danny rolled his eyes, and did a lazy lap around the pitch. He met Vlad's eyes, whose meaningful look and nod made Danny think for a minute. If he were Vlad, what would that nod mean?

Danny snapped his head as it hit him. Let anyone who _wanted _think he was an idiot – they would underestimate Danny, and he could make that work for him. On his way back, he nodded firmly back at Vlad – the message was received. As Danny flew a lazy eight around both sets of goal posts (and Cho _still_ didn't see it, as it zipped over the center of the pitch. Amazing!), Danny peaked his eyebrows and worried about whether or not it was a good thing that he could anticipate Vlad's machinations.

"Vaisey's got his hands on the Quaffle, and he's headed back to… he's been hit by a Bludger in his upper arm, but he doesn't seem to mind. Huh. All brawn and no brains makes Vaisey a dull boy. But he's fine, and he – I don't believe it. He threw the Quaffle with his bad arm, and he scores! The game is now 30-10, Slytherin."

Cormac almost made a comment about Slytherins eating mean for breakfast, but carrying on after an injured arm was no dumber than his eating doxy eggs on a dare. He shook his head. "Anyway, Chambers has the Quaffle, and he seems to be doing just fine. He dodged both Bludgers – Crabbe and Goyle are asleep today – and Chambers scores! The game is now 30-20, Slytherin. It's much closer than Slytherin's last game."

Darn it! The score was far too close! Further, Cho came within ten feet of the Snitch. Danny decided a distraction was in order.

"Hey – look at Fenton go! Like a shot, he's rocketed up 50 feet. I don't see anything, but… and Cho's right on his heels. Huh! Whatever it was Fenton saw, or _thought_ he saw, must have gone back into hiding. The finger snap was classic, Fenton. Don't pout. Aww, Cho shrugged – whatever. If she saw it, too… well, the moment is gone."

McLaggen's commentary grated on Danny's nerves, but his little act was successful. The Snitch floated near the Slytherin goal 60 feet below him, and now Cho wasn't even looking at the right height.

Crabbe beaned the Ravenclaw Keeper with a Bludger, and Danny winced – that not only had to hurt, she looked unconscious. He saw Madam Hooch catch the Keeper and lower her gently to the ground, where concerned prefects from Gryffindor and Hufflepuff's Fifth and Seventh Years levitated the stretcher, as they brought the unfortunate Keeper to the infirmary.

With the Ravenclaw Keeper out of action, Slytherin scored the next three goals easily. The score was 60-20 Slytherin, and Urquhart shook his head violently. Danny raised his eyebrows and soared to shouting distance. The captain reminded, "Don't get distracted. You're job's not at 60 points, but 60 points _ahead_!"

Danny mumbled, "Gotcha," as Urquhart flew off.

The Chaser whose name Danny failed to hear managed to score another goal for Ravenclaw. Miles looked particularly angry after that – that idiot Ravenclaw was no Katie Bell, or Weasley for that matter, and there would _be_ no more Ravenclaw goals, if there were no more foul shots.

Between Adrian, Vaisey, and Urquhart, they each took two more turns to score, and Urquhart nodded at Danny. The score was 120-30, but… Danny shook his head, indicating that they should get one more goal.

Urquhart shrugged, intercepted the Quaffle, dodged both Bludgers – oh, the Ravenclaw Beaters were angry! – and scored.

The words hadn't left Cormac's mouth, and Danny plucked the Snitch out of the air.

"I don't believe it! Fenton caught the Snitch, ending the game at 280-30, Slytherin wins! But I never saw a hint of glitter until he just… Danny didn't dive… It was…" Cormac refused to say it was almost like he knew where it was. "Official Snitches are spelled to resist _Accio_, so Fenton couldn't have cheated. He's a nasty, good-for-nothing Slytherin, but there is no possible way to tamper with the Snitch. Especially when the puny wretch admitted he was miserable with Charms." Professor McGonagall glared at him stonily.

Oops… did he say those last thoughts out loud?

Professor McGonagall snatched the megaphone away from him. "Mr. McLaggen, you and I will be having words. True, Mr. Jordan managed to get away with a few anti-Slytherin remarks. More than a few, actually. But once the game was over, there was _no_ call for your vitriol. Your poor sportsmanship is proof that you are _not_ to be trusted as a Quidditch commentator."

This was ridiculous! Cormac McLaggen fumed. He couldn't be Keeper. He couldn't be announcer. "And who did you plan on getting to do it for next game? Loony Lovegood?"

"That's five points from Gryffindor for your cheek to me and uncalled for rudeness about Miss Lovegood."

Cormac growled, but would not disrespect his Head of House further. Professor McGonagall looked across to where Miss Lovegood sat, speculatively. She did sign up, after all.

* * *

"That's amazing…" Harry murmured. He already experienced Danny's fantastic ghost hearing when Danny caught the Gryffindor outside the Room of Requirement in November. Harry breathed as quietly as possible, but Danny still heard him. Now he knew how good Danny's sight was, and was honestly relieved he didn't have to compete against his new cousin.

Ron hooted, and Draco preened. Harper looked at Draco and said, "I saw Fenton at try-outs, but… while McLaggen has officially earned himself a Stinging Hex or two in the hall for those comments, I _did_ wonder."

Ginny rolled her eyes. Harper _was_ an idiot, but she supposed he might have had a point. She didn't care for the gleam in Draco's eyes, however.

Turning towards all four Gryffindors, Draco smirked. "Indeed. But no – Danny is just that good. While this only leads me to speculate about next year's Quidditch, that can be dealt with later." He watched Urquhart pick Danny up and put him on his shoulders as easily as Danny caught the Snitch. For someone that ecstatic, it had to be a completely new position for Danny.

"You know…" Draco said almost thoughtfully, "Danny was the first Slytherin to attend the Gryffindor victory party in ages. I'd like to return the favor." Harper raised an eyebrow – apparently, Ginny decided, he wasn't part of this decision-making process. "I would cordially like to invite the four of you to the Slytherin victory party."

Harry, Ron, Hermione, and Ginny shared a glance. Harry gulped. "Draco, the Slytherins _hate_ me. They always have. I'm not sure this is a good idea."

Draco put a hand on the back of his neck, and said, "Yeah, about that…" Harry grinned and stifled a snicker as he noticed Draco adopting Danny's nervous tic. "After Danny was kidnapped, Tracey gave us her reasoning for her participation in the prank."

Harper elbowed him. "Malfoy! What goes on in a House meeting _stays_ at a House meeting! You should know better – you're a prefect."

Hermione opened her eyes wide. This was the first she ever heard of such a thing. "What is a House meeting?"

Draco fought the desire to inflict bodily harm on Harper and answered the question. "From time to time, Professor Snape will call all members of Slytherin together to discuss or process whatever is necessary at the time. Considering that a Head of House acts _in loco parentis_, such a thing shouldn't be unheard of."

Hermione knitted her brows. This was the first _she_ ever heard of such a thing, but it made a good deal of sense. She made a mental note to ask Professor McGonagall about House meetings and whether it would be wise to institute something like that for Gryffindor. Slytherin seemed to get some benefit from these things.

Ron simply stared, as he wasn't sure what to make of the concept yet.

Clearing his throat, Draco continued, "While you are correct in general, Harper, this relates directly to Harry, and there's no harm in disclosing this bit. Professor Snape won't mind, and if Miss Davis is disturbed by it, she deserves it."

Harper narrowed his eyes and crossed his arms, glaring at the Gryffindors for being the cause for Draco to break the Slytherin silence.

"As I was saying, Tracey pointed out that, er, general Slytherin hostility against you in particular, Harry, makes no sense. I mean, really… Is that rudeness on the Hogwarts Express all those years ago worth the agitation and ridiculous enmity? Even Professor Snape agrees that such a thing is… completely unnecessary."

Ginny studied the blond, as this revelation seemed to be too good to be true. Ron narrowed his eyes, and Hermione looked thoughtful. Harry thought for a moment and said, "I don't know, Draco…"

"Oh, come now, Harry," Draco drawled. "It would give Danny great pleasure to see his… new cousin come to his victory party."

Ginny spat, "And what would you get out of this, Malfoy?"

Putting a hand on his chest dramatically, Draco said, "What do _I_ get out of this? Besides being content to see my best friend overjoyed to see his closest friends sharing his moment of triumph, I get the infinite pleasure of watching you squirm while being there."

Harry stared for a second and then laughed heartily. Ron muttered, "This time, we get to see the Slytherin Common Room legitimately." Draco and Ginny looked at Ron curiously, while Harry rolled his eyes and Hermione jabbed Ron in the ribs with her elbow.

Ron yelped, and Harry smiled. "Sure, Draco. We'll come. We'll meet you in the dungeon outside your Common Room. You'll take us in, won't you?"

"Of course." Draco wasn't sure how Harry knew where the Slytherin Common Room was located, but that wasn't important at present.

* * *

Danny was thankful that the team gave him privacy as he showered after the game, but once he was dressed and back in his wizard robes, Goyle carried him into the castle and dungeon on his shoulders. (Danny might have felt self-conscious about this, but Goyle was huge, Danny was small, and no one else seemed to mind.)

Professor Snape was there to congratulate the team, and even Tracey came over to give her well wishes. In all honesty, there was no real difference between the Slytherin party and the Gryffindor party besides the individual students, the Head of House present for longer, and the décor. There were students Danny never met but saw briefly in the two House meetings he attended, who patted him on the back. Now he had a clue about how Harry felt at the party in November.

* * *

Harry, Ginny, Hermione, and Ron left Gryffindor Tower after dropping off their cloaks and scarves. Hermione murmured, "It feels a little different to enter invited, don't you think?"

Harry said, "I guess."

Ginny frowned. "What are you talking about?"

Harry paused, and furrowed his brows. "Ah, Ginny. It…"

"You don't want to know," Ron interrupted.

Narrowing her eyes, Ginny spat, "Of _course_ I do."

The three Sixth Years shared a glance, as they were unsure of how to proceed. Harry decided that since _he_ saved Ginny, it was his story to tell. He took a deep breath. "Ginny… It happened during your first year." Ginny gasped loudly.

"Told ya you don't want to know," Ron teased. Before Ginny could respond, Hermione smacked him in the back of the head. "Hey!"

Harry ignored the antics and looked back at Ginny, who asked, "Okay. What happened?"

Nodding to himself, Harry continued. "Well, after the message 'Enemies of the Heir, beware,' and I spoke Parseltongue, everyone thought _I_ was the Heir."

"Oh, Harry!" Ginny exclaimed. She remembered Harry was unhappy about that. Then she realized that Harry was probably as uncomfortable telling the story as she was listening to it. While she recognized that Ron was right about her not enjoying the story, she _did_ want to know what happened.

Harry continued. "Yeah, well… Draco looked a little too smug. Mrs. Norris, Colin, and Justin were petrified, and we needed to do something. We realized that this 'heir' had a thing against Muggle-borns, and Draco…" Harry gulped. "Called Hermione a… Mudblood."

Ginny rolled her eyes. "It figures."

"It did," Harry insisted. "Draco crowed that it was the Heir of Slytherin, and he seemed so pleased. So Hermione brewed Polyjuice Potion."

Ginny waved both arms. "Wait a minute. Doesn't that take… what – a month to make?"

Hermione nodded, but Ron goggled at his sister. "How do you know?"

Ginny cocked her head to see if she could find the holes in her brother's head. "You talked about it when you were brewing it for your Potions midterm. And where did you get the ingredients? Boomslang skin and bicorn horn…"

Hermione shook her head. "Ginny, you're missing the point. What happened is, Ron and Harry took the potion and became Crabbe and Goyle, and found Draco, who took them to the Slytherin Common Room. That's how they know where the door is supposed to be."

Ginny stopped walking, needing a moment to absorb all of this. "Ron and Harry were already _in_ the Slytherin Common Room?"

Hermione gave her a sidelong glance. "Yes."

Ginny shook her head. This was too weird for words, so she decided to focus on something that nominally was less complicated. "Where did you… make the potion?"

Harry sighed. "In Myrtle's bathroom."

Since they were stopped on the second floor, Ginny walked away from the stairs and leaned against the wall, gazing in the direction of said bathroom. "I know I was rather distracted that year, but even I know that the less time people spend bothering Moaning Myrtle, the better. She…ah, got upset when I threw away… Tom Riddle's diary. At the time, I was too upset to care, but…"

Ron realized that neither Myrtle nor Danny would appreciate that sentiment. "It's not a matter of bothering Myrtle. We didn't bother her, and she didn't bother us. And I don't know if you noticed, but Myrtle doesn't moan anymore, now that she has a mentor. And she doesn't like to be called _Moaning_ Myrtle." Ginny stared at her brother, and Harry and Hermione were impressed.

Hermione breathed, "Oh, Ron!" and kissed him on the cheek. He smiled giddily.

Harry looked at his watch. "We need to get moving."

Ginny blew out a breath in frustration. "Fine." As they walked, Ginny asked, "How come you didn't go with them, Hermione?"

Hermione sobered. "I'd rather not talk about it."

* * *

At the pre-arranged time, Draco looked at his watch and moved towards the Common Room door. Danny looked up as Draco smiled and opened the door. There was Harry, Ron, Hermione, and Ginny! This was totally awesome!

Danny broke out of the champion circle to say hello to the newcomers. The eyes following him found the Gryffindors. Draco's eyes danced mischievously as he smirked. Danny exclaimed, "Harry! I'm glad you guys could make it! It means so much to me that you came." His blue eyes twinkled as Harry made his way over, and they shook hands.

Hermione looked around slowly and with wonder. The flames in the sconces flared green. The whole green and gray theme gave a whole aura of cool decorum. Perhaps the whole effect was built to calm tempers. That made sense. She compared it in her head to the Gryffindor Common Room, which exuded warm comfort. She found the difference interesting.

Then she focused on the people. The Slytherin students gazed at the four Gryffindors with a mixture of curiosity, lack of interest, awe, and disdain. It was known that Draco invited Harry and his friends, but that didn't mean the other Slytherins had to like it. Murmurs of "Mudblood," "blood-traitor," and "Saint Potter" rang about them. Hermione unthinkingly reached for one of Ron's hands, then she squared her shoulders and strode purposefully after Harry.

Ginny walked in and narrowed her eyes at the rude whispers. She quickly searched the room for the leftover members of the Inquisitorial Squad, and most gulped at the presence of the redheaded firebrand. Even Draco, Crabbe, and Goyle nodded politely at her.

Ron made his way to Harry's side and murmured, "I like what they've done with the place. More festive, huh?" Harry ignored him.

Professor Snape welcomed them with genuine surprise. "Mr. Potter! Miss Granger, and Mr. and Miss Weasley. It is a surprise to see you here."

Vaisey crossed his arms and raised an eyebrow. "Especially since no non-Slytherin who wasn't a sibling, _especially_ from Gryffindor, has come here."

Millicent Bulstrode looked to her Head of House to assess his reaction, turned back to the Gryffindors and glared. "Not even Sirius Black came to visit Regulus." Professor Snape didn't frown, so she assumed he appreciated her remark. She had a cousin who was in the same year as Nymphadora Tonks, she heard scuttlebutt about the Black cousins.

Somewhere behind them, someone said loudly, "Bloody blood-traitors and Mudblood!"

Danny froze for a minute as Harry and his friends considered their options, and he cleared his throat. "Well, _I'm_ glad you guys are here."

"I…" Harry wasn't sure what to do next. He smiled at Danny, searched for Severus, who seemed pleasantly surprised by his and his friends' presence. Harry looked at his Gryffindor companions, who were just as lost as he felt. Danny's smile helped to reassure him, but…

"Bloody… Are you sure we belong here?" Ron whispered to Hermione.

Someone cleared her throat. Tracey Davis raised an eyebrow as she made her way towards the discomforted bunch. "Welcome, Harry, Hermione, all of you. It is an _honor_ to have the best DADA tutors in the school join us for our Quidditch team's victory party." She held out her hands warmly to Hermione, completely ignoring the vicious glares she received from those who would rather sate themselves with nastiness.

Hermione whispered back to Ron, "I think we have proof that we do." She smiled at the girl who took her hands. "Thanks, Tracey."

Professor Snape watched this dramatic entrance with curiosity. This was the first time he could remember Gryffindors entering the Slytherin Common Room. Miss Bulstrode was absolutely correct. While it was common for families to have siblings in different Houses, Gryffindor and Slytherin was a practically unheard of distribution. The Black brothers managed it. Severus gritted his teeth as he thought of Sirius, but then raised his eyebrows. What _would_ James Potter have thought of his son bringing his closest friends to the Slytherin Common Room to help celebrate Slytherin's Quidditch victory? The moment was truly delicious!

The chilly reception by the students of the Gryffindors was to be completely expected, and he was curious to see how this would play out. The professor would do damage control, if necessary, but there would be no time this evening to deal with the fall-out.

Ah, Miss Davis. Apparently, her lesson was learned and internalized, as she forced others to absorb her message. Not even Danny's excitement at seeing his cousin produced the effect of Tracey's remark. Though a few students stubbornly leered at their unwanted visitors, many students realized that this was an opportunity to meet Harry Potter socially.

Severus took refreshments and found a seat where he could watch the true entertainment of the party – watching his Slytherins come to grips with Harry and his friends. Draco wasn't far from the scene unfolding, and from Mr. Malfoy's smirk, it appeared that he engineered this very moment, and was enjoying it as thoroughly as the professor did.

Danny led the Gryffindors to the refreshments, and several Slytherins approached them, some shyly, some defiantly. Goyle crossed his arms and watched as Astoria piped up. "Harry?"

Harry started. "Uh, hi, Astoria."

"Can I ask you a question?"

Harry relaxed his shoulders as he held on to his cup. "Sure."

Astoria looked up at her sister Daphne, who was Harry's year, and she nodded to her younger sister. "How come most Slytherins don't like you?"

Ron frowned, but Danny asked, "That is a good question. Why _don't_ most Slytherins like you?" Danny raised an eyebrow at Ron, who turned away in embarrassment. It was an uncalled for assumption that Ron made about Danny when they first met, especially if Danny didn't understand the bias to start with.

Harry nodded at Danny, and then stroked his chin with his free hand as he faced Astoria. "To be honest, I'm not really sure. I would guess… Since Professor Snape didn't really like me, students in your House followed suit. If you want to know why _he_ didn't like me, you'd have to ask him."

Astoria blinked. "But he changed his mind?"

Harry looked back at Danny, and then back at Astoria. "Yup."

"But why?"

"There are lots of reasons, but the main one, I think, is that he realized that he misjudged me."

Daphne and a few others Harry recognized from Charms and Potions gazed at Harry thoughtfully.

Theodore Nott narrowed his eyes. "Is it true you were raised by Muggles?"

Harry tilted his head. "Yes, though they are as prejudiced against all forms of magic as most Slytherins are against Muggles. More typical Muggles would be Hermione's parents. You know, excited and curious about a whole new world they know nothing about." A handful of people looked speculatively at Hermione, who began to squirm, and then stopped, stood firm, and raised a challenging eyebrow.

Noticing the crew that gathered around them, Harry apologized. "Danny, I'm sorry. This is _your_ party. I…"

Danny held up a hand. "Dude – I'm here all the time. You being here is a rare occurrence." Taking in his guests' discomfort, Danny said, "You know, I don't think we've spent enough time greeting Professor Snape. He and Draco are in one of my favorite spots in the Common Room."

Goyle and Crabbe shared a glance, and then made a motion for the crowd to leave Danny alone as he and his group of guests detached themselves from Harry's… well, admirers would be the wrong word. The curious folk who wanted to meet Harry personally left off when Crabbe and Goyle made it clear that Danny was _not_ to be disturbed.

Danny waved the four Gryffindors into seats. "Hi, Professor. Hi Draco."

Draco still grinned. Ron peered over his shoulder to see that Crabbe got plates for himself and Goyle, who glared menacingly at anyone who tried to get closer than what Goyle determined was enough space to give Danny, Draco, and the professor privacy. The Gryffindors were bonus, because Malfoy invited them and Fenton liked them.

Ron looked to Danny and asked, "Crabbe and Goyle like you, don't they? I mean, they're really, um, protective."

Hermione tilted her head, thinking of the day Professor Masters showed them the Boggart. "This isn't the first time, either."

Danny blinked. "Uh, they… are good friends to have." He turned to look at them. "I'm not really sure why they decided to… But anyway, they're cool, and well… I don't know. They're good guys to be on their right side, I guess. Goyle lent me his broom when I went to see the Slytherin try-outs."

Draco felt embarrassed. Danny was sincere in his praise of the large mates, and he was grateful for their friendship. Draco liked them well enough, but he thought of them as side kicks of sorts. "They are good friends to have."

Professor Snape watched the by-play. This was probably the first time this collection of six students sat together in a purely social, non-Quidditch setting.

Ginny sat back. Harry was there for Danny, and Ginny, Ron, and Hermione were there for Harry. There was Professor Snape and Draco. Now what? "I get the feeling I'm missing something. Why are we here again?"

Draco stopped smirking and smiled pleasantly. "Because it's Danny's first time playing, and I thought he'd appreciate your company."

Professor Snape was rather impressed and pleased to be invited to see this moment. Danny said, "I do. Thanks, Draco."

Harry mused, 'We've come a long way since September 1, 1991.'

Ron stared. "That's…" That was nicer than he'd ever seen Malfoy, but he realized that saying so would ruin the moment. Instead, he turned to Danny and said, "Awesome catch, mate. Nobody saw that one coming. But if we play against you next year… Merlin!" Everyone laughed.

* * *

Glossary

Cobbing – excessive use of elbows towards opponents (_Quidditch Through the Ages, _p.29)

19


	47. Chapter 47

As of this writing, this story has hit the "over two years" mark. This story has 855 reviews and over 73,200 hits. It belongs to 11 C2s, and this story alone is on 201 favorite lists, and 202 alert lists (and that says nothing about people who put ME on your favorite and alert lists). I thank you all who have read and supported me, poked me and prodded me, and otherwise let me know how much you appreciate this story. I cannot properly express my gratitude. This time, I offer ice cream cake as thanks.

Disclaimer: I do not own _Danny Phantom_, _Harry Potter_, _Annie_ (in any permutation: movie, play, or comic strip), _The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe_, _A Christmas Carol_, _Oliver Twist_, or Christina Rossetti's 'Goblin Market.'

My source for the most of the interview questions and the forms for the background information disclosure packet for adoption in the State of Wisconsin come from www . wiadopt . com

Chapter 47

At 5:30, Vlad entered the Slytherin Common Room. The first to notice him was Malcolm Maddox. "Professor Masters!"

Many surprised students turned to see their DADA professor. "It is good to see you, too, Mr. Maddox."

Graham Pritchard grimaced quizzically. "But, Professor, what are you doing here? How did you get in?"

Vlad raised an eyebrow. "Mr. Pritchard, I am a professor. There are certain privileges that come with the territory. But why am I here? This is the first time I've seen my soon-to-be adopted son play a school sport. I wouldn't dream of not coming to a party to celebrate his victory."

Danny saw Vlad. "Papá! You came!"

Vlad smiled. "Of course I came."

Urquhart rolled his eyes at Crabbe and Goyle and moved closer as Professor Masters made his way over to Danny. "Fenton, why'd you call the professor 'Papá'? I thought he was your uncle?"

Danny said, "It's complicated, but he's adopting me. So, it'll be like he's my father. So… Papá is what he asked me to call him, so I do."

Many people in the room were surprised by the news. Vlad decided that it was interesting: students in the know didn't pass this information to the main student body. Who knew that the students could be counted on to respect the half-ghosts' privacy?

Terence Higgs exclaimed, "Hey! This is an evening of firsts. It's the first time Danny's played as Seeker. It's the first game Professor Masters went to see his new son play. It's the first time in ages that Gryffindors came to a Slytherin victory party of any kind. How would you feel if I took some pictures?"

Vlad beamed. "That is a fabulous idea."

Harry sighed. "I think that's the first time I've ever been asked."

Severus opened his eyes wide. "Really?"

"Sir," Harry practically growled, "I _told_ you that I hate that kind of attention. I may never forgive Lockhart for that… photo-op. All I wanted was to get my books and hang out with my friends. And don't _anyone_ try to ask about the Tri-Wizard tournament. Stupid media." No one needed to mention last year's media travesty.

Terence looked thoughtful. "Yeah, well… Everyone knows Colin Creevey is a knuckleheaded Mud-, er, madman shutterbug. Photography is an art. The way he takes pictures, it's almost vulgar."

Hermione sighed. These Slytherins might have toned down their rhetoric, but they still hated Muggle-borns. At least Terence didn't say what he almost said. "To be fair, Terence, the whole Wizarding World was completely new to him. Taking pictures that move might be commonplace for you, or seeing ghosts, or any number of things that are kept from Muggles might be humdrum and run-of-the-mill. But if it were _your_ first time seeing these things… I know _I_ was excited the first time I saw these things." Hermione noticed the Slytherins who looked at her with curiosity rather than scorn for the first time. "And – please forgive me, Harry – being close to a living legend is enough to drive many people to distraction."

Harry covered his eyes. "Tell me about it."

Terence rolled his eyes. "Right, then. _May_ I take a few pictures? Not because you're the Golden Boy of Gryffindor, but because you're the first freakin' Gryffindor to warrant an invitation to our Common Room because Danny's your best friend!"

Danny smiled shyly, and Harry sighed with relief. "That's a reason I can live with."

Terence muttered, "Thank you, your Majesty. Now if you would…"

The Slytherins had fun watching Terence group Danny with Vlad, Danny with Harry, the four Gryffindors under the Slytherin banner by the central fireplace. Terence wanted a shot of the American student and his Head of House. Danny suggested one of Harry and Professor Snape. Severus was surprised, but Harry beamed. No one in his family – well, the Dursleys never saw fit to 'waste film' on Harry, so this was a bit of a novelty. Danny took pictures with Draco, Crabbe, and Goyle.

Sometime during the snapfest, there was something that niggled at Severus's mind, but it never came to light.

* * *

At a quarter to seven, Vlad reminded Daniel that he had lessons. "Severus, would you like to come? Daniel's developed this particular skill since we visited those with the same talent over Christmas break, and I thought you would appreciate seeing his development in this area."

Professor Snape widened his eyes. He was delighted, but the students around him merely registered surprise. "I would love to see any project you have with Daniel. I am rather intrigued."

Danny beamed. They were talking about his ice powers, and since they visited the Far Frozen, he was able to do _amazing_ things with his ice. But if Uncle Severus came with them, it meant they wouldn't have to find him later… when they left for America!

Draco raised an eyebrow. "Danny, do you usually get this excited about your private lessons?"

"Draco, you have no idea. And sometimes it's more fun than other times, but lessons with Papá are always interesting."

Draco frowned. "Always?"

Danny nodded. "Always."

After a round of Good-byes with Harry and his friends, with Draco and his friends, and the Slytherin team, and anyone else pressed around them, Danny, Vlad, and Severus made their way up to the Room of Requirement. As they walked, Professor Snape asked, "So Vlad, how _did_ you get into the Common Room? Teachers do have certain privileges, but Heads of House don't even share passwords with each other, never mind other teachers. Surely, you don't have the password, do you?"

Vlad chuckled. "Good heavens, no. I simply walked through the wall and turned visible when no one's eyes were on me."

Severus stopped for a moment. "This isn't the first time you've done this, is it?"

Vlad smirked. "Of course not. As a ghost, I say there's nowhere in this castle or grounds I can't go, except – currently – Greenhouse 7." A thought struck him. "Severus… you are aware that there's a Basilisk carcass in a somewhat snake-themed sub-basement, are you not?"

Professor Snape forced himself forward. "You've been to the Chamber of Secrets?"

Vlad said airily, "As Daniel has, as well. It is amazing where you can explore when walls and lack of stairs are irrelevant."

The Potions Master intellectually knew that. He did, truly he did. But the full implications of having a student and a colleague as adventuresome ghosts never quite registered.

Danny was thoughtful as they continued their trek up. "Harry told me about his adventure in the Chamber of Secrets in his Second Year. Did you ever ask Harry to open the Chamber to let you in? A fully-grown Basilisk has to be worth a fortune in potion ingredients."

Severus grimaced. "No, Daniel. I… never did."

Vlad stopped their ascent this time. "Do you mean to say that your baseless hatred and prejudice against a teenager was so strong that you ignored a priceless treasure – well, if price _could_ be assigned, it would be worth more money than you'd make as a professor in over thirty years – because your pride wouldn't let you ask the child to open the door for you?"

Severus closed his eyes. "Yes. I'm not proud of the fact."

At one time, Vlad might have taken pleasure in this moment of the dark man's deep humiliation, but this… "Severus… Knowing you're the quintessential Slytherin, putting great stock in logic and well-reasoned planning, I must say that I'm severely disappointed in you."

The Head of House of Slytherin turned away so neither half-ghost could see his face, brushing by them and taking the lead. Tears fell from his eyes as he only began to see the beginning of his particular brand of idiocy that involved hating Harry Potter. "Well… I _am_ working to correct that deficiency. And… perhaps I'll ask him about it later."

Danny whispered to Vlad, "I'm not sure, but I think Clockwork would be proud of this moment, Papá."

Vlad beamed.

* * *

At 8:00, Vlad smiled proudly. "Well done, Daniel. And we are finished with lessons for today."

Severus said, "That was amazing, Daniel. Who did you visit to help you hone this skill so exquisitely?"

"Well… there are a bunch of yeti-like ghosts in the Land of the Far Frozen. They're amazing in what _they_ can do with their ice powers. They are also great scientists, and have studied all kinds of biology: ghost, human, and other. But yeah, they taught me that trick…"

Severus raised a hand. "Hold on a moment, Daniel. Vlad, we've had a few discussions about the physical development of a teenager or two. If the growth patterns don't match your general ideas of such, doesn't it make sense to confer with these ghosts who have studied ghost biology, perhaps for centuries?"

Vlad jerked his head. "Indeed, Severus. That's… that's brilliant. I never thought about it before, as I've never even heard of them until September, and I was unfamiliar with their facilities until this past vacation." He smirked at Danny mischievously. "I'm sure the Far Frozen would be _honored_ to provide a personal pediatrician for 'the Great One,' wouldn't you say?"

Danny rolled his eyes. "Yeah, whatever." Then he thought past the 'Great One' comment. "Actually, yeah. That could work. But… that would mean going into the Ghost Zone on a quasi-regular basis."

"Oh, come now, Daniel. There's no reason we can't go back and visit your friends again." Vlad smirked again. "I'm not sure what tickles me more at present: your actual noble title or your practical royal status amongst the Far Frozen."

Severus gave Vlad a sidelong glance. "What is this that you're talking about?"

Danny crossed his arms. "Never mind."

Vlad said, "I'll tell you later."

Severus gazed speculatively at the two half-ghosts. He didn't know what to make of his American student quailing at the concept of noble titles (and where would an American come by such a thing?), and realized that Daniel's reaction to high honor was almost identical to Harry's reaction to his celebrity. While Severus acknowledged that he was a primary cause for Harry to despise his fame, much to Snape's personal shame, he wondered what dynamics were at play for Daniel.

Danny decided he had enough amusement at his expense. "So can we go already?"

Vlad's smile became kinder. "Of course."

Severus looked at the ghosts with curiosity. "So… I know where we are going, in a general way, but where _are_ we going?"

Danny smiled. "The Hufflepuff corridor. Hang on." Vlad grabbed a briefcase and Danny got an arm around his professor, and the lot of them became invisible and sank through the floor.

"Daniel! This… is this what you did with Harry in November?" Severus wondered as they passed through the stone floor.

"Mostly. Then we just sank into the floor. Now, we'll get to the corridor in a few seconds."

Severus thought of the time it took to climb from the dungeons to the seventh floor and realized how simple transportation was so much faster for ghosts. "The Hogwarts ghosts do this all the time, don't they?"

Danny smiled invisibly. "Yup."

In the Hufflepuff corridor, Danny said, "Listen, Uncle Severus. This might get a little weird."

Vlad spat impatiently, "Daniel, must you?"

"Yeah, Vlad, I do. I'm glad the professor is doing so well with being invisible and intangible. Warning him is only fair."

Glancing down the hall, Severus was glad that no students besides Daniel were present. "Warn me of what?"

Danny sighed. "Besides the fact that we're going to go through a wall – which you've done great with so far, Uncle Severus. My Dad didn't feel too comfortable with the feeling – we're about to enter the Ghost Zone. The lack of gravity can be disorienting to humans. Sam and Tucker were almost always in my parents' Specter Speeder, with a pressurized cabin. The one time I remember Sam and Tucker being there without the Speeder, they were cool with it, but… you'll be fine. Just hang on."

As they went through the wall, Severus was reminded of the King's Cross Station Platform 9¾. This was not a magical passage, but a ghostly passage, and he realized that even if every ghost in the castle used this causeway, only Vlad and Danny had the power to take him with them.

Then they were in, and Severus's world turned green. "Merlin!" The two ghosts relaxed, turning tangible and visible. Snape looked up and saw endless swirls of rippled green. Looking down, he saw the same. "How does one get one's bearing here?"

Vlad said simply, "Practice and pattern recognition."

They were off, and Severus asked, "All those purple doors… How do they stay there?"

Danny almost shrugged. "Like I said, when it comes to ghosts, the laws of physics mostly take a vacation."

"Where do the doors lead?"

Vlad raised his eyebrows. "Sir Nicholas said that the doors you see before you open to various parts of the British Isles. Don't mind them. The one _we_ want is this one."

The ornate door in the distance seemed, like all the others, to float in mid-air. "Who decorated this door?"

Vlad answered, "I don't know. Sir Nicholas said the door was here and looked just like that four centuries ago."

Severus mused, "I imagine a map detailing which doors went where would be useful."

Vlad smiled again. "I've heard a rumor that such a thing exists. It's called the Infi-Map. It is spelled to show any entrance, door, portal, island, or other geographical feature in the Ghost Zone. It's supposed to be self-updating and self-correcting."

"Who spelled it? With what magic?"

Vlad shrugged. "Your guess is as good as mine. Some ghosts naturally use magic as part of their powers. And, I imagine, the ghosts possessing magic have differing degrees of power. But as far as the Infi-Map goes, I've only heard of it. I've seen an illustration of what it's supposed to look like. I've been told it can give 3-D projections of a salient feature, and that it has magic enough to bring its user to wherever he or she wished to go. But more than that I couldn't tell you." Vlad sighed with longing.

Severus decided that this Infi-Map sounded far more intense than the Marauder's Map, but then again, its purpose was far more extensive. If this Infi-Map did all it was advertised to do, it was a wondrous thing, indeed. In the Wizarding World, could something be spelled to do all of that?

At last, they came to the highly decorated door. "And where does this go?"

Danny answered, "It leads to everywhere _we'd_ find local to home in the Ghost Zone." They opened it and went through.

Once on the other side, Severus couldn't see a qualitative difference in where they were and where they had been. "How so?"

"Well… Arg!" Danny was thrown through the air by what appeared to be an ectoblast, and his wrists and ankles were bound by ectoplasmic bonds. Severus was let go and he marveled at the feeling of weightlessness. He allowed himself to be distracted thus until he heard a harsh voice grating.

"You have some nerve bringing more Real World contraband into the Ghost Zone, punk!"

Danny shouted, "Walker!" Danny turned his bonds to ice and burst out of them. Then he fired his own ectoplasmic bonds at the police ghost who blasted him with the baton, causing the police ghost to scream. Then he fired an ectoblast at the white sheriff ghost.

A blue ghost wearing an eye patch glared at Danny. Severus noticed the sea of officer ghosts coming to teem against the boy. The blue ghost shot some mechanism that sent a tendril of ectoplasm out, wrapping itself around Danny, shocking him. Danny screamed in pain.

When the first jolt ended, Danny froze the section around his middle and burst out of the ice, and grabbed the new ending. "We've done this before, Bullet, but you must have forgotten how it goes. Go, Ghost Stinger!" Severus opened his eyes wide as he saw enough voltage travel down the ectoplasmic strand to have electrocuted 20 humans into crisps. The now named Bullet shrieked in pain before he passed out. Seeing Danny use his powers in the context of a ghost fight… was an educational experience.

Vlad made at least three duplicates, and all of them shot debilitating blasts at the police ghosts. There were twenty of them, but between Vlad and Danny, all of the police ghosts were unconscious or otherwise subdued.

Walker said, "Now, kid, you owe me one thousand years!" Snape peaked his eyebrows.

Vlad cocked his head, grabbing Danny by his arm and throwing the boy behind him. "Oh, really? And what, pray tell, did he do to earn such a sentence?"

Walker narrowed his green pupil-less eyes as he stared into Vlad's red pupil-less eyes. "He brought Real World items into the Ghost Zone. That's against the Rules."

Vlad tapped his chin with a free hand. "Is that so? Well, I have a new rule. Real World items are no longer contraband. Therefore, Daniel's sentence is commuted."

Danny and Severus blinked. Could he do that?

Walker was not done. "That punk started and was responsible for a full-fledged prison break. _That's_ against the Rules."

"Yes, I imagine it would be. But if the ghosts you incarcerated were imprisoned for reasons as spurious as your charge against Daniel, I see nothing wrong with it."

Walker spat, "By what authority do you mean to change these Rules?"

Vlad smirked. "By the laws of the frontier, of course: might makes right. At some point, you decided you had more power than Daniel, and from what I can tell, applied ridiculously capricious rules to put a fledgling yet powerful ghost out of circulation. By _those_ standards, I'm _far_ more powerful than you. And just as capriciously as you've convicted Daniel, I've just overruled your judgment."

Walker opened his mouth to object, but Vlad tutted, "Ah, ah, ah. You don't really want to object to my ruling, do you?" With the last two words, Vlad bared his fangs immediately in front of the sheriff. Walker straightened and backed away. "I didn't think so. Really, when you keep order with things like the Christmas Truce, you do the Ghost Zone a service. But if you keep after my son – who is so against corruption, it's practically disgusting – I will be forced to _end your afterlife_, here and now. So… what will it be? The choice is yours."

Walker's green eyes flew open as he realized that Plasmius probably could turn word to deed. He narrowed his eyes again, knowing he'd lost, but he wasn't giving up his fighting spirit. "Half-ghost hybrids are against the Rules!" he spat.

Vlad examined his fingernails, almost bored. "I suppose you're right, here and elsewhere: in the Ghost Zone, in the Real World, in the Wizarding World… I guess our very existence _is_ against the rules." Vlad turned back to the sheriff and lowered his voice to a low and insanely dangerous tone. "And what are you going to do about it?"

It was hard for the proud sheriff to admit defeat. Personally, Walker could cause a great deal of physical and emotional pain. But the power to actually _kill_ a ghost…

He was the judge, executioner, jury, executioner, jailer, and executioner. Yes, he even _thought_ 'executioner' three times because he liked that part of his job. But random mindless ghosts were easy to capture and kill, when they got out of line. Ghosts of Phantom's caliber were made of much sterner stuff. But Plasmius… He was a ghost who was not to be messed with, and Walker recognized that he managed to get on Vlad's bad side.

In pained frustration, Walker shook his head slowly. "I've got no choice but to accept your new rule as law."

Vlad smiled. "Good man. I knew you'd see it my way. Now, if you don't mind, the three of us have an appointment in Wisconsin."

Walker turned and frowned bitterly. He wasn't afraid to fight, but there was no point in starting something he might not be able to finish. "Then, I should say, 'As you were,' Plasmius, Phantom, and whoever you are."

Severus jerked his head in surprise at being addressed. Still smiling, Vlad said, "Very good. That will be all, Walker." Imperiously, he ignored the sheriff and looked Danny over for injury. "How are you, Daniel?"

"I'm fine. Thanks, Papá."

Walker dragged the still unconscious Bullet in the direction of the prison. Vlad smirked and turned to Severus. "Now Daniel, take your uncle's arm, or he'll be quite motionless, unless he's learned the art of flying unaided."

Clearing his throat, Professor Snape said, "Actually, I have."

Danny and Vlad stared at him. Vlad asked, "How?"

Severus blushed. "It was one of those odd benefits of temporarily serving the Dark Lord. He taught me how. It's… not a common gift among wizards."

Danny asked, "How fast can you go?"

Severus lowered his eyes. "I'm not entirely sure, but I believe my top speed in unaided flight is somewhere between 25 and 30 miles per hour."

Danny thought about this. "You know, Uncle Severus, there's nothing as exhilarating as flying. Even if you can't go as fast as Papá and I can… maybe you can teach Harry, and the four of us could go flying together."

Severus cringed and closed his eyes tightly. "While it sounds like such a thing would give you a great deal of pleasure, and I would do nothing purposefully to diminish your pleasure, Daniel, you must understand that I came by this talent quite… illicitly. They are called Dark Arts for a reason, and I would not subject Harry to the evil that is necessary to gain that skill."

While Vlad wanted to argue it was worth the cost, the fact is he didn't know the cost. Vlad nodded curtly. "Fair enough. But it _is _good to know that, should the need arise, we have another resource. Self-propelled flight is particularly useful, here. But we have places to go, people to see, and time limits abound. Take Severus's arm, and we'll get there in less time."

As they progressed through the Ghost Zone, Severus continued to look around in wonder. "You say that this part of the Ghost Zone is more familiar?"

Danny said, "Yes. It's closer to the portal in my home and however many portals Papá has."

Severus jerked his head. "You have your own portal?"

Danny shrugged the shoulder that wasn't attached to the arm around his professor. "My parents invented the technology to open a portal from the Real World to the Ghost Zone." He grimaced. "It's actually an accident with those portals that made me and Vlad ghosts."

Snape raised his eyebrows. "Fascinating."

"And," Danny continued, "the ghosts in Hogwarts told me about the concept of natural portals. The Fenton Portal and Papá's portals are permanent, and will open and close at the user's will. But natural portals open unpredictably to anywhere and to any time." Severus raised one eyebrow sardonically. "It's mind-boggling to me, too. But there's no other good explanation for how the Box Ghost got into Amity Park, like, three times a week, or more often when he got lucky."

"Daniel, leave some surprises for later." Danny stared at Vlad, and then rolled his eyes. Whatever game the elder ghost had going with Severus was _his_ business.

Severus sighed. There was so much to learn about ghosts, and there was so little to help him learn a fraction of what there was out there _to_ learn. The whole concept of portals seemed to be a study unto itself. "These doors are different. Where do they go?"

Vlad answered. "Some of them lead to individual ghosts' lairs. Some of them lead to the outside world. Some of them lead to different parts of the Ghost Zone. And some of them… no one knows until the door is opened."

Danny pointed down. "See that, Uncle Severus? That island is where Skulker hunts bizarre ghost creatures." He sucked in a breath. "One time, he brought me and a classmate Valerie here, and hunted us like animals."

Severus frowned and growled, "How _dare_ he?"

Danny sighed. "Half-ghosts are pretty rare, and he wanted to add me to his collection of unusual finds. That is, until he decided 'my pelt' would be more of a prize." Danny shuddered.

"But…"

"Welcome to _my_ world, Uncle Severus."

Vlad cleared his throat. "Skulker will no longer be a problem."

Severus's head spun with the growing understanding of his favorite student's life, before it was forever changed by the Death Eaters. He had a new respect for his new Muggle… family, and why they were so quick to adapt to a magical setting. He doubted there were enough wonders in the Wizarding World to truly confuse them, as life as half-ghosts seemed to produce enough bizarre wonders of its own.

"Dare I ask why not?"

Vlad smiled, baring his fangs again. "Of course. Skulker is one of my faithful minions – yes, Severus, I have minions – and on my last trip to America, I told the Ghost Zone's Greatest Hunter that his favorite prey was under my protection. I'm not sure he's stopped sulking yet, but I know that the news has spread. But as I'm sure you've heard, old habits die hard, and ghosts have a seriously difficult time with change.

"Most of the ghosts of the Ghost Zone have their own obsessions, and Daniel only caused a wrinkle in their plans when they bothered humans in the Real World. Very few actually have plans that center on him, proper. (Actually, I was the greatest offender, when it came to that.) But besides Skulker, who wished to hunt the boy, and Walker, who… well, you've seen what he's about. My command to leave Amity Park in peace is probably enough to convince most of Daniel's regular antagonists to leave him alone."

Danny rolled his eyes. "Not to mention that you've freaked a lot of them out by telling them how powerful I'm getting."

Vlad tilted his head. "Indeed."

Severus shook his head. The complexity of the dynamics here was still beyond him. Still… "May I ask how an American teen has acquired a noble title?"

Danny sighed heavily, and Vlad smirked. Danny said, "Well… Princess Dora, a ghost who can also become a dragon, was sent by her brother Prince Aragon (also a dragon) to stage a beauty pageant at Casper High, and I managed to get dragooned into being the judge." He thought for a moment. "The actual judging was difficult, but the week the girls tried to bribe me was a lot of fun. Of course, none of it mattered, but they were a _lot_ nicer that week than normal."

Both Vlad and Severus laughed. This was an adventure neither heard before. When they stopped laughing, Danny continued. "When I was asked to pick the winner, I realized that Princess Dora was a ghost. I tried to get Sam's attention, but calling her name won her a one-way ticket to an arranged engagement to Prince Aragon."

Severus said, "She couldn't be too pleased with such an arrangement."

"Of course she wasn't! The only reason she joined was to show her utter contempt for the concept of beauty pageants, and Sam never was one for being 'a damsel in distress.' Actually, I understand that she caused_ Prince Aragon_ a great deal of distress, because Sam refused to be shy and retiring, the way 'princesses are supposed to act'." Danny curled the fingers of his unoccupied hand into air quotes.

Danny sighed. "That's the time I brought Tucker to the Ghost Zone unprotected by the pressurized cabin. But when I came to rescue Sam, I managed to help encourage Princess Dora to get out from under her brother's oppressive thumb. And this somehow… well, it brought the kingdom out of the Dark Ages, literally and figuratively. And for my efforts, Princess Dora dubbed me a knight: Sir Phantom. Sir Nicholas and the Baron were scandalized when they discovered my unannounced title."

The Potions Master laughed heartily. "I imagine they might be."

Vlad insisted, "But the royalty, Daniel…"

Danny closed his eyes and hit his head with his free hand. "Oh, alright, already!" Vlad chuckled. Danny opened his eyes and glared at him. Then he ignored Vlad and addressed the professor. "Some other time, we'll tell you about the whole battle with the Ghost King, Pariah Dark. It involved the bad guys sucking Amity Park into the Ghost Zone."

Severus's eyes flew wide open. He remembered either Vlad or Daniel making mention of defeating the Ghost King. Even Sir Nicholas might have said a thing or two about it, but this was a detail no one informed him of. "I'll look forward to it," he murmured.

"Anyway, I defeated the Ghost King in hand to hand combat, and, well…" Danny fell silent for a while, flying while entertaining his own thoughts. He eventually sighed and said, "Apparently, the news of this is far-reaching. Ghosts I've never seen or heard of before knew about my fight with the Ghost King. Every ghost knows my name because of it."

Severus thought of Harry, and realized that Daniel's frustration with his fame was similar to Harry's.

"So, when we went to the Far Frozen over the Christmas break, they showed me a shrine they built in my honor, and their king treated _me_ like royalty. It was… disconcerting."

Vlad smirked. "They call him 'the Great One.' It's a shame Daniel has none of the Slytherin ambition or the desire to glory in his honor."

"Ah." Severus realized that Daniel probably had even more notoriety than Harry, as far as ghosts go. Harry had trouble avoiding the media, but for all of the bandying about of the title 'Chosen One,' it was largely a hollow title, meant to sway the gullible into thinking Harry was in with the Ministry. For others, it was a title conferred as easily as 'the Boy Who Lived,' because of Harry's continued longevity despite facing off with Voldemort. Daniel's titles were by no means hollow, and the responsibility of living up to them could be daunting.

Regardless of who foisted the titles on the boys or their grantors' motivations, Severus knew that both Harry and Daniel intended to fill those roles. It was up to him and Vlad to make sure the boys didn't die trying.

They drew near one of the doors that was blocked by… a giant American football?

Severus asked, "What is this?"

Vlad smiled. "A representation of one of my greatest passions. I've been, well, mildly obsessed with the Green Bay Packers long before I became a ghost."

Danny, remembering the green and gold décor, raised an eyebrow. "Mildly obsessed?"

Vlad shrugged. "Everyone has a hobby. Rooting for my favorite team is one of mine. I imagine that every sports-obsessed boy secretly envisions owning the team of his choice. That type of desire powers fantasy football, and the like."

Severus asked, "So… did your tremendous wealth win you your heart's desire?"

Vlad became almost sullen. "No."

Danny saw the mental red flag go up, but before he could say anything, his professor asked, "Why ever not?"

Danny closed his eyes as Vlad bellowed, "Because the city of Green Bay owns the team and they refuse to sell them to me!"

Severus peaked his eyebrows. 'Alrighty, then,' he thought.

Danny patted Vlad's arm. "Papá?"

Vlad shook himself out of his rage and smoothed a hand over his ghostly tunic. "Well… it's one of the few things my wealth has not allowed me to acquire." He pushed the football out of the way, and they touched down in what appeared to be a laboratory.

The professor asked, "What is this place?"

Taking a moment to turn human and nodding at Daniel to do the same, both Vlad and the boy removed their wizard robes to reveal Vlad's tailored suit and Danny's favorite white shirt with the red emblem and blue jeans.

"This is where I've spent countless hours inventing, improving, and simply experimenting on all things ghostly. Between creating weapons, containment devices, medicines, and the like, which can be necessary when you are… a unique creature, I had need to learn of my new biological capabilities and limitations. Those," Vlad said, pointing at jars filled with glowing green things, reminding Severus sharply of the jars of pickled ingredients decorating his own office, "are mindless ghosts, some of which have been melted down to their… elemental ectoplasmic components. Obviously, I can't just simply experiment on myself…"

Danny shivered. "Is this your second floor lab?"

Vlad realized that Daniel was in no state to recognize precisely where he was last time he was here. Or, at least when Skulker brought him here – for all he knew, Daniel MIGHT have been here. Then again…

"No, Daniel. This is a… secret sub-basement. I'm quite sure that most of whatever is down here doesn't quite meet EPA guidelines, and contains rather more hazardous material than government regulations would allow for any safety inspections, including…" Vlad looked meaningfully at Danny. "The Wisconsin Child Welfare Services."

Danny looked around. The lab was by far tidier than his parents' lab back home. "Uh, Papá? This is _much_ neater and cleaner than my parents' lab."

Vlad sighed. "Yes, well… Naturally born parents don't have quite as many guidelines to pay attention to as adoptive parents, unless they're accused of abuse or neglect. But neater or no, there are also different guidelines for a simple private residence (no matter how gaudily lit) than a castle or mansion, where a house waiting staff is employed." He thought for a moment. "I'm fastidious by nature, and it wouldn't do to have an experiment go wrong because I couldn't be bothered to clean up after myself. That is true regardless of which lab we're in – public or private."

Danny got the feeling that Vlad's tidy propensities would mean Danny would not have to worry about food coming back to life because it was contaminated by an ectoplasmic sample.

Severus nodded in approval. He knew the value of a clean laboratory. Then he frowned. "You've done your homework, Vlad."

Vlad sniffed. "I should think so. I've had designs to adopt the Fenton children for over a decade. I didn't make a move until all my research was complete, two years ago."

Danny wasn't sure whether he should be disgusted by Vlad's proposed treachery or honored that he was so very ready for this. Danny rolled his eyes and decided a change of topics was in order. "Papá, we've got an hour before the appointment. Wanna give us the ten cent tour?"

Vlad raised an eyebrow, and then laughed. "Why not?" He gestured to Severus to doff his wizard robe, and then he led them up a staircase, and pushed a button on the wall. Two panels slid apart, and the stairway opened to the personal study in Vlad's _en suite_. When everyone was through, Vlad tilted a golden football on the right of the door (facing the wall), so that it matched the golden football on the left of… well, it resembled a mantle with a picture above the mantle, featuring a large lion crest, once the panels slid closed.

Vlad swallowed his words as part of him wanted to remind Daniel that Jasmine found the secret lab on the day she claimed to want… She claimed she wanted Vlad to adopt her. He did nothing to deserve that visitation. The fact that Skulker was found by Daniel to have stolen the bloodstream nanobots, the ecto-converter, and the lightening rod was coincidental. Vlad didn't deserve the ruse on Jasmine's part. But then again, neither child deserved that 'test of loyalty' he put them through. Vlad sighed heavily.

Danny noticed Vlad's mercurial mood shift. "Papá?"

The elder half-ghost turned to face Daniel. "Oh, it's nothing. Nothing to worry about." Vlad led them on a tour throughout the mansion. Severus remembered the billionaire mentioning that he appointed rooms in a castle for comfort before. Now he had the proper context for that comment.

When they passed through a living room, Danny and Vlad's ghost senses were alerted and they were greeted with a cheerful, "Oh, _there_ ya are, kiddo! It's been a while since I've seen ya here, dontcha know!"

Danny spun around and said, "The Dairy King!"

Severus raised an eyebrow. "The Dairy King?"

The former monarch waved his ice cream-tipped scepter at the three of them. "Of course! I used to live here, dontcha know."

Severus tilted his head. "Really."

"I did indeed. Vladdie here's a captain of industry. When he bought my castle, he carried on with the dairy farm – well, as the _new_ Dairy King, he's got people workin' the farm for him. It's only one of the many businesses he's got, dontcha know."

Danny smirked. "So Vlad really did – he bought the farm!" He dissolved helplessly into giggles. Vlad shook his head and sighed.

"Aye, that he did, kiddo."

Vlad raised an eyebrow. "Your Majesty, you and I have to talk, later."

"Whatever ya like! What's it about?"

"A couple of years ago, there was a certain young ghost _you set free_…" For a moment, the Dairy King looked stricken.

Then he rallied. "There's nothin' to say about that. He's a good lad who was in need of help. Call it '_noblesse oblige_', young Vladdie. It was my job to act with honor. It's part of 'Royalty 101', dontcha know!"

Severus smirked and Vlad covered his eyes. The Dairy King had two primary obsessions: one was with dairy products, and the other was of royalty. The fact that the title was nothing more than a mere marketing ploy of the Wisconsin Dairy Council seemed to have slipped by this poor soul.

Vlad shook his head in defeat. "As you were, your Majesty."

The Dairy King looked at the three and smiled, completely oblivious of the attempt at a contest of wills. "Try the Gouda. It's dairy fresh!" With that, he soared through the ceiling.

Danny needed a few moments to quiet himself from his mirth. When he caught his breath, he asked, "Papá? I thought your house exploded because you took too long to change the ecto-filtrator on your portal. This is newer."

Vlad uncovered his eyes and perked up. "Good catch, Daniel. But the castle is in the same place as the old one, with most of the rooms and dimensions exactly the same, with the exception of a few personal touches, hidden passageways and labs, things of that nature. The Dairy King thought this was close enough to the model of the home the way _he_ remembered it, so he decided to stay."

Danny thought of something. "What about your football that was signed by Ray Nitschke?"

Vlad peaked his eyebrows. "Oddly enough, it survived the blast. The Dairy King saved it for me."

Severus murmured, "That was kind of him."

Vlad nodded. "Yes, it was." He stopped and thought for a bit.

The tour continued until 2:45pm, when Vlad ordered tea in the sitting room. He glanced at his briefcase, and Severus told him, "You have towering confidence in all things. Are you truly nervous?"

Looking between Danny and Severus, Vlad said, "Frankly, yes. I've never been above manipulating inspectors, or things of that nature. But for Daniel… I want to do this the right way. That means I can't tilt the situation in my favor. I'm… not in control."

Danny put his hand over Vlad's. "Papá, look – you're already my guardian. Uncle Severus will vouch for us. You've got all your paperwork together. You're a successful businessman and teacher, and you're getting better at being a father. We'll be fine." Danny patted Vlad's hand.

At five to three, the knock came. Vlad stood to answer the door, but Severus held him back. Putting his hand on his sleeve and grasping his wand, Severus opened the door. "May I help you?"

There were three people outside, two men and a woman. One of the men said, "Good day to you, sir. I am Lewis Greer, and I'm here to see Vlad Masters and Daniel Fenton. The people with me are representatives from the Wisconsin Child Welfare Services. We have a 3 o'clock appointment."

Severus met the eyes of each, briefly Legilimizing them. Satisfied that these were Muggles who were exactly what they claimed to be, he let them into the sitting room. "Vlad, your appointment is here."

Vlad nodded. "Thank you, Severus." He stood to greet his guests. "Mr. Greer! It's good to see you again, now as always. And who do you have with you?"

Lewis gestured at the other two. "Mr. Masters, this is Jason Coleman and Sarah Goldwasser."

Vlad smiled confidently. "Good day to you both, and a pleasure to meet you."

Sarah smiled at Danny. "You must be Daniel."

Danny reached out to shake her hand. "Please call me Danny."

"Alright, then, Danny." The fellow who opened the door was still there, so she asked, "And you, sir?"

"I am Severus Snape, a character witness and close personal friend."

Jason nodded. "I see."

After handshakes were had between everyone in the room, Vlad offered, "Please sit, be comfortable, and have tea." The lawyer and the two representatives found seats.

Mr. Greer took the suggested tea, but Mr. Coleman answered, "No, thank you, Mr. Masters, but your hospitality is noted. May we get to business?"

Vlad nodded. "Of course." He led the lot of them through to the library, and gestured for everyone to take seats around a table. Jason opened his briefcase and took out a pen and a file, and Sarah opened hers and pulled out a pen and a notepad. Lewis put his within easy reach. Vlad put his down and resolutely ignored it, looking instead at his two interviewers.

Jason fingered through the papers in his file, and stopping on one in particular, he said, "Mr. Greer filed all the appropriate paperwork. We just have a few questions."

"I understood that might be the case. What would you like to know?"

Jason said, "In your background information disclosure packet, Mr. Greer indicated that one of your answers needed more of an explanation."

"Alright."

Jason ran his index finger down the specific document in question. "Have you resided outside of Wisconsin in the last three years?"

Vlad cleared his throat. "Since I took guardianship of Daniel in July, I've had business in England." He closed his eyes. "Daniel's school was destroyed, and I felt that a change of scenery would be useful. I've been home schooling him in math and English, but he's been taking astronomy, chemistry, and botany at a local private school."

Jason asked, "Why go to England?"

Vlad shrugged. "I'm an international businessman, and I'm working on a project there. It is only fitting that I bring my ward with me."

Sarah thought for a moment and asked, "Why are you home schooling Danny, when you are sending him to a private school for supplemental subjects?"

Vlad looked fondly at Danny. "It's a boarding school. I could hardly spend enough time to bond with my charge if he spent _all_ his time at the boarding school. Further, the school specializes in the practical sciences. Their liberal arts department is lacking. And Daniel has always needed help in math, so I provide both the liberal arts – particularly in English – and help in math."

Sarah turned to Danny. "Why would you go to a school that specializes in science?"

Danny smiled. "I've always wanted to be an astronaut."

Severus was in awe. With all of the subterfuge, neither actually lied. Vlad was particularly polished; Severus couldn't help but wonder if he rehearsed his answers. And Daniel… He was fascinating to watch.

Jason turned to Severus. "Mr. Snape, how long have you known Mr. Masters and Danny?"

"I've known them since they came to England in July. I've had a chance to see their fledgling relationship develop."

Jason said, "And what are your thoughts on what you've seen?"

Severus smiled. "What they have between them is so beautiful, it inspired _me_ to become a guardian to an orphan I've known for years."

Even Lewis raised his eyebrows at that. He'd known Masters for years, but he never thought of him as the fatherly type. But that was a seriously impressive recommendation.

Sarah asked, "So how do you know them?"

"I am Daniel's professor in chemistry, and Head of House, when he's in our school."

Sarah shook her head. "I'm unfamiliar with the concept of Houses."

Severus explained, "It's a fairly common device used by British boarding schools. As students are away from home, dividing students into Houses gives a stability of place to the students, and it allows the staff assigned to the House to keep track of student needs. The students of a House dorm together, sharing a common room and study space. Further, it gives a sense of camaraderie. There is often a competition between Houses for academic excellence, model behavior, and sports teams."

Sarah nodded. "Fair enough. And how do you know Mr. Masters?"

Severus tapped his chin. "Besides coming for Daniel's registration and several parent/teacher conferences, Vlad is an accomplished individual: he's contributed to some of my more complex experiments, and his attention to Daniel's studies is truly admirable."

Satisfied at present, Sarah and Jason nodded at each other. Jason said, "Danny, Mr. Masters, we have a few questions we'd like to ask you separately."

Danny looked to Vlad a little nervously. Bracing himself, Vlad said, "Go on, Daniel. Everything will be fine."

Sarah stood. "Danny, why don't you come with me back into the sitting room?"

Danny said, "Okay." Professor Snape stood up and started to follow.

"Mr. Snape, the reason I want to speak to Danny alone is to get his responses without an adult influencing his answers."

Danny objected, "I don't…"

Severus raised his hand, silencing him. "Ms. Goldwasser, I appreciate your aim. However, as mature and competent as Daniel is," Danny relaxed a bit when he heard that. "The fact remains that since Daniel is still haunted by the damage from the terrorist attack, we are not inclined to allow an adult we are unfamiliar with go off alone with him. The fact that you are a government official does not change this."

Sarah stood a little straighter. She had forgotten that Danny was a survivor from that devastation in Amity Park last July.

"I understand the need to have Daniel answer questions candidly away from Vlad. However, you will have me go with you, or you won't have him relatively alone at all."

Sarah was used to dealing with resistance from adults. However, such resistance usually came from the adoptive adult. Vlad Masters acquiesced to the separation readily enough. Severus Snape did not have the bearing of a servant, hireling, or other employee. Still, she needed to ask. "Danny, how do _you_ feel about Mr. Snape coming with us?"

"I'm totally cool with it." He flashed Severus a bright smile.

Taking the boy's confidence in this British teacher in stride, Sarah nodded. "Alright, then. We'll rejoin you shortly, Mr. Masters." With that, the three of them disappeared into the sitting room.

Vlad, Lewis, and Jason watched them leave. Jason observed, "Your teacher friend is rather protective."

"Indeed, he is," Vlad agreed. "Severus was there to help us through a rough patch or two. Every Head of House should be as attentive as Severus is. And he'll be an exquisite father, once he breaks down and asks his ward about adoption."

Jason was glad for this opening. "And what do you consider an exquisite father, Mr. Masters?"

"Well… being protective is a serious part of it. Loving the child unconditionally is another important part. I feel proud whenever Daniel succeeds in anything I've taught him, or when he does well in class. I try to give him advice on how the world works. Cheering him on in school sports is a part of it." Vlad sat up straight and preened. "I watched him win his first game. Gosh, is he good!"

Mr. Coleman tried not to laugh in amusement – Vlad was so excited. "I'm sure he is. What sport does he play?"

Vlad peaked his eyebrows. "It's some British thing. The game wouldn't translate to anything you would have heard of. I never heard of it until we got to that school, and I'd be hard put to try to compare it to anything. It involves balls, bats, and goals. And it's not cricket or croquet."

Jason furrowed his brows and tried to imagine what this game would look like, but without more details, he couldn't come up with anything.

"Mr. Masters, why do you want to change your guardianship into a full adoption?"

Vlad smiled proudly. "Because on Christmas, Daniel asked me to. But since I met him two years ago, I've had a serious connection to him. I've longed to tutor – nay, mentor him in self-defense skills and things of the like. He's an apt pupil."

It did Jason's heart good to see a man as excited to adopt a child as Vlad Masters seemed to be. That type of thing is priceless. "You mentioned your project that is keeping you overseas. Will you be back here in time for Danny to finish high school?"

Vlad furrowed his brows. "I don't know. But with the friends he's making in the school… I'm not sure I would want to take him away from his newer sense of stability. Daniel's learning above his level, according to the home schooling guidelines I'm following. I have the forms to get the end of year exams to make sure he's up to his yearmates. Maybe our current situation will suffice. Regardless, after traveling for a bit, we'll come back to the States again so he can take his PSATs and SATs."

Jason nodded. "You've done your homework, and you've given Danny a peer group, even though the situation sounds unusual. Is he happy?"

Vlad frowned. "As much as he can be. He still grieves for his family and friends in Amity Park, but he's made many new friends. He's particularly close to Severus's ward, Harry."

"It sounds like you spend more time with Severus than an average parent would with a teacher."

Vlad sighed. "Severus and I have a lot in common, and the orphaned boys we care for _also_ have a lot in common. I imagine that we'll spend a good deal of time sharing company, whether here in America, there in England, or elsewhere."

Jason nodded. "Do you have anyone else in your support system?"

Vlad smirked. "Remus Lupin, Severus's childhood acquaintance, is particularly helpful in times of stress. Sir Nicholas, one of the school advisors on hand, is always available for assistance. I've spent time talking to Sir Nicholas to help me with my own grieving process; the Fentons were dear friends."

Lewis sat back and watched. Masters had an answer for everything. He always did.

Jason cocked his head. "Mr. Masters, I've noticed that your support system seems to come primarily from your current connections in England. What about here, at home?"

Vlad sighed, and ran a hand over the top of his head. "To be frank, Mr. Coleman, besides the Fentons, most of my acquaintances were business associates. I've spent endless amounts of time on my financial empire. But since Daniel came into my life, not just as my friends' son but my ward, I've had to rearrange some priorities. While I'm still running my businesses and up-keeping all in my employ, my main and central priority is Daniel.

"Daniel's schooling and welfare take the lion's share of my time and attention, and I wouldn't have it any other way. So, it makes sense that my most intimate contacts in my life are also connected to Daniel. It may not be the standard way of things, but then again, I've never truly been a standard type of fellow."

Jason hid a smile behind his hand. He could have been talking to Oliver Warbucks – he didn't seem to have close personal friends until Little Orphan Annie came into his life, either.

Jason cleared his throat. "If you needed to leave Danny for a few days, who would watch him?"

"At present, anyone at the school. Actually, it already happened. Surely you heard about my press conference in November."

Mr. Coleman grimaced. He didn't connect the media-hyped personality with this man sitting before him. Vlad Masters was a multi-faceted individual, and his influence was far-reaching.

"Right – I forgot. It _is_ a boarding school where Danny stays when he's not with you. Still, it is a standard question." Jason thought for a moment. "How does Danny behave? Or rather, does he behave?"

Vlad sighed. "Daniel is… What exactly are you asking me?"

Jason looked to Lewis, whose face was impassive. He looked Vlad in the eye and asked, "What types of discipline do you plan on using if Danny misbehaves?"

Vlad covered his eyes with a hand. It all came back to that, didn't it? Mr. Coleman need never know about October 1, or the torment before that, or…

Removing his hand from his eyes, Vlad sighed again. "Mr. Coleman, like any teenager, Daniel is headstrong and willful. But he is obedient, and such a good boy that his righteousness hurts. Since a traumatic incident that occurred during his freshman year, Daniel has vowed never to cheat or travel down a dark path to destruction. Severus tells me that he intimidates students in his House if they even _mention_ cheating, and then they just don't. He is nigh incorruptible, as he's had to deal with," Vlad gulped. "Arrogant Froot-Loops who tried to sway him into a life of crime. He's resisted against impossible odds, and I have every intention to help keep him on the straight and narrow."

He closed his eyes. Vlad was going to schedule some time to pound his head against the wall later, as he just… Arg! But there was no time for this; Mr. Coleman was waiting. He opened his eyes and continued.

"In the unlikely event that Daniel ever is in need of chastisement for behavior modification… I would take away favored privileges for a limited time, and taking a page from a teacher's book, I'd have him write an essay explaining why what he did was wrong, the possible consequences of the misbehavior, and what a preferable course of action would have been."

Lewis raised an eyebrow and said, "Mr. Masters, no kid is _that_ good. It's not humanly possible."

Vlad thought, 'Tell me about it.' "So it would seem. However, I assure you it's absolutely true. No one is perfect, not even Daniel, but his character is impeccable, and it would be interesting to see who could find the chinks in the armor of my little white knight."

Jason sat back in consideration. He'd heard potential parents declare that they would _never_ commit some form of punishment or another. He'd heard them talk about limits, and what constituted infractions, and various and sundry punishments, from 'time-out's to mild corporal punishment, although it was rare for interviewees to mention corporal punishment these days.

But to hear a potential adoptive parent rant on about _any_ child's merits this way just didn't happen, unless one parent in a seriously unhappy couple tried to place blame on the other while suing for custody. Here, no blame was being placed. It was just praise so high that it _had_ to be hyperbolic to be believable. This was entirely new to his experience. Well, there was a first for everything.

"I've got one more question before the others come back, and documents need to be signed by a notary public and fingerprints are taken." Vlad nodded. "In the event of death or serious illness, who do you plan on supporting Danny?"

Vlad muttered, "As if the boy needs any _more_ tragedy in his life," and Jason blushed, but waited for an answer. "Not that I plan on dying anytime soon, but… For one thing, Daniel is my heir, whether or not the State of Wisconsin declares him to be my son. When I die, Daniel will inherit everything I own. So he will _never_ lack for resources, ever. But who would take care of him? While his aunt Alicia would be notified, of course, the Headmaster of the school arranged for a family or two as candidates to take the job, if the need arose. I've met both families, and I agree that they would be more than capable of taking care of Daniel's particular needs."

Vlad rolled his eyes. "While Alicia has yet to install indoor plumbing…" Jason and Lewis started. "She lives in Spittoon, Arkansas," Vlad snapped, as if that explained everything. "I understand the woman splits and cords her own firewood, but as far as providing for the needs of an active teenager? While Daniel _could_ make do, there are people Daniel trusts… _I_ trust… to be able to embrace him and fulfill his needs.

"But since this is only theoretical, we don't have to worry about such things, hmm?"

* * *

Severus, Sarah, and Danny came back to the sitting room, and they sat in the comfortable arrangement Sarah found them in when she first got there. The used tea set was cleared away, and a fresh set graced the coffee table. "Mr. Masters was ready for us."

Danny thought for a moment. He nodded when he came to his conclusion. "Yeah, Vlad's good that way. He tries to anticipate every situation."

Sarah poured herself a cup. "Oh? Why do you say that?"

Danny took a cookie. "Vlad's good at chess, and he often tells me, 'The winning strategy is to anticipate every situation.' He taught me how to play. Since chess is a favorite game back at school, I know that's good advice."

"Are you any good?"

"I think so. I even beat Vlad a few times, but people in my House play all the time. Still, Harry says he'd like to see me play Ron. They're in a different House, so I don't get to see them as often during down time."

Sarah thought about that. "Vlad says he teaches you English and math. What do you think of him as a teacher?"

"You know… Vlad is _brilliant_. No, really. He has a way of making _everything_ interesting and relevant. I know Mr. Lancer tried." At a questioning glance from Sarah, he clarified, "He was a teacher and vice-principal of Casper High before… well, Mr. Lancer was interested in what he taught. But Vlad has a way of, I don't know, taking what we're learning and comparing it to life around us."

"Oh? Like what?"

"Well, when we discussed isolated communities, and how culture stagnates if there is nothing to add change," Severus raised an eyebrow. "Vlad had me read _The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe_. The idea that Narnia didn't see Christmas for centuries… well, there were a lot of… implications for that, but one was that without something new, like the kids showing up, Narnia was stuck in a broken cycle."

Sarah raised her eyebrows. "That is a unique perspective on the story."

"Yeah. Like I said, it was only one of many."

"What are you learning now?"

Danny blushed. "I told him I thought 19th century literature was boring, and he took it as a challenge. Right now, we're working on _A Christmas Carol_…"

Severus interjected, "Oh, he _would_…"

Sarah reprimanded, "Mr. Snape…"

Severus waved a hand. "Sorry. Never mind, never mind. Vlad just has an interesting sense of humor. And what's next? _Oliver Twist_?"

Danny furrowed his brows. "Well, yeah, but only after Christina Rossetti's 'Goblin Market.' There are a handful of lessons to be learned, he said. Last term, we compared Shakespearean ghosts. Vlad says that, either over the summer or next term, we'll compare literary goblins."

Severus smirked. "Oh, he's good. He's better than I thought. We'll have to discuss this later." He almost chuckled, thoroughly amused.

Sarah rolled her eyes and took back control of the conversation. "Danny, when Vlad's not teaching you your lessons, how is he with you?"

Danny was at a loss. How was a kid supposed to explain a relationship that changed from being arch-enemies to being a loving father and son? And they were still working to fix all the damage.

Sarah sat forward, putting her cup down. "Danny, what's wrong?"

Frowning, Danny said, "Nothing is wrong, really. It's just complicated. When we met two years ago, we didn't really get along, but he was always kinda interested in teaching me, and mentoring me. Sometimes, he had a really bizarre way of showing it.

"But since he became my guardian in July… We've really tried to make it work." Danny gulped. "Especially since October 1."

"Danny?" Sarah was concerned at the boy's distress.

"Professor, help," Danny pleaded.

Severus reached over and put a hand on Danny's back. "It will be fine, Daniel. Ms. Goldwasser, Vlad and Daniel had a rather serious altercation that day. Responsibly, Daniel turned to me for assistance, and I came to mediate. But since that time, Vlad and Daniel have grown, and their relationship has flourished." He looked down at Danny. "Will you be alright, now?"

"Yeah." Danny smiled weakly. The professor left his hand on Danny's back, and Danny seemed more at ease with this contact.

Sarah observed that this student and Head of House were emotionally closer than what was strictly professional. She wrote a note to ask about that later.

"Danny, Vlad has been your guardian for months. What do you think of this change in status from guardian and ward to father and son?"

Danny smiled. "Actually, I asked for it. It's a relationship he's wanted for a long time, and I asked him to adopt me on Christmas Day. I've never seen him happier."

Sarah smiled back. "That is lovely, Danny. And I can tell that this makes _you_ happy."

"Yeah."

Sarah relaxed a bit, and took a cookie of her own. "Danny, does it concern you that Vlad's not married?"

Danny jerked his head. "No. Why would it?"

"It is usually considered healthier for an adopted child to have two parents."

Danny drummed his fingers on an armrest, and Severus was amused that the boy adopted Vlad's impatient tic. The boy thought for a bit. "That's probably true. But it's also true that two parents aren't necessarily as attentive as they might be. My friend Sam's parents didn't understand her at all. They always tried to make her something she wasn't. She was already very smart, athletic, and she got good grades. But they wanted to turn her into a fashion plate. She preferred to be a Goth." Severus stared at him – that was a detail Daniel never shared about his friend before.

Danny continued. "While Vlad's been unlucky at love, he always encouraged me to play to my strengths. He's a business mogul, or something, but he respects the fact that I've always wanted to be an astronaut. He's helped me with math, so I got an idea of what 'astronomic numbers' really are. When we got to Britain, and I saw that one of the classes was going to be boring, he arranged it so I tested out of it." Danny beamed. "I passed with flying colors."

Danny tilted his head. "You know, Ms. Goldwasser, I _know_ what a two-parent family should be. My parents were good at that. But Vlad shouldn't be punished because of something he couldn't control. He cares about _me_, and that's what's important. At least, I would hope so."

Sarah smiled. "You're right, Danny. That _is_ what is important." Severus took mental notes, as a similar argument could be made when he would try to formally adopt Harry.

"Also," Danny said, getting the attention of both adults in the room. "Vlad and I have a lot in common. He's taught me a lot about self-defense, and we share a lot of similar skills. I'm pretty sure that Vlad would be the perfect teacher for these things, the same way he's good at everything else."

Severus raised his eyebrows. Sir Nicholas said as much about the half-ghosts, but it was interesting to hear Daniel validate the claim that the two half-ghosts truly sought each other's company.

Sarah frowned, because there was no 'right' way to ask the next few questions, unless there was already an opening for them. "Danny, I need to ask you. Does Vlad do anything to make you uncomfortable?"

Danny frowned and thought. "We've hit a couple of speed bumps in our relationship, but as far as making me uncomfortable? I can say with certainty: he hasn't done something like that intentionally since October 1, that I could tell."

Sarah closed her eyes. She hated this part of her job, but she had to ask. She opened her eyes and took the plunge. "Has he… touched you anywhere inappropriate?"

Danny jumped from his chair, sending it to the floor. "No! That's sick! Why would you ask that?"

Sarah nodded patiently and spoke soothingly. "Because it's my job to ask questions and make sure you're safe. With such a violent reaction on you're part, I'm glad to have asked what seems to be an irrelevant question."

Danny bent down to pick up the chair he overturned, as he needed a distraction to help calm himself down. This lady wasn't accusing Vlad of anything, but she just asked the question for Danny's safety. He stood the chair back up, grasped the back of his chair, and whispered, "Do people do that?"

Sarah cleared her throat. "Sometimes, unfortunately, yes. And orphans are easy to take advantage of, as they have no one to fall back on for help." Danny thought of Harry. While Harry didn't seem to worry about _that_, Danny knew that Harry _was_ abused and neglected, and until relatively recently, he had no one to turn to for help.

Danny shook his head. "Well, whatever faults Vlad has, _that's_ not one of them." Both Sarah and Severus sighed with relief. Severus rather suspected as much, but it was always good to hear such things confirmed.

Sarah closed her notepad. "I think we're done, here. We're ready to rejoin the others, if they're ready for us." She knocked on the door to the library.

"Come in," they heard Mr. Coleman call.

The three of them entered the library and took their former seats around the table. Jason asked, "So, you're finished, have you? We're also done. Certain things have been signed, fingerprints have been taken." Sarah nodded. Turning back to Vlad, Jason said, "Give us a few minutes. We'll be back." The two representatives of the WCWS disappeared into the sitting room to confer and exchange notes.

Vlad cleared his throat. "So, how did it go?"

Danny took a deep breath. "For the most part, it was okay."

Vlad frowned. "For the most part?"

Severus patted Danny's shoulder. "There were questions Ms. Goldwasser was required to ask that made Daniel uncomfortable, but it all worked out well, from what I could tell."

Danny stared down at the table for a few seconds. Then he looked back up at Vlad. "How did it go with you?"

Vlad smiled. "It went well, as far as I could tell. What do you say, Mr. Greer?"

The lawyer chuckled. "Besides presenting Danny as a knight in shining armor and a child above all reproach, I'd say that it went reasonably well."

Danny smirked. Little did Mr. Greer know that Danny really _was_ a knight… as far as Princess Dora's authority went. "Cool."

Lewis took in both Vlad and Danny's relieved expressions. "Now that the tough part of today's out of the way, I've got a question for you, Danny."

"Okay."

"If this goes through the way I kind of expect it to, what last name are you going to take?"

Danny felt like he was blindsided. "Huh?"

Lewis explained. "When an adoption goes through, the adopted child customarily takes on his adopted parents' last name. That's especially true with children too young to remember their birthparents or children interested in distancing themselves from abusive parents. But kids who have fond memories of birthparents sometimes prefer to simply keep their last names. Or, a new naming trend is to hyphenate the two last names, to incorporate the last name you were born with and the last name of the family you're adopted into."

"Oh." This was something Danny didn't think of at all, and he felt lost.

"Listen, Danny. There are no hard and fast rules here. The choice is up to you. I have the forms ready for you to apply for a new Social Security card and a Wisconsin non-driver's ID with whatever name you choose to take." Danny looked at Vlad, who appeared to be hopeful. "You can even change your mind later, though it would cost extra for a replacement Social Security card and photo ID. But that cost is negligible, in the grand scheme of things."

Danny looked at Vlad, Severus, and the lawyer. "Can I have some time to think about it?"

Vlad put his arm around Danny's shoulder. "Of course you can, little badger. Your becoming my son is the most important thing." He sighed heavily. "I would truly be honored if you took Masters as your name, even if only in part. But again, as Mr. Greer said, the choice is up to you."

Lewis Greer nodded. "I also have forms to get you a passport with your new name, Danny, and I have the forms to revise your will, Mr. Masters, to reflect Danny's name, if such things become necessary."

Vlad smiled. "Thanks again, Mr. Greer. Your service is truly invaluable."

Severus observed the tableau. Daniel, worried and confused, sat in a partial embrace by Vlad, proud and hopeful, and Lewis sat, impartial and eager to be helpful. "Vlad, you've put an awful lot of energy into this. Every last document is either in place or ready to be."

"Severus, I've longed for this moment for a very long time. This eventuality is one I prayed for, and I'm not really the praying type. It would be foolish in the extreme to not be prepared for this moment I've long awaited."

Severus sighed. Getting guardianship papers for Harry was as simple as getting them from Arthur Weasley. Perhaps he should ask Arthur about guidelines for adoption in the Wizarding World. Vlad said he prepared for this for over a decade. And he's only known Daniel for two years.

Well… Logically, Severus _knew_ that the Muggle process for adoption took years. Vlad knew what he wanted (even if that made him a child-stealing adulterous bastard), he did research, he did the legwork to make it happen, and waited for the appropriate opportunity. The Wizarding World was capricious, fickle, and corrupt. On a whim, the person processing the papers could make something happen or not.

If Rufus Scrimgeour knew that Snape desired to become guardian to any boy, he would not have cared one way or the other. But once he became the guardian of the Boy Who Lived, the Minister was full of objections. However, objecting after the fact was futile. If the useless Minister knew Severus had designs to adopt Harry properly, he would set up as many roadblocks as humanly possible.

However… If he could go through Arthur Weasley, who cared personally for the welfare of Harry Potter, maybe it wouldn't be so bad. This, of course, would assume that Scrimgeour didn't actually look at Harry's case file and decide to take a close, personal interest in the fate of 'the Chosen One.'

None of this mattered, of course, until he asked Harry, and Harry consented to be adopted. And Severus still had no clue about how to do even that. He sighed again.

At about 4:30, Jason and Sarah came back to the library. Vlad and Danny stiffened in anticipation. Jason spoke first. "After comparing notes, we see no problem with this adoption going forward. There are a few details that need to be hammered out, but you've done all you need to, and from what we can tell, you meet as many requirements as necessary and more for a positive adoption. The fingerprints need to be ran, so the FBI and the State of Wisconsin can make sure you're not a dangerous criminal." Vlad did not register a reaction on his face. "The next piece of this is to sign the application with Danny's new full legal name, and to have a notary sign and stamp it."

Lewis smiled broadly. "Sounds good to me. Are you ready, Danny?"

Danny took a deep breath. "I think so. We can do this."

Vlad signed the papers with a flourish. Danny took the papers, and then printed and signed his new name, 'Daniel Fenton-Masters.'

Lewis signed and dated the document, stamped it with his notary stamp, looked up, and smiled. "Good luck, Vladimir Masters and Daniel Fenton-Masters."

"Daniel! I… thank you." Vlad got up and hugged Danny tightly. "My son!"

"I'm glad you like it, Papá."

Severus wondered if he could get Harry to help reenact this moment. His own eyes became glassy. More than that, he wouldn't do.

Everyone waited until the new family broke the embrace before they said a word.

Jason said, "You should receive something in six to eight weeks to notify you that everything has gone through. Would you prefer it to come to this address, or your address in England?"

Vlad answered, "Send it here. My secretary forwards all my mail to England. The last thing I need is a technical SNAFU because the State of Wisconsin couldn't be bothered to pay for international mail."

Jason chuckled. "Fair enough."

Sarah cleared her throat. "While we're all here, I have a question I need an answer to."

Vlad blinked at her stony expression. "Alright."

"It concerns Mr. Snape."

Severus looked her in the eye. "What would you like to know, Ms. Goldwasser?"

"You explained that the staff of a House operates _in loco parentis_ in a British boarding school. However, I got the feeling that your emotional attachment to Danny is more than strictly professional."

Severus narrowed his eyes. "What are you saying, Ms. Goldwasser?"

"I don't know, Mr. Snape. You tell me."

Danny said, "Excuse me, Ms. Goldwasser. That's entirely _my_ fault, but nothing bad is happening."

Sarah raised an eyebrow. "Why don't you explain it, and we'll see?"

Taking a deep breath, Danny began. "When we first got to the school, I had lots of adjustment issues. The mourning was a serious part of it. Getting used to Papá was another part of it." Sarah noticed how seamlessly Danny's transition from calling Masters 'Vlad' to 'Papá' seemed to be. "We spent a lot of emotional time working stuff out. And Professor Snape's ward Harry and I are also particularly close. I realize it might not be normal, strictly speaking. But between everything going on, I started thinking of Harry like a cousin. I figured that if Harry could be like a cousin, his guardian could be like an uncle. I know it's weird, but it's complicated."

"Are you in the habit of adopting children in your House as nephews, Mr. Snape?"

Severus cleared his throat. "No, I am not, Ms. Goldwasser, and I don't appreciate what you are implying. The Headmaster is fully aware of the situation, and he has no problem with it. As Daniel said, it is complicated, but nothing untoward has happened here. Nothing at all."

Jason sighed. "The Headmaster is aware of this. Danny is aware of this. Mr. Masters?"

Vlad took a cleansing breath before starting. "There are quite a few authorities who are aware of every social detail. If you require notification, that can be arranged. But I can assure you that everything is above board. Severus has proven to be a source of solace, comfort, and assistance. His intentions are honorable, and he's done nothing that a man in his circumstances should not do. When Daniel told me of his attachment to his favorite professor, it came as a surprise to both Severus and myself, but when Daniel explained his reasoning, it was quite logical."

Sarah narrowed her eyes. "What do _you_ say, Mr. Greer?"

Lewis thought for a moment. "That all depends. Are you assuming the people here are telling the truth? Not ten minutes ago, everyone here was trusted enough to allow Danny to become Mr. Masters' son. That hasn't changed. Are we still going to assume they're telling the truth?

"Danny here has explained quite logically that with a lot of the emotional turmoil involved, he and Mr. Snape became close. From what I've heard, it sounds like the catalyst for the unusual bond between student and teacher is the teacher's ward.

"Mr. Snape said earlier that the relationship between Mr. Masters and Danny inspired him to become a guardian to another teen in need. I rather take it that Mr. Snape doesn't decide his major life decisions based on every last student in his care. Therefore, it stands to reason that something special or unusual has taken place. Danny said nothing bad is happening. Mr. Snape says nothing untoward is happening. Mr. Masters maintains that Mr. Snape has acted honorably.

"It is probably safe to say that such a thing isn't habit forming, as the impetus to be or do something out of the ordinary has inspired the professor to take charge of an orphan in need. Without knowing all the details involved, I would go out on a limb to say that Mr. Snape's bonding with Danny may be unusual, but probably not only beneficial to both, it may be educational and useful in Mr. Snape's relationship with his own ward.

"Based on everything I've seen and heard this afternoon, I see no reason to say that anything is truly wrong."

Sarah sighed. She decided that if Mr. Greer was always this convincing, he was worth every penny the billionaire paid for his services. "I guess I have no further objections."

Jason said, "If you're sure, Sarah, I think we're done here for today. It was a pleasure to meet you, Danny, Mr. Masters, and Mr. Snape. I expect we'll hear from you later, Mr. Greer." He shook hands with them, and Vlad rose to escort them to the door.

Sarah nodded. "Have a good evening." She shook hands with all three who were going back to England, and bid Mr. Greer a good evening as well. With that, Vlad led Jason and Sarah out of the library.

Danny asked, "Mr. Greer, how can you have all the stuff ready, when the DMV and the passport need photos?"

Lewis smiled. "That's a good question. Mr. Masters has given me your Illinois non-driver's ID and a set of passport pictures, and that will work for now. Ultimately, you'll have to come back for official photos, but that is enough to start with."

Vlad reentered the room and suggested, "Could we work on signing forms? If possible, I would like to leave by six, or 6:30 at the latest. We _do_ have to get back…"

Lewis nodded. "And we wouldn't want you to miss your flight."

* * *

Lewis Greer left at a quarter to six, and by tacit agreement, the two ghosts and the wizard decided not to leave for the lab for another fifteen minutes.

Severus tiredly looked between Danny and Vlad, and gathering his courage, he said, "I'm proud of both of you. Today was the culmination of a great deal of time and effort, and it looks like you've found a happy ending, once the mess with Voldemort is through. But… I'm sure you've guessed that I want to adopt Harry."

Danny smiled gently. "It was only a matter of time, Uncle Severus."

"How do I go about asking him?"

Vlad looked at him for a beat or two before answering, "The direct way should work. Saying, 'How would you like it if I adopted you?' or some such formulation should be sufficient."

"But…"

"Uncle Severus, ask him. I think he'll be thrilled. He may try to be stoic, but seriously. Try it. You'll like it."

The professor looked at the two half-ghosts in utter disbelief. "Surely it can't be that simple."

Vlad rolled his eyes and clucked his tongue. Danny asked, "Why not? That's what I did. And for all the courage Harry has, asking you _that_… Look, if he couldn't ask Remus what he was desperate to know since his Third Year, he's too… I don't know. From what I can tell, the Dursleys pretty much 'cured' him of the ability to reach out and ask for comfort and love. He doesn't know how to ask. But you – you know what you want. He probably wants it even more."

Severus decided that it was at least worth the effort. "Daniel… how do you know such things? From what I can tell, you lacked for nothing. How can you understand matters of the heart the way you do?"

Danny thought for a moment. "The only thing I was afraid to ask was if my parents would accept me if they knew I was not just their son, but Danny Phantom, the ghost they were convinced could only be a menace to society. I had a hint that they might, but…" He shrugged. "If I knew how to ask, I would have. But I didn't, and now I can't. Don't make Harry languish 'cause he can't figure out how to ask for what he probably wants more than anything, besides hearing that Voldemort curled up and died."

Severus smiled. "You have comforted me, Daniel. I'll ask tomorrow." He looked at his watch. "Or, rather, later today."

The clock struck six, and as one, they got up and walked to Vlad's private study. Vlad pulled the golden football on the right, and got out of the way so Severus and Danny could go before him. He pushed a button, and the panels shut behind him.

When they got to the portal, Severus closed his eyes. "It took over an hour to get here. When we get back…"

"Ah, ah, ah," Vlad smirked. "We'll have that taken care of. Come." Vlad took Severus's arm as they stepped into the swirling void. "Daniel, hold onto your uncle." Severus grimaced as he felt like an object being passed about, but said nothing while Vlad tugged the giant football back before the open portal.

"Now, Daniel, open a portal to my rooms." Danny did as Vlad asked, and the three of them stepped into Vlad's living room at Hogwarts.

Severus sputtered. "But… you can do this?"

Vlad's amusement grew. "Of course he can."

"Then why didn't you tell me?"

Vlad chuckled. "What? And spoil the surprise?"

36


	48. Chapter 48

Once again, I thank you all who have read and reviewed, and added this story (and me) to your assorted lists. I think cookies and chocolate milk are good for a summer's treat.

The story is beginning to wind down. The end is in sight, and I want to thank you for staying with me this far. I hope you enjoy the last few chapters as much as I enjoy writing them.

Enough people have asked about this that I feel a public answer is in order. The showdown with Voldemort is coming very, very soon. Just not this chapter. I'm not stringing you along indefinitely – a few plot points need to happen first. But rest assured, your wait is coming to an end. Soon.

In this chapter, I've taken a few lines and images directly from _Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows _(chapters 26 and 33), and a line from _Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix _(chapter 14). You will find the scenes vaguely familiar, but I hope I've done enough to make them original. Also, I've gotten a little creative with Kreacher's praise of Harry and a few other details. I don't think I've gone too far afield with a few "facts" I made up for color.

Disclaimer: I do not own _Danny Phantom_, _Harry Potter_, or _Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring_.

Chapter 48

At breakfast on Sunday morning, Vlad was particularly smug, Severus looked a bit disgruntled, and the other professors were a bit puzzled. Professor Dumbledore asked, "Is everything alright? How did it go?"

Vlad sighed contentedly. "Everything worked out splendidly. The interview went swimmingly, and Daniel's new last name is legally Fenton-Masters." He preened and received congratulations from everyone present. The excitement over the adoption made others forget about what interview took place when and where.

Dumbledore acknowledged the discontent of his Potions Master. "Severus?"

Snape rolled his eyes. "Everything is fine. Vlad just tossed a surprise or two in my direction… I would have appreciated knowing a few things before-hand." He cocked his head thoughtfully. "I need to ask you a question privately at some point, preferably today."

Albus cleared his throat. "Ah, Severus… Since you are Harry's guardian, it is only fitting…"

"What about Harry?" Severus demanded.

Professor Dumbledore thought about how much he should say in so public a forum. When he came to a decision, he said, "Severus, I would like to see both you and Harry in the room off the Great Hall after breakfast. There is nothing wrong, but it is important."

Severus hated when Dumbledore was cryptic with him, especially when it came to Harry. He closed his eyes and furrowed his brows in an effort to control his temper. "As you wish, Headmaster. I'll inform him directly."

Vlad noticed Severus's mood shift. It was fun to watch Snape deal with his surprise, but Snape looked far more distressed than that. "Severus?"

The addressed wizard sighed. "Perhaps we'll discuss it later. I have a ward to inform."

* * *

Harry and Professor Snape met the Headmaster, both of them curious. Albus smiled at them. "Thank you. Of the many private lessons Harry and I have been having, the last one was most successful. Today I have proposed a field trip to Gringotts."

Harry perked up. "Today?"

Severus frowned. "I beg your pardon, but are you proposing to remove Harry from the heavy wards of Hogwarts to go to Diagon Alley?"

Dumbledore nodded. "I am."

Severus took three deep breaths. "I object, Headmaster."

"I understand your objection. However, there are a few things you should know. First of all, Bodred – the manager of the Diagon Alley branch of Gringotts – has graciously allowed me to put many safety wards in his office and has granted permission to otherwise breach the security of Gringotts by allowing a Portkey to his office."

Severus was impressed. "And what are you doing at Gringotts that so impressed a goblin enough to allow a wizard to bypass the integrity of the security therein? And – forgive my impertinence – why should I allow Harry to leave this school? And, more to the point, am I coming with you two?"

"I suppose… Well, circumstances have changed sufficiently for me to be able to tell you. But as far as the goblins are concerned… The goblins try to stay out of the affairs of wizards…"

Harry supplied, "For they are subtle and quick to anger." Both Severus and Albus stared at him. "Never mind. I read it somewhere. I'm sorry – please continue."

Severus continued to stare at him, but Albus chuckled merrily. "Indeed. But as I meant to say, the goblins tried not to choose sides in our last war with Voldemort. However, with Tom's insistence on the superiority of wizards," Dumbledore blushed guiltily, but pressed on, "I reminded them that if Voldemort had his way, he could just as easily retire goblins from their positions in Gringotts. Our activity today is another decisive blow against Tom Riddle."

Harry squirmed a bit. "I guess… that could do it."

Severus finally turned his gaze from the boy and asked his employer, "Ah, so I'm coming. Good to know. And what are _we_ going to do at Gringotts that will involve Harry and the destruction of that madman?"

Professor Dumbledore hung his head and closed his eyes. After a moment, he opened them. "My dear Severus, you know as well as I that he would stop at nothing to keep his own death at bay."

The old wizard beetled his brows and sighed heavily. "I could not tell you before, because I preferred not to put all my secrets in one basket, particularly not a basket that spent so much time dangling on the arm of Lord Voldemort."

"Which I did on your orders!"

"And you did it extremely well, providing the Wizarding World – and me in particular – a service of truly incalculable value. I cannot thank you enough. However, considering your change of roles, I see no danger any longer of you knowing this particular truth."

He sighed painfully. "You already know enough of the prophecy to know that Harry must be present at the final battle. The prophecy only hints to a part of what needs to be accomplished." He closed his eyes to steady himself, opened them, and said, "Using the Darkest, vilest magic known to Wizarding kind, Voldemort has created a number of Horcruxes, storing bits of his soul, keeping him immortal for as long as they existed."

Severus blanched. "A Horcrux? But… you spoke of multiple Horcruxes."

"Indeed, I did. Between Harry and I (and, unwittingly, our American friends), we have destroyed all but one of the Horcruxes made from inanimate objects."

Severus's mind whirred, processing all of this. "That means there are Horcruxes made from animate objects, perhaps living beings."

Albus whispered, "Yes."

"So, what are our living Horcruxes?"

Breathing deeply, Albus answered, "One of them is Voldemort's snake, Nagini."

"And the other? Or how many others are there?"

The Headmaster closed his eyes tightly. "Besides Nagini, there is only one other living Horcrux. Don't ask it! I can't bear to tell you – the answer is too horrible to think about. The only way to destroy the Horcrux is to bring about the death of an innocent, and… I have no right to ask the innocent to be a martyr. I also have reason to believe that the person would do so if I asked. But… I can't! I won't. So don't ask."

Both Harry and Severus peaked their eyebrows. It was news to Harry that there was a _second_ living Horcrux. And it seemed it was a living, breathing person. The thought sent a chill up his spine. He wondered who it was.

Professor Snape squared his shoulders and asked, "Very well. And today's adventure?"

Albus cleared his throat. "Yes. Concerning today's activity, we are going to Gringotts, the location of the last inanimate Horcrux."

It took a severe act of will for Severus to not drum his fingers on the table impatiently. "And why must Harry come to destroy it?"

Albus nodded slowly. "Because, Severus, it is within the vault Harry inherited from Sirius Black." Severus rolled his eyes and clucked his tongue. Dumbledore ignored him. "And since it is the ancestral vault of the Blacks, only the inheritor has the ability to persuade the goblins to let him at it. Unlike, say, the Potter vault, that the Weasleys have been able to access on his behalf with the loan of Harry's key, the Black vault has a… significant number of safeguards such that only the proper owner – and, perhaps, his guardian – could enter with impunity, unscathed."

Harry whistled in appreciation. He knew a little about the vault since the last lesson he had with the Headmaster. But… he had to persuade the goblins? What if he couldn't mount a proper argument? What if they decided he was an intruder? What if…?

Severus cleared his throat. "While I am intrigued and vaguely amused by the idea that _I_ may have access to the ancestral vault of _Sirius Black_, I still can't help but wonder how Harry came into possession of such a Dark object."

Albus looked at his Potions Master squarely. "Severus, you may have forgotten that Sirius had three cousins who all had access to their ancestral vault, and that continued while the rightful owner was temporarily dispossessed as a criminal."

Severus felt his blood run cold. "Bellatrix." Albus nodded. Severus narrowed his eyes. "And how do we know that Harry is in control of any of this?"

Dumbledore smiled at Harry. "Call him, if you please."

In a moment, Harry smiled, too. "Kreacher!"

The named elf popped into the room with a loud crack. "Great Master Harry called?"

Severus raised an eyebrow. "_Great_ Master Harry?"

"Oh, yes. Great Master Harry helped me complete Master Regulus's last order to Kreacher. Master Harry is a great master, indeed."

Harry cut off the adulation and said, "Listen, Kreacher. Severus has to ask you a few things. Please answer my guardian honestly and fully."

The elf bowed low. "Of course, Master Harry. Kreacher understands."

Considering the last time Severus saw this elf, it had muttered evil imprecations about Mudbloods and half-blooded filth, and it now gazed in adoration at Harry, Severus was duly impressed and reminded himself to ask Harry about this attitude change later. For now, he asked, "Is it true that Harry has inherited the entire Black inheritance?"

The elf nodded vigorously. "Oh, yes." He narrowed his eyes in distaste, but would say nothing untoward in his Master's presence. "Master Sirius was very clever when he wrote his will. I don't know how it works, but I _do_ know that Great Master Harry got the Black ancestral home, me, and everything else. Not even Mistress Bella, Mistress Cissy, or Mistress 'Dromeda (or their children) can touch any of it without Great Master Harry's say-so."

Severus raised his eyebrows. "Impressive. Harry, you are one very wealthy young man."

"I know," Harry said miserably. Severus cocked his head. He would have to figure out how to address this later.

Harry asked, "Do you have any more questions?"

Severus answered, "Not at present."

Harry turned back to the elf. "Thank you, Kreacher." He nodded at the elf, who disappeared to wherever he was before.

Severus closed his eyes, putting one hand on his forehead. "Now, I imagine, we need the tools to destroy a Horcrux. What are our options?"

Harry thought for a moment. "Well, last time, I used the Sword of Gryffindor to destroy the locket."

Professor Dumbledore nodded. "While the sword is generally a useful tool for this purpose, I don't think it will win any affection from the goblins to bring it along."

Harry was confused. "But Professor, I thought Godric Gryffindor purchased the sword from the goblin who made it."

Dumbledore sighed. "You are right, of course. But goblins' ideas about proper ownership and humans' ideas about ownership are quite different. The way _we_ see it is that once an item is made and purchased, the item is at the new owner's disposal. Goblins believe that the maker of an item is its true owner, and the purchaser merely has a life-long lease. To a goblin's way of thinking, each new inheritor should pay the owner (or owner's kin), renewing the lease.

"While we acknowledge that Godric Gryffindor bought the sword from Ragnuk the First (as do the goblins), by rights and by Wizarding Law (well… by _any_ law humans abide by), the sword belongs to whomever Godric Gryffindor left it to. Namely, ownership belongs to the Headmaster of Hogwarts, and it is free to be used by any, valiant in word and deed, to any cause Godric Gryffindor would have seen as worthy. Goblins believe that wizards have stolen the sword, as we haven't purchased it from the goblins at each successive generation."

Harry furrowed his brows. "But Uncle Vlad said that humanoid magical beings think like we do."

Severus smiled. "Actually, I would have said that Vlad explained that humanoid peoples have the capacity to think, as we do, though their perspectives and attitudes might, in fact, be _very_ different than ours."

Harry frowned but nodded. Severus's wording sounded more like what Uncle Vlad _actually_ said. "Yeah, and we don't really want to make them angry," he agreed.

Harry thought again. "Well, I destroyed Tom's diary with a Basilisk fang."

Albus smiled. "I think that might be the most effective tool this time around. Let us retrieve one and then take hold of the Portkey."

On their way to the second floor girls' bathroom, Severus asked, "Harry… once we finish with all of this, could I ask you to open the Chamber for me? There are no limitations to the worth of the Basilisk carcass…"

Harry rounded on him. "It took you long enough! Only four years!" he shouted angrily and stomped ahead.

Severus stopped and closed his eyes. "I deserved that."

The Headmaster patted his shoulder. "All of us have failed that child in so many ways, I should wonder that children continue to be left in our care. I suppose all we can do now is to focus on how to correct our wrongs and proceed to do right by him."

Severus opened his eyes and sighed sadly. "Five years is a long time to atone for, Professor."

Albus looked down, ashamed. "Not nearly as long as the fifteen long years I consigned him to the Dursleys without looking in on him. But despite his many long and hard years of ill usage, he is remarkably loving and forgiving, far more than we have any right to assume we deserve."

Severus agreed wholeheartedly. But… between all of Harry's hurt that Snape was solely responsible for, and the practically endless riches he would be in control of by adopting Harry, how would it be possible to convince the boy that he only wanted to adopt him because he learned to love the boy?

He would try to figure this out later. Now, there was a Horcrux to destroy.

* * *

By mutual consent, the three wizards decided not to mention the Chamber of Secrets, no matter what wonders it held. Three Freshening Charms and a fang later, Albus, Severus, and Harry grabbed the scroll of parchment upon which was written the terms of permission for this Portkey to be used, and all three were taken to Bodred's office.

Bodred eyed the three of them warily, but waved them towards seats in front of his desk. "I believe you have something of Voldemort's to destroy."

Albus nodded. "We do."

Severus asked curiously, "How is it that you have no fear of his name?"

Bodred sneered scornfully. "If goblins made a habit of refusing to say the name of every wand-carrier who has served us ill, we wouldn't say the names of half the account holders here at Gringotts. And that would be bad for business."

Harry saw the logic in that. That made even more sense, when he thought of all the goblin-made weapons and jewelry that was owned by witches and wizards. The details of all those goblin rebellions Professor Binns taught about didn't seem all that relevant, but some of those wars were started over debts and favors owed and refused, or impositions of will, or bindings of magic of…

Well… Harry might not have been awake in Professor Binns' class, but he did his homework. From a goblin's perspective, Bodred had a point.

Noting that the wizards attempted to stay respectful, Bodred relaxed his sneer. "Which vault?"

Albus answered, "The ancestral vault of the Black family."

Bodred narrowed his eyes. "I don't know why you believe you have the right to this vault, but you'll have Greldik to answer to. _He_ is responsible for the vaults belonging to the Blacks, the Lestranges, the Malfoys, and… the Tonkses."

The Headmaster sat impassively. Severus was interested in the goings-on. Harry wasn't sure what to make of it, yet.

Greldik responded to a summons Harry didn't catch. "You! What business do you have, thinking you have the right to the Black vault?"

Harry sat up straight. "Sirius left it to me."

Greldik eyed Harry. "You are Harry Potter."

"Yes, sir."

The goblin's eyes widened at the term of respect. "I've heard of what you've done. Why do you think that gives you the right to something not from your family? Griphook is involved with the Potter holdings."

Harry closed his eyes. "Personally, I would rather have Sirius. He was my godfather. But…" He almost lost the heart to continue, but Severus put a hand on his shoulder. Harry took a breath. "I didn't ask for his stuff. But he left me a lot in his will. Kreacher says he doesn't understand how it works, but…"

"And who is Kreacher?"

Harry felt his courage grow, knowing he was right. Severus's hand on his shoulder didn't hurt the situation, either. "Kreacher is a house-elf. He served Sirius's mother, Sirius, Regulus… and now, me."

Greldik studied the young wizard. He did not have an imperious mien when it came to elves. Interesting.

Harry nodded. "Kreacher said that because of how Sirius arranged his will, I own and control…" He looked to Professor Dumbledore.

"Go on, Harry. As it is real estate, the goblins are aware of wizard holdings. Any further importance to us is, most likely, completely irrelevant."

Harry nodded again, reassured. "Right, then. He said… I own and control 12 Grimmauld Place, the ancestral Black vault, and… him. I don't like to think of owning someone else, but it makes him happy."

Greldik was intrigued. A wizard paid attention to the emotions of a non-human magical being? This was unheard of. "And how do you know he's happy?"

Harry looked very uncomfortable, and the irascible goblin enjoyed it. "Well… When Sirius was alive, Kreacher called him Master Sirius, but used all kinds of insults that would have made Walburga proud. For me… he calls me Great Master Harry, and respects me enough to not insult Sirius anymore. He still doesn't like Sirius, but he _does_ like me."

Greldik narrowed his eyes. "Did you command him to call you such a grand title?"

"No! I was surprised when he did it, but I…" He thought for a moment. "Forgive me, Greldik. I don't see why the fact Kreacher is over the moon with happiness to serve me is important to understanding that – though I'd rather have the first fellow to offer me a home and family in my life – that I'm stuck with owning his house, his money, and his elf."

Greldik smiled nastily. "Oh, it isn't important. Once you mentioned the will, looking it up would have been a small matter. I only asked because you seem to care about what the elf thinks and feels, and I was curious. You are a very strange wizard, Harry Potter."

Severus ran out of patience. "Yes, yes. He's all that and more. Now are you satisfied with Harry's legitimacy in his claim to the Black vault?"

Greldik's demeanor became cool and business-like. "Indeed. Very well. Let's go to the carts."

The three wizards and Greldik left the office, and Greldik told a ministering goblin, "We'll need the Clankers." Albus nodded, and Severus's eyes widened.

Harry asked, "What are they for?" as the goblin delivered a leather bag full of jangling metal.

Greldik nodded to the junior goblin. "Very good. Thank you." After the younger goblin bowed and disappeared to attend to his next task, Greldik explained. "The Blacks are a very old family, and the vault is deep within the bowels of Gringotts. It is guarded by a dragon, and the Clankers… discourage the dragon from molesting anyone within range."

Harry shivered, and Severus put an arm around his shoulders. Harry asked, "Is… that ancient vault the only one Sirius had?"

At one time, Severus might have snapped, 'What, one isn't good enough?' with any number of epithets and imprecations. Now he recognized the boy's question for the simple curiosity that it was.

Greldik answered, "No. Besides the ancestral vault, every adult Black got a vault of their own, as access to the ancestral vault is controlled by the whim of the heir of the House of Black. For example, Andromeda had the access her sisters and cousins did until she became a Tonks. When the Blacks disowned her… she lost access to the ancestral vault, but she requested that I oversee her new family vault." He shook his head scornfully. "Wizards!" Harry decided this was an interesting dynamic.

The goblin thought for a moment. "But his personal vault became null and void when he had no biological heirs. It will be reassigned. Still… Everything in Sirius's personal vault was transferred to yours. Since you have control over the Black ancestral vault, and it is possible for you to give access to any other Black family members you see fit, it all stays where it has been for generations."

Harry forgot that Professor Dumbledore told him about that when he first picked him up from the Dursleys before beginning their summer adventure. Harry didn't pay too much attention at the time, as he was unhappy with the fact he had Sirius's stuff when all he wanted was Sirius. He felt vaguely ill as he stepped into the cart. The roller coaster aspect cheered him a bit, even as the task at hand kept him sober.

The cart stopped, but there was no door within sight. Harry took his cue for confidence from the Headmaster and Severus. When they turned a corner, a gigantic dragon brought them all to a halt. The dragon barred access to four or five of the deepest vaults. Both of its rear legs were cuffed and chained to enormous pegs in the ground.

Recognizing Harry's sense of awe and horror, Greldik explained, "The dragon is partially blind, but it knows, when it hears the Clankers, to expect pain."

Harry peaked his eyebrows. "You won't hurt it?"

"Not as long as it cooperates, and moves when we sound the Clankers." Greldik opened the leather bag and removed the many small metal implements therein. He shook the metal contraptions, and the noise echoed off the rocky walls with a sound that hurt Harry's ears. The dragon let out a hoarse roar and retreated. Harry could see it trembling, and saw vicious scars across its face.

Greldik pressed his palm to the wood of the door and it opened to reveal a cavernous chamber. The room was filled with golden coins and goblets, silver armor, skins of strange creatures, potions in jeweled flasks, and a skull wearing a crown.

Severus was alternately in awe and supremely disheartened. All of this was at Harry's disposal. While he was glad for Harry, he grew increasingly sad for himself. What could he possibly offer the boy that he didn't already have? But more importantly, how could he convince the boy he didn't care about these riches when they triggered a sense of envy he didn't know he had? The hardest to imagine was how to tell the boy he only cared about him.

Who would believe him? As Vlad said, he was the quintessential Slytherin, and the boy's personal tormentor for five years.

He gripped the Basilisk fang and let his face fall into an impassive mask.

Albus lit his wand, and they saw that their first impression was only a mere fraction of what wonders the vault held.

Greldik said, "If anyone unauthorized tried to enter and touch what he had no right to, the items would burn him and duplicate."

Severus nodded. "Gemino and Flagrante Curses would discourage all but the most stalwart of thieves." He and Harry took out their wands and the three men searched the tremendous vault looking for Helga Hufflepuff's rather small but ornate cup. The three of them searched thoroughly as the goblin stood back and watched them. He narrowed his eyes when he saw goblin-made armor, shields, and helmets.

The three wands were searchlights in the huge cavern. Harry stumbled and tripped a few times, knocking a goblet or some precariously perched Galleons to the floor. The fact that the graceless stumbling of the teenager did not burn him or the adults with him proved Harry's legitimacy of claim more than anything he said. Greldik's skepticism evaporated.

Harry searched the walls, which were lined with shelves to the ceiling, raising his wand higher and higher. He found it.

"It's there, it's up there!"

Albus beamed with joy. "Good work, Harry!"

Severus smiled proudly. "Since it is among _your_ things, it stands to reason that you can Summon it. Go on."

Harry called, "_Accio Cup!_" Nothing happened.

Greldik announced, "Summoning things with wands won't work here."

Harry huffed. "Then what can we do?"

Severus blinked as it came to him. "If the mountain won't come to Muhammad, Muhammad must go to the mountain. If you can't Summon something here, there's nothing to say that we can't levitate you to reach it." He raised his wand and wordlessly lifted Harry, who clutched the cup by a handle.

"I got it!"

Greldik raised an eyebrow. "Impressive."

Severus lowered Harry gently and turned to the goblin. "I'm glad you approve," he sneered.

Greldik smirked. "Now, we bring it to Bodred's office and prove what you're doing is worth the sacrifice of Gringotts' security."

Albus nodded. "Of course." He pulled a dragon leather bag out from a pocket. "Harry, put the cup in this bag. As we learned with the locket, the less physical contact we have with these things, the better off we are."

Harry dropped it in and felt better.

The ride back to the surface was silent. Harry reflected about how close they were to defeating Voldemort, and tried _not_ to think about how much stuff he now owned. Dumbledore was pleased with the upcoming destruction of the Horcrux, and didn't want to think about how devastated Severus would be if he discovered Harry was the final Horcrux. The boy would almost have to die, and it was painfully obvious how much the Potions Master loved Harry.

Severus mused over how many riches Harry now possessed, whether in currency, precious metals, potions, impregnable armor, expensive fabrics, pieces of artwork, jewelry, and things that defied description. He grew frustrated, as he wasn't sure how to express his thoughts without sounding trite.

It was so very different when Daniel asked Vlad to adopt him. It wasn't so much that a middle-class child asked a billionaire to adopt him (although it was), as much as it was a boy giving in to a plea relentlessly requested of him by said billionaire.

What right did he have to attempt to ask Harry anything? He reflected on this in discontented silence.

Greldik directed the cart and wondered whether the wizards were honorable enough to destroy the priceless treasure that was over a thousand years old. And if they _did_ destroy it, how would they prove it was a dangerous artifact belonging to Voldemort?

Greldik knocked, and when bade to enter, the four of them entered Bodred's office. The manager eyed the wizards, particularly Snape with a rather large fang in one hand, and Dumbledore with the leather pouch. "Well?"

Professor Dumbledore smiled. "We retrieved what we intended to get. Now that we're here…"

Bodred snarled, "You'll destroy it. I need to see that you've lived up to your promise."

"Of course." Greldik moved a small, empty table to the center of the room. Albus drew the cup out of the bag.

Bodred narrowed his eyes. "That cup is goblin-made!"

Albus explained patiently, "And it has been turned into a thing of evil. No one questions its worth or its workmanship. But surely even _you_ must sense the evil from within it."

Bodred studied the cup. "It was perverted by wizards."

Severus raised an eyebrow. "No one argues that point. We are here to expunge the perversion. Now if you don't mind…"

Everyone backed away from the table but Severus. He stared at the Horcrux and took every unhappy feeling he had all morning to heart, grasped the fang with both hands, and plunged it into the bowl of the cup.

A long-sustained pained scream rang through the office, and blood streamed up from the point of impact. The five of them stared in horror as the metal shriveled in on itself.

Severus whispered, "Was that supposed to happen?"

Professor Dumbledore closed his eyes. "More often than not."

"Professor, how many of these things did Voldemort make?" Severus almost feared the answer.

"Seven. A diary, a locket that once belonged to Salazar Slytherin, the Diadem of Ravenclaw, the Cup of Hufflepuff, a ring with the crest of Peverell, Voldemort's snake, and… an innocent human being. I can't be certain, but I believe that the last one was unintended." The two goblins and Severus stared in dismay.

Bodred murmured, "And three of those things, originally sold to the Hogwarts Founders, were goblin-made. Priceless and exquisite, but… turned to evil. You've destroyed them?"

"Yes, the evil in them has been destroyed." Greldik thought that answer was evasive, but it was just like a wizard to keep the item, even if it _wasn't_ destroyed. Well… perhaps destroying the evil was this generation's payment. He'd discuss it later with Bodred.

Harry cleared his throat. "Well, all that's left is Nagini the snake. I don't know what we'll do about the person." He looked up worriedly at Dumbledore. "That person would have to die, wouldn't they?"

Albus looked sadly at Harry. "So it would seem. But at this point, we've done all we can until we face off with Voldemort ourselves." He looked at the goblins. "I hope I can count on you to not speak of this."

Bodred raised his eyebrows quickly, resettling his expression of horror back to business and sniffed haughtily. "We always maintain the confidentiality of our clients' business." He cleared his throat. "You have proven all of your claims. You can use the parchment as a Portkey to leave. _However_ – I expect you to come back and remove the rest of the enchantments you put on this room when you come back the normal way, Headmaster."

The addressed wizard nodded. "Thank you, Bodred."

Greldik turned to Harry. "Now that we know for certain that the ancestral Black vault officially belongs to you, would you prefer me to continue as overseer or would you like Griphook to take it over?"

Harry sighed. "What would you prefer?"

Greldik raised his eyebrows. "I need to give it some thought. You are truly an unusual wizard, Harry Potter."

Albus said, "Thank you again, Bodred and Greldik. Severus, Harry, please take hold…"

Bodred reminded, "Once you leave with the Portkey, the agreement is fulfilled, and all further use is null and void."

Dumbledore nodded solemnly. "Understood. Now shall we? Three, two, one…"

* * *

Once the three of them were back in Dumbledore's office, Severus paced, muttering, "But how can I…? I don't see how… _Completely_ unworthy… But still, I… Arg!"

Professor Dumbledore touched his arm. "Severus?"

Snape spun around to face him. "Since last evening, I've been meaning to ask Harry something, but I don't see how I could possibly do so without appearing to be a greedy, self-serving gold digger. If our trip to the Chamber of Secrets was any indication…"

"Professor," Harry interrupted. He had permission to use Severus's given name, but at present, a blatant show of respect seemed to be called for. "What do you want to ask me?"

Severus closed his eyes and took a breath. This was the moment of truth. He opened his eyes and walked over to where Harry stood. "Harry, how would you like it if I adopted you?"

Harry's jaw dropped for a few seconds. "You… you want to adopt me?"

Severus frowned and babbled. "I know I'm completely unworthy. At least Lupin proved that he at least liked you since he met you, and I've tormented you since you got here until some time in October. It's not like I can offer you anything you don't already have in abundance. As I see it, I don't see how you would benefit anywhere as much as I would, but…"

"Professor…"

"But since that conversation in October, I've grown to see you as the outstanding young man you are. You discovered Daniel's secret and put him at ease, you were respectful to the elf and the goblins, and you've probably been more respectful to me than I ever acknowledged…"

"Professor…"

"And since I have so much to gain by adopting you, how do I convince you that the only thing that really matters is the fact that I've learned to love you?"

Harry looked into Severus's pained, pleading, tear-stained face. The professor's angst-filled rant ran out of steam, and Harry took a minute to figure out how to respond to all of this.

He took two deep, cleansing breaths and said, "Professor, I don't think you understand me. All I've ever wanted was to have someone love me. You mentioned the Chamber of Secrets. I didn't think of the worth of the Basilisk carcass. I thought of how you didn't like me enough to ask me to open the Chamber for you."

Severus uncharacteristically bit his lower lip nervously as he awaited Harry's pronouncement.

Harry continued. "I already told you that you have done more to protect me and personally put me at ease that anyone I can remember. I loved Sirius, but he… had no problem with me risking danger, as he once said, 'The risk would've been what made it fun for James.' You…"

Harry took another deep breath. "Since you became my guardian, you actually _cared_. You explained why changes in circumstances were necessary. Clear communications have been a major priority." Harry looked at Dumbledore, who grimaced in embarrassment.

"I kind of thought you would have figured out by now that this fabulous wealth I've somehow been bequeathed isn't any more a part of who I am than all the titles and fame I've been given before I even discovered that I am a wizard." Harry rolled his eyes for a second. "How would you like it if I accepted your offer?"

Severus's brain froze. He could not believe his ears. He gulped. "But… but what about Remus?"

Harry sighed. "I like Remus well enough. I really do. But as much as I like him, _you_ are the one who offered to become my guardian. _You_ are the one who made the effort to make me feel as normal as possible. And _you_ are the only person to ever offer to adopt me. Not even Sirius did that." He thought for a moment. "He might have, if he had the chance, but – like my parents – he isn't here now. You are."

Severus's heart sang. Harry said yes! He even preferred Severus over Remus Lupin! Yes! He grabbed Harry and hugged him close. "Thank you. Thank you. Thank you!"

Albus sat in his seat behind his desk. He cried tears of happiness. Two of his lost boys have truly found love in each other's company.

Before, he was merely unwilling. Now, telling either of them about Harry being a Horcrux was a sheer impossibility.

* * *

Narcissa was called to the 'throne room.' Voldemort sat in the high-backed armchair he claimed as a throne. "Ah, there you are! I thought you would like to know of the developments that have taken place."

Narcissa gulped. Voldemort's airy tone portended great ill, but she didn't yet know for whom. "My Lord?"

Bellatrix giggled with glee. Voldemort held up a few photographs. "The children of my _faithful_ followers stole these from the Higgs boy. Do you know what they show?"

"No, my Lord."

A cruel smile spread across his lips. "Positive visual proof of Vlad Masters' identity. It shows that of Daniel as well, but his security is wrapped tighter than a pureblood's virtue. Masters, on the other hand…"

He fingered through the lot of them. "There are Severus and Potter. They deserve each other, until they're killed. But the part you'll find most interesting, Narcissa, are those of Draco. Come, take a look."

Narcissa trembled as she approached the Dark Lord. There were pictures of Draco and Danny. There were pictures of Draco and Severus. There were pictures of Draco with Gregory and Vincent, some with Danny and some without.

"But these are the ones I thought you should see." There was a picture with Draco laughing _with Harry Potter_.

"No…" She moaned.

Bella hissed, "Oh, yes! My _dearest_ nephew is palling around with the Potter brat, that Mudblood chit, and all those Muggle-loving fools. He deserves whatever he gets. Crabbe and Goyle have already been notified."

Narcissa shrieked, "But… but my baby!"

Voldemort carelessly waved a hand. "Your son has outlived his usefulness. But I'm feeling merciful. If I find your son and his goons before I find and kill the Potter boy, they will die. If I find them _after_ Potter is dead, I'll leave all three unscathed. After all, the spilling of pure blood is such a waste."

Narcissa covered her face as she sobbed. Bellatrix offered, "My Lord, my sister is so overcome with your graciousness, she is speechless."

The Dark Lord nodded. "This pleases me."

A few minutes passed, and the only sound was the mournful mother's emotionally pain-wracked sobs.

After Narcissa's crying ebbed into tearful whimpers, Voldemort took one of the pictures of Vlad and Danny and projected it so everyone in the room could see it. "This is the face of Vladimir Masters. Has anyone seen him since that… unfortunate incident at Hogsmeade?"

Narcissa studied the image and gulped. "I have, my Lord. I've seen him dressed in a high-class Muggle outfit across the street from St. Mungo's."

Voldemort smiled. "Thank you, Narcissa. You have proved your worthiness. It would be a shame to have to kill my hostess."

Narcissa bowed and fled from the room.

"Has anyone else seen this man?"

Scabior narrowed his eyes. "Is that the man? My Lord, I've seen him around that general part of London almost every Saturday. Normally, Muggles, or wizards dressed as Muggles, are beneath notice, but Masters sticks out like a sore thumb. Muggles in the area usually dress no better than they're worth. But Masters… even for Muggle dress, you can tell he's far too good for that neighborhood."

Voldemort's red eyes gleamed. "Almost every Saturday, you say? The Saturday right after Valentine's Day seems right to me. Some people have funny ideas about love, and I think a moral dilemma concerning the love for a child the day right after Valentine's Day suits my purpose.

"Scabior and Rowle – you know what to do."

18


	49. Chapter 49

I truly cannot thank you all enough for all the support I've received. Considering that I've typed this chapter up on my father's birthday, I offer you all ice cream cake.

Disclaimer: I do not own _Danny Phantom_, _Harry Potter_, or _Jane Eyre_.

Chapter 49

Petunia Dursley brought the morning mail to her husband. "Honey, you have a letter from VladCo International. Is that a company you do business with?"

Vernon frowned. "Yes. Between VladCo and DALV, and a few of the other companies in the billionaire Vlad Masters' financial empire… They are some of Grunnings' biggest contracts. Have been for years. But mail from them usually comes to the office."

Petunia handed him the letter. Vernon opened it and found a letter on VladCo letterhead, dated January 18, 1997. Vernon exclaimed, "It's a personal letter from Vlad Masters, himself!"

Petunia prodded, "Go on. Let's hear it."

_Dear Mr. Dursley,_

_This year, a project I've been working on has brought me to your country for an extended amount of time. Since then, I've heard a great deal about your managerial skills and the way you've handled some of your more intimate responsibilities._

_It would give me a great deal of pleasure to meet you, your wife, and your son at a meeting to discuss your handling of some of those responsibilities._

_If you would accept my invitation, please send back your reply to the Post Office Box listed above, and I'll schedule a time and place – perhaps as early as your son's Easter break._

_I look forward to hearing from you, in any event._

_Most sincerely,_

_Vlad Masters_

_Owner/President/CEO of VladCo_

Petunia shrieked in undignified delight. Vernon preened. "Since we gave up guardianship of the freak, things have been looking up for us."

Petunia stopped for a moment. "Vernon, you don't think Mr. Masters knows about the Masons, do you?"

Vernon cleared his throat. "Even if he did, that was years ago. And the freak was suitably punished for losing me that contract. Imagine – destroying the pudding you worked so hard on all afternoon all over the kitchen! And the owl scare afterwards! Locking him in with bars on the windows and serving him a can of soup, toast, and an apple a day through the cat flap on the door was too good for him. Letting him out twice a day to use the loo. Huh! We should have gotten him a litter box, animal that he is. And think of how much worse the punishment would've had to be if he dumped that pudding on Mrs. Mason's head. Then those freaks had the nerve to break him out of the bedroom, destroying the window frame with the bars on the window!"

Petunia cleared her throat. "Speaking of… Since we signed away his guardianship to _his_ lot, I can't seem to find the key to the locks on his door, or the key to the padlock on his cupboard under the stairs. I've been meaning to clear out those spaces to put them to… better use.

"Besides – if anyone saw the state of the furniture compared with that in the rest of the house…"

Vernon covered her hand comfortingly. "Pet, the boy's lucky we gave him the scraps and cupboard – the food and board – he got. No one would have expected us to give that freak better. Allowing him the use of Dudley's second bedroom was concession enough. And even that was only because those freaks managed to spy on us. Giving him decent furniture fit for normal people would have been far too good for him."

Mrs. Dursley sighed. "I know. I just… What if…"

"No, Pet. That chapter of our life is blessedly over. Someone else has taken the freak off our hands, and we have nothing to worry about. Won't be here, taking the food from our Dudley, no matter what that… man said. Accusing us of abusing Dudley! No – the only one abused around here is the runt who deserved it. But why worry about that now?

"Maybe Mr. Masters heard about the Freedman contract that came in right before Christmas. That was a great success!"

Petunia tapped her chin. "Or… What about that person you fired last week? Isn't that a wiser use of your office budget?"

"Right you are, Pet! And he wants to meet us. And our Dudley! I knew it. He's… He couldn't make us prouder. I'm not sure _what_ we've done to attract the billionaire's attention, but… of course we'll go! Who knows what he's got in store for us? Yes, things are definitely looking up."

'And things are working out perfectly, according to my plans,' Vlad's invisible duplicate thought as he flipped off his micro-recorder and teleported back to his office.

* * *

On Monday evening, Severus felt restive. After their return from Gringotts on Sunday, they were in time for lunch. This week was Minerva's week to oversee the DA. He couldn't wait – every Head of House had at least one chance to see Harry teach Patronuses, and based on the schedule Harry set, Severus would get a chance to see the development of the students a month after they started.

From what he'd seen, Harry was a brilliant instructor. He was patient, he was firm, and he was direct. Perhaps, after Voldemort was defeated, he could convince the boy of the foolhardiness of being an Auror, and he might be able to convince the boy of the stability of being a professor. Never mind that it was the position Severus always wanted – if his boy would do as good a job as he would do, he would have no problem giving up on the position with good grace. Well… Such plans only made sense if Vlad decided to move on.

To be fair, Vlad mentioned that he was not sure of what he would do after Daniel's Hogwarts' career. So, convincing Harry to think about the possible career switch might be a possibility. But first…

Well, Sunday night, Severus asked Albus about the requirements of the Wizarding World for adoption. The old man blushed, embarrassed, because – head of the Wizengamot though he was – he had no clue about these things. He could recite line and verse on criminal proceedings, but family law… he was good with setting wards, but the intimate details of such mundane activities as taking an interest in an orphaned child escaped his attention.

So, Severus penned a letter to Arthur Weasley, who he assumed knew about such things.

_Dear Arthur,_

_I understand that the adoption process in the American Muggle legal system is fairly complex, and the checks and balances that are done to ensure the safety of the child in question are rather thorough. Vlad Masters brought me to his interview with his solicitor and representatives of their American local government. By the end of the interview, papers were finalized, and he is now, legally, the proud father of Daniel Fenton-Masters._

_What are the requirements of the British Wizarding legal system for adopting an orphan? What guidelines must be followed to change my guardianship of Harry into a full formal adoption? I am eager to accomplish this with all possible haste._

_Vlad told me how his preparation and research took years to accomplish. I'd like to begin the process, and it would behoove me to prepare for whatever bureaucracy I may have to slog through._

_Thank you for your attention and advice._

_Sincerely,_

_Severus Snape_

After checking it over three times, the Potions Master was satisfied that it said everything he needed it to. "Dobby!"

The named elf popped into his office with a loud crack. "Professor Snape called Dobby, sir?"

"Yes, Dobby. I would like you to deliver this message to Arthur Weasley. It is to help Harry Potter…"

"Professor Snape is helping Harry Potter, sir? Dobby would do _anything_ to help Harry Potter!"

Severus cleared his throat. "Good to know, Dobby. I need this letter sent without any possibility of it being intercepted."

Dobby nodded enthusiastically, his large ears flapping about him. "Dobby understands, sir. Does Professor Snape want Dobby to stay for a return message?"

"That would be quite helpful, indeed. I would very much appreciate that." The house-elf squeaked with excitement, took the letter from Severus, and disappeared with a pop.

Severus sat back in his desk chair. How did Harry manage to acquire the worshipful attentions of two house-elves? Kreacher, he knew, hated everyone Walburga Black hated. It was part of the way he served his Mistress. Not even Sirius could change his attitude. Dobby, Severus knew, was released from the Malfoys by Harry. That one Harry deserved. He was still quite curious about Kreacher, though.

Fifteen minutes later, Dobby came back. "Professor Snape, sir, Mr. Weasley is wanting to help Harry as much as I do." He bounced on his heels. "Mr. Weasley gave me these for you, Professor Snape, sir."

Severus opened the scroll eagerly.

_Dear Professor,_

_I knew it was only a matter of time! I'm glad to hear of your interest. I must ask you to tell me all about the Muggle way of doing things some time. (Or, perhaps you can convince Vlad to tell me, himself!) It surprised me to hear of all that red tape in the Muggle method of securing an adoption._

_Here, as long as the Ministry has information about the orphan in question on file and no earlier claim has been made, you send a form (I've sent you a copy to fill out) stating your intention to adopt the child. Once we get that form of declaration of intent, the Ministry sends back a form to be signed by both the adoptive parent(s) and the adopted child with the child signing his or her new last name (assuming the child is old enough to do so)._

_With Harry, the fact that you are already his guardian gives you a better claim than anyone. In theory, the Muggles could have had a better claim, but they gave it up when they surrendered Harry's guardianship to you. (Poor Harry! It must have been devastating to know he was rejected by his only living family. But good riddance, I say.)_

_Send the form back to me at work, and I'll file it. The last thing Harry needs is to have the stability you're giving him disrupted by attention-seeking opportunists making a fuss because the poor boy is the Boy Who Lived, or the Chosen One, or whatever new title has been given to him this week. You can count on me to be discreet – we love Harry as if he were one of our own, and your guardianship, surprising though it was at the onset, is the best thing to happen to him._

_I'm eagerly looking forward to receiving your completed form. If you send it by owl, it will be less conspicuous, as it is official Ministry correspondence._

_Good luck to both you and Harry!_

_Most sincerely,_

_Arthur Weasley_

Severus stared at the letter in his hand. How positively Dickensian! The Wizarding World's adoption guidelines were barely a cut above nineteenth-century Muggle British adoption laws. By those laws, orphaned children not claimed by family or friends had absolutely no recourse, and were even considered a criminal class. And even placed with family, there was no guarantee that the child would be treated properly. If a person wished to take in an orphan, the adult was welcome to do so without anyone giving any regard to the child's welfare.

Here in the current day Wizarding World, still no one seemed to care, but the Ministry vaguely kept track, in case accidental magic was performed in front of Muggles. Otherwise, unless family or friends already claimed them, orphans of wizards seemed to be unwanted and uncared for. _If they were on record_, then notification of intent was required. If they weren't on record, apparently no one cared for them, one way or another.

To be completely fair, however, because most wizards had relatively small families (the Weasleys were an exception), children were usually treasured. An abused or an abandoned child fell through the cracks of the system, as there were no fail-safes or Ministry infrastructure to deal with unwanted wizard orphans.

The professor cringed when he realized how bitter Tom Riddle must have been, and he paled when he thought of what Harry could have become if the boy had a different temperament.

Severus shivered at how simple this was. Anyone _could_ have adopted Harry with very little effort. Anger at the cavalier attitude of the Wizarding World at large for the welfare of children who were orphaned burned within him. A fuss might have been made over the fact that a former Death Eater sought to adopt the Boy Who Lived… if the Wizarding World actually cared enough about such details.

He sneered to himself. Far be it from him to fail to take advantage of this practical plum he'd been granted. He decided he might need to thank Arthur Weasley more formally for his caring and his discretion.

* * *

At 4:45pm Tuesday evening, a hesitant collection of Slytherins started to gather in the Room of Requirement. Danny set the Room to look not unlike the Slytherin Common Room.

Draco was impressed. "So this is what it looks like? Interesting."

Danny shrugged. "This is what it looks like for _now_, because this is what we need. If we needed or wanted something else, the Room would have provided that, instead."

By 5:00, the gathering was at a bit over 30 students. Draco gulped. Danny said, "From what I gather, this is how Harry felt Fifth Year, at the start of the DA."

Oddly, this comparison to Harry Potter gave Draco the strength he needed. "Thanks for saying so." Clearing his throat, Draco called the meeting to order. "We all know why we're here. Of all the Slytherins, this group has been repeat participants in the DA, and," he continued with bravado he did not feel, "we need a peer group of our own that stands against… Voldemort."

Many in the room gasped at Draco's boldness, but his sense of purpose was reflected in every face. Draco smiled as he realized the entirety of the Quidditch team stood together in solidarity. So did Terence Higgs, Millicent Bulstrode, Tracey Davis (whose detention was moved back to the after dinner slot after that initial week), Daphne and Astoria Greengrass, Theodore Nott, Blaise Zabini, Malcolm Maddox, Graham Pritchard, and a number of younger students Draco had yet to match face to name.

Danny nudged him. "I told you that you were a great leader."

Draco murmured, "We'll talk about that later. So to start with, thanks for being here."

Urquhart called out, "So, what's been done so far?"

Draco's regular confidence came back to him. "To start with, I gave a list of most of your names to Professor Dumbledore, which reminds me – we'll need a new one before this meeting's over." Spare parchment, a quill, and a bottle of ink appeared on the table before him. His eyes widened.

Danny smirked. "Whatever you require, as long as it can be conjured by magic."

"Right, then." He cleared his throat. "With this revised list in hand, the Headmaster has promised to procure protection for us, as our anti-Voldemort sentiment probably won't endear us to parents who are Death Eaters. Since Voldemort himself took up residence in Malfoy Manor, I'm acutely aware of the need for alternative living arrangements."

There was another collective gasp, and Danny patted Draco's shoulder. Both of these reactions strengthened his courage. Draco breathed deeply and continued. "Earlier this month, when I came to Professor Dumbledore to look for this help, he said that a major blow has been struck against the Dark Lord. Dumbledore didn't explain what it was, but I'm not sure he lets anyone in on anything without good reason."

Blaise sighed. "To be fair, we should probably be grateful that the Headmaster would treat with any of us. It would have been so easy for some of us to just follow in our parents' footsteps, and you know… He may not be ready to trust us."

Danny blew a frustrated breath, ruffling his bangs. Blaise was right. "Well… Professor Snape trusts us. He'll help to make our situation right, or as right as it can be for now."

Adrian Pucey said, "But he said he'd stick by us _no matter what_ our choices are."

Terence Higgs shook his head. "Adrian, do you mean you can't read between the lines? How many times have you heard the professor's speech on choices, and how very unpleasant it sounds to join Vol… _him_? I don't know how long I've had the idea, but since some time a couple of months ago or so, it all felt like it began to gel. We've never had reason to doubt the sanctity our Head of House holds for the protection of _all_ the Slytherins, but I've always had the feeling he would be prouder if we didn't join…_him._"

Crabbe and Goyle shrugged. They were part of that project in Defense Against the Dark Arts, and Professor Snape made it clear it was _defense _against Dark magic.

Daphne Greengrass looked around. "All of us besides Danny have been faithful students in the DA." Danny glowered at her. What was that for? "Did anyone notice how far we've come on our Patronuses?" He relaxed – nothing was meant by the comment; it was just an observation.

Vaisey glanced across at her. "The professors notice. Professor Masters notices. All the student teachers notice. Heck, the people we practice with from other Houses have noticed."

Harper was thoughtful. "You know, it isn't just any happy thought that works for the Patronus. When I thought of how I nailed that rat bastard McLaggen with a Stinging Hex for embarrassing Fenton at the game, I got nothin'. When I thought of Fenton's amazing catch and of catching up to Gryffindor in the Quidditch standings, I got a silver mist. I guess… your happy thought can't be connected to somethin' mean and expect it to work for a Patronus."

Danny murmured, "Interesting."

Draco offered, "Are there any other concerns anyone wants to bring up?"

Astoria piped up, "Draco, you're running this meeting like Professor Snape runs a House meeting."

Draco smiled. "I learned from the best." She considered this.

Terence groaned. "I don't know who knows about it yet, but someone stole all of my pictures from the victory party from the dark room."

Tracey grimaced. "What?"

"They took my prints, but they left my negatives."

Millicent shrugged. "Whoever it was couldn't have been too serious about it. You'll be able to redevelop them."

Miles was puzzled. "Who would be interested in stealing pictures of the Slytherin Quidditch victory party?"

Theodore Nott frowned. "Well, who knew about the pictures? You took them on Saturday and you developed them when, Sunday?" Terence nodded. "All the Slytherins present at the party knew. The Gryffindors who showed up knew, as did Professor Masters, but they wouldn't have stolen the pictures – you promised them copies. Who else had access to the dark room?"

Terence said flatly, "Anyone and everyone."

Danny frowned in concentration. "Well… Since they left your negatives, maybe we can assume it was a prank, and we don't need to read more into it."

Terence shrugged. "I guess."

Draco nodded. "That makes sense. Just… develop a new set, Terence."

"Will do."

"Good." Draco thought for a moment. "Easter. It's months away, I know, but… It doesn't hurt to be prepared. It pays to start thinking of where it will be safe to be. If all else fails, we can stay in for the break. (That's especially helpful if you're taking your OWLs or NEWTs this year.) Maybe we'll discuss that in more detail as the break draws closer."

Everyone looked to see if anyone had anything else to say. Draco eyed the crowd again. "Fine. We'll try to meet here again two weeks from today, same time. If I hear about any developments, we'll discuss them then. For now, make sure your name is on this parchment. After that, let's head down to dinner in groups of twos and threes. Again, thanks for coming."

* * *

On Thursday morning, Arthur Weasley smiled when he received his mail at work. Severus was serious when he wrote that he was interested in completing the adoption 'with all possible haste.'

The senior Weasley also recognized a teachable moment when he saw it. He took the elevator to the ministerial level and knocked on a secretary's door. Percy called out, "Come in."

Arthur walked in with a piece of parchment in his hand. "Good morning, Percy."

The younger Weasley eyed his father suspiciously. "What's this about, Dad?"

"I have something I'd like to show you. However…" Arthur thought of the bizarre visitation at Christmas. "You'll have access to it, certainly, as the Minister's private secretary. Still, I think you would get more out of it if you remembered what you used to value as a Weasley."

Percy blinked. His father officially had his attention. "Oookay. Is it something you care to show me now?"

Arthur looked over the form in his hand. "Well… I have something that needs to be filed first. What do you say about meeting me for lunch? We'll have a bit more leisure to discuss the implications then."

Percy adjusted his glasses. "Right, then. Twelve-thirty in the cafeteria."

"I'm looking forward to it, son." With that, Arthur ducked out of the office to take care of the mysterious filing.

Percy's curiosity was alight. Scrimgeour didn't have anything intellectually pressing for him to accomplish this morning, so he didn't have much to distract him from thinking about his lunch date with his father.

Twelve-thirty came, and Percy bought his lunch and joined his father at a table that seemed out of the way. "Dad?"

Arthur smiled. "Percy! So glad you could join me."

"So, Dad, what's on your mind?"

"A few things. For one, please tell me what you remember of Professor Snape."

Percy shook his head to clear the cobwebs. "There is a lot I remember. He was precise and careful with every last detail. If it wasn't for him, I'd have little appreciation for the report I wrote about the standard thickness for cauldron bottoms. I remember he favored his Slytherins outrageously, but he _did_ take note when potions turned out right."

Arthur nodded. "Fair enough. What do you remember of his relationship with Harry Potter?"

Percy jerked back. "Any student who shared Gryffindor Tower with Harry could have filled any number of journals with how much the professor hated him. I mostly lost track of them once I graduated." He thought about his next words. "Harry managed to find himself in positions to garner quite a bit of attention after that, but it appears that he was right all along. Don't quote me on that!"

Arthur chuckled. "I'm your father, not a reporter, son." He cleared his throat. "If this next bit is in confidence, we'll skip it, but if it isn't, it may be important."

Percy shot a sidelong glance at his father. "Okay."

"During your… visit at Christmas," Percy blushed. "The Minister took a walk in the garden with Harry and the professor. Did the Minister share any reflections on that?"

Percy laughed mirthlessly. "And then some. The whole floor was treated to how Harry Potter is standing against the Ministry, which isn't so unreasonable based on last year. I might have agreed with the Minister, but he grumbled about Stan Shunpike. Dad, he was a couple of years ahead of me in Hogwarts. Stan wasn't smart enough to do what he was accused of, and… Sirius Black _was_ an innocent man, wrongly imprisoned for 12 years. He was in Azkaban and declared guilty without a trial. Sirius was supposed to be as brilliant as Harry's father and Professor Lupin. For all intents and purposes, he _could_ have pulled it off. But he didn't. And Harry saw Stan being set up for the same.

"Then… When Harry refused an interview, the Minister accused him of seeking attention. But if Harry is _avoiding_ the media, that doesn't make sense."

"I'm proud of you for seeing reason, son. That can be hard when the trappings of office try to blind you to common sense." Percy suddenly found his fruit cup fascinating. "Did the Minister share with the floor his thoughts on Professor Snape's guardianship of Harry?"

Percy looked up. "No. He made a quick comment to me about it being 'inconvenient,' but nothing beyond that."

Arthur frowned. "The Minister thought Harry Potter getting a guardian was inconvenient? The same Harry Potter who, as a polite and shy First Year, had an aunt and uncle who couldn't be bothered to help him find his way to Platform 9¾? The same Harry Potter who had house-elf trouble and was starved and imprisoned until he was rescued by your brothers? The same Harry Potter who blew up his uncle's sister when he couldn't take the cruel slander against his parents any more? The same Harry Potter who – when we came to pick him up to go to the World Cup – his aunt and uncle couldn't be bothered to properly say Good-bye? The same Harry Potter who, after being assaulted by Dementors, was almost thrown out of his house until Professor Dumbledore reminded his aunt about the blood wards? The Minister thought it was inconvenient for this same Harry Potter to actually acquire a guardian who actually _cares_ for him?"

Percy squirmed. Harry was all of that and more. This was the same kid who asked his advice about which classes to add in Third Year. This was the same person who saved little Ginny from the Chamber of Secrets and saved his own father's life two Christmases ago.

Was his head so turned by the media and what any given Minister thought to forget the kid who regularly shared his home and family? Percy hung his head in shame. The media railed against Harry for being an unstable attention-seeking liar. Heck, Percy even encouraged Ron to distance himself from Harry, who was a 'dangerous influence.' But Harry hated the media, didn't he? And he was right about You-Know-Who. It was hard to keep your boss on a pedestal when a friend of the family was so dreadfully wronged. Harry was still Ron's friend, right?

Arthur handed a piece of parchment to his son. "If the guardianship was inconvenient, I wonder what he would think of this?"

Percy read the parchment avidly. "This is a copy of a formal declaration of intent for adoption! But… but Professor Snape hates Harry! He always has!"

"Percy, lower your voice!" It wasn't an issue of secrecy, but of decorum. "That might have been the case for five solid years. But Harry and Professor Snape were at the Burrow for Christmas break. I'm not sure why, but things are definitely different between them. Severus said that he loved Harry, and permitted Harry to use his first name in a more intimate setting."

The younger man sighed. "He's changed a lot, hasn't he?"

Just a little more, Perce. You can do it. "More than you can know without seeing it first-hand."

Percy stared at his now empty plate. "Dad, I… If Professor Snape can change, and Harry seems to have forgiven him… Do you think I…" He couldn't speak around the lump in his throat.

Arthur smiled gently at his son. "Come here, Percy." Percy got out of his chair and wept silent tears of remorse on his father's shoulder as Arthur held his son. He did it.

After a few moments, Percy pulled out of his father's embrace. He lifted his glasses and wiped his eyes with a handkerchief. Taking a shaky breath, he asked, "Dad, you think I could… maybe visit after work?"

"Son, nothing would please me or your mother more."

Percy covered his mouth with a hand in thought. "Ron's right. I've been a right git. How do I make up with… well, everyone?"

Arthur sat back and looked at his son. "Severus has requested the utmost in discretion, as any number of people with agendas and ulterior motives could stand in the way of a rather _inconvenient_ adoption. Perhaps, in a show of good faith, you could hand-deliver the final form to record Harry's new chosen last name. Once that is filed, it will be a done deal, and Harry will irrevocably be Professor Snape's son. That could go a long way to mend bridges."

Percy smiled. "I could do that. The day after Valentine's Day seems like a good day to square this away. It isn't romantic, but I'm sure Saint Valentine would have approved."

Arthur patted his son's hand. "There's a good lad. Shall we meet by the Floo after work?"

* * *

During the week, Harry arranged to meet with Danny on Sunday, February 2, after breakfast. Harry, Ron, and Hermione brought Danny to a classroom on the third floor. Hermione said, "Could we ask you about your ghostly Apparation?"

Danny smiled. "Teleportation? Sure – why not?"

Ron studied Danny. "The first time I saw you as Phantom, you… teleported Harry to the Gryffindor Common Room. You saw the sign, saying that this is a twelve-week course. How long did it take you to learn?"

Danny narrowed his eyes in concentration. "I don't remember. Maybe a week or two over the summer." Harry looked thoughtful, and Hermione was amazed.

Ron was scandalized. "But… but how is that possible?"

Danny smiled, got up, and sat on the unused teacher's desk. "For one thing, I was the only student, and Papá was particularly determined. Also, I thought teleportation was cool beyond all reason. I've seen him in his ghostly persona wrap himself in his cape and swirl away in a pink mist. It was awesome to watch. At one time, I was jealous, and now I can do it, too." Eyes widened and eyebrows went up. The trio figured out that Professor Masters was a half-ghost, but no one saw fit to ask what Vlad's ghost half looked like.

"The twins nearly drove us mad, once they got their licenses at seventeen," Ron groused.

Danny smirked. "Why am I not surprised?"

"They even like _you_ better than me!"

Danny decided that a change in topic was in order. "Also, when Papá taught me, there was no social pressure or nervousness about not getting it right, or… Hagrid used a word when he was worried something bad would happen…"

Hermione nodded sagely. "Splinching. It's the separation of random body parts if you Apparate while distracted."

"Eww!" Danny moaned and grimaced.

Harry said quietly, "It happened to Susan Bones yesterday."

Immediately concerned, Danny asked, "What happened? Is she okay?"

Harry explained, "At first, she screamed in pain, but the four Heads of House fixed that. She's fine now, if somewhat twitchy about it."

Danny stared for a bit and nodded. "I'll see about visiting her later. She's healed, but she could still use a convalescent pick-me-up."

Ron cocked his head. "Convalescent?"

Danny giggled. "Ron, I spend at least three hours a night with Vlad, and he talks like that. I was bound to pick up _some_ of his vocabulary. I'm surprised I haven't got more of his… cultured accent. It's different than yours, but not by much."

Hermione laughed. "You're right. I never thought of that."

Harry sat back and thought for a moment. "You know, Danny, I've teleported with you, and I Apparated with Professor Dumbledore. Besides instantaneous travel, the experiences were nothing alike."

Danny sat forward. "What is Apparation like?"

Harry thought of all the many times he was asked that very question, and decided that even though Danny's question was the same, answering felt very different. "It felt like I was being pressed in from all directions, like being squeezed through a tube. For that one moment, I couldn't see, I couldn't breathe, I couldn't hear. And then, boom, there we were."

Danny made a face in distaste. "Doesn't sound like much fun."

Harry smiled. "Of all the Wizarding modes of transportation, I like flying on brooms best."

Hermione asked, "So, Harry, what does it feel like to teleport?"

He smiled at Danny. "It doesn't feel like anything. In one second, you're in one place, and… the next, you're in another. What does it feel like for you, Danny?"

Danny smiled as he thought of it. "It's like a quick swirl, and then I'm there. It's hard to explain, but it's a cool feeling."

Hermione thought to dissect the concept diagnostically. "Wilkie Twycross, the instructor from the Ministry, said to keep in mind the Three Ds." Danny raised an eyebrow. "Destination, Determination, Deliberation."

Danny rolled his eyes. "No offense, but that just sounds like a fussy, fancy way of saying, 'Visualize where you want to go, decide you're going, and get there.' I do that, too. Forgive my saying so, but it sounds like some self-important Ministry official gave you something all official-sounding to memorize so it sounds more complicated than necessary. Like, you're gonna remember all those words when you're half-worried that you won't end up with the parts and pieces you started with."

Ron and Harry laughed – that was exactly what they thought of the matter. Hermione was offended. _She_ remembered the words. Danny tried to smooth the feathers he ruffled. "How about this: I'll come up with three easier words that do the same thing." She narrowed her eyes; she wasn't sure she was ready to forgive him.

Danny shrugged. "When Papá taught me, it was as easy as: see it, want it, and go. It does work, you know."

Ron put an arm around Hermione's shoulder. "You know, love, Danny has a point. You think of the Three Ds, and we'll work with 'See it, Want it, and Go.' Next week, we'll see which set gets better results. Winner gets bragging rights for a week."

Hermione glared. "I'll hold you to that." Danny smirked but knew to leave well enough alone.

* * *

Tuesday afternoon, Danny did his homework in the library in the very pleasant company of Luna. It was different than hanging out with Sam and Tucker, mostly because at home, homework time was mostly scheduled around hanging out, chores, and fighting ghosts. More often than not, homework got the short end of the stick, and coupled with his skipping class due to ghost fights, his grades were usually in the tank. (Those days of too much Doom weren't worth remembering, though they _did_ beat Technus.)

Here, there were no ghosts to fight, although Danny looked forward to the monthly Ghost Council. Sir Nicholas kept his eye on the clock, so Danny was back in his dorm no later than 11:30pm. Curfew was far stricter here than at home, so there was no chance to hang out with human friends outside his House after his evenings with Vlad.

As a guardian, and now as a father, Vlad had interesting ideas about keeping rules. He didn't care about Danny's nocturnal wanderings, as long as they were done in ghost form. Sometimes, Vlad not only encouraged such wanderings, but offered ideas, and even came with him for more interesting explorations. But regardless of which other rules were broken, Vlad was insistent that homework be done satisfactorily and timely. Danny decided that if this was the only real rule, he would do his darnedest to keep it. (Now that he thought about it, that was probably Vlad's point.)

So hanging out with friends outside his House didn't happen except for the weekends. The closest he could come was doing homework in the library. Danny supposed that Jazz would have been proud of him. Tuck might have either made fun of him or studied with him. Sam… Sam might have encouraged him, especially because there was nothing he learned that she wouldn't have found interesting. (However, Sam _might_ have tried to free the flobberworms, or any number of other creatures used as potions ingredients. Danny wondered what a stand-off between Sam and Professor Snape would look like, and he realized he couldn't figure out who would win.) He grinned, just contemplating the concept.

Luna asked, "Danny, what are you thinking about?"

Danny shook himself. "I was thinking of my friend Sam. She might have liked coming here. However, her concern for every living thing might have put her at odds with Professor Snape."

Luna smiled. "Thank you for telling me. You don't speak of your friends from home often. I think Sam and I would have gotten along."

Danny sat back and considered. "You probably would have, at that."

Before Danny could expand on his thoughts, Terence Higgs came to his table. "Danny, I'm glad I found you. I wanted you to know that there were no unusual incidents with my pictures' development today. I've made several sets. I just wanted to let you know, in case I don't catch you down in the dorm. Draco may leave you your set on your bed."

Danny smiled. "Thanks, Terence."

"Because you're in so many of them, I just made you a full set."

"You're awesome, Terence. Thanks again."

Luna nodded serenely. "What unusual incidents are you talking about? Sometimes, jealous janapes attack the photos that are unusual or otherwise valuable. That's why there aren't as many photos in the _Quibbler_ as there are stories."

Danny wondered what a janape was, and Terence thought about how to respond to this. The easiest expedient was to make fun of Loony, but Danny seemed to appreciate her company. He had to be careful about how he went on about this.

Terence nodded once as he figured it out. "Ah, Miss Lovegood, the photos I developed Sunday morning were stolen."

"How unusual. Colin Creevey said that most of his pictures were safe and sound. The only time he had trouble with missing pictures is when Harry Potter was in them. But nothing happened after his second attempt to develop them."

Terence rolled his eyes, but Danny said, "Wait – did anyone find out about what happened to those originals?"

Luna looked thoughtful. "Well, Tara Macnair is in Herbology with me, and once, her book bag was up-ended. Someone thought her bag was mine. Anyway, lots of pictures of Harry spilled onto the greenhouse floor. I told her that Colin was missing several pictures like that, and she said she didn't care – her father would get these when she sent them home."

Danny was pained at the matter-of-fact tone Luna used when speaking about the misdirected prank, as if she expected them against her as a matter of course.

Terence snapped to attention. "Tara Macnair, daughter of Walden Macnair, had those pictures?"

Luna answered, "Yes, that's her. She, like her father, is in Slytherin. That's well and good. But as a Ministry lackey, he likes executing innocent animals and other magical creatures. My father says that he abuses his position in the Department for the Regulation and Control of Magical Creatures, and that he's a Death Eater."

Terence paled. "Luna, Walden Macnair _is_ a Death Eater."

"Oh, that's good. It's good to know people agree with my father. There are many people who don't, you know."

Danny thought for a moment. "People often didn't understand my parents' work, either. However, most of their theories were scientifically sound. But Luna, do you know if Tara took Terence's pictures?"

Luna smiled. "No, Danny. I didn't know about Terence, or his pictures. Colin often talks about his pictures in our study sessions." Looking up at Terence, she explained, "It's our OWL year this year."

The Seventh Year considered this. "You're in Fifth Year, aren't you?"

Luna nodded. "I am."

Danny could listen to Luna's gentle sing-song voice all day. However, a glimpse at his watch told him he needed to move. "Listen – I've got to go to Potions. I'll see you tomorrow, Luna." He packed up to go.

"I'll see you then, Danny. And maybe you'll share your pictures with me."

"Will do. 'Bye!" He waved at both of them.

Terence looked back at Luna. He concentrated, narrowing his eyes. "You said that Colin's pictures were taken by the daughter of a Death Eater."

"Yes, that's right."

"Thanks, Luna." Terence wasn't sure what Danny saw in this girl, but even Terence realized that Luna Lovegood could be more than just an object of scorn. But now, he had a mission: after dinner, he would give Professor Snape their lead, tenuous that it was.

* * *

At five minutes to ten that night, Vlad and Danny heard a throat clear outside the Room of Requirement. "I'll take care of it, Daniel. You have five minutes left." Danny nodded and turned his attention back to his desk.

Vlad opened the door. "Severus – this is a surprise. Daniel is finishing his math test. Can we help you?"

Severus smiled faintly. "I'd like to see you after you finish with tonight's classes. After we discuss what we need to cover, we can determine what and how much to tell Daniel."

"Fair enough. Come in and have a seat. Daniel will be finishing shortly."

Professor Snape entered the Room. Danny raised his eyes to acknowledge his professor's presence, and then focused on his exam.

Professor Snape watched as Danny frowned, erased something, looked over the figures before him and nodded – his eyes lit with sudden comprehension. He scribbled down a few answers that made him happy, and put his pencil down. "There!"

Vlad smiled. "I'm looking forward to seeing what you've made of this section of geometry. We've spent enough time defying physics, ignoring the basics of volume. It helps to know the rules before you can be fully satisfied with how severely you break them."

"If you say so, Papá. Hi there, Uncle Severus."

Snape smiled. "Good evening, Daniel. I hope you did well."

Danny smiled back. "Me, too."

Severus nodded. "We'll get back to you tomorrow, Daniel, if our discussion tonight bears relevant fruit."

Danny looked to Vlad. He didn't appear to have a clue about what was going on, either. "Okay."

Vlad gave Danny a hug. "Good night, little badger."

"Good night, Papá. Uncle Severus." He slipped out the door.

Vlad waved his hand, and the room was replaced by a study, with a crackling fire and two leather armchairs. "Come, Severus. What is on your mind this evening?"

Severus thought for a moment. "I have good news, bad news, and news that may either alarm or amuse you. Which would you like first?"

Vlad grinned. "I get a choice, hmm? Let's start with the bad news, and we'll figure it out from there."

"Fair enough. Two of my Slytherins, Daniel being one of them, brought me an interesting report. I knew something bothered me about the photo session."

Vlad gave him a sidelong glance. "What?"

"Apparently, Mr. Higgs' first prints of his pictures went missing. All we have is a conjecture, but it isn't unreasonable to assume that Voldemort may now be in possession of those pictures."

Vlad's eyes flashed red. "How does this happen? Hogwarts is supposed to be a bastion of safety. But somehow, the madman we came here to protect Daniel from discovered our names, and now has pictures of our faces. I'm beginning to question the security we've been offered."

Severus sighed and ran a hand through his hair. "I understand your ire. However, Hogwarts does have all kinds of wards, and you've had a respite of close to seven months. Further, you now know a bit more about the enemy you are facing. All of that has to be seen as _some_ sort of boon.

"Another thing to consider: we are in the middle of a war. While all of the faculty do our best to keep the students on the side of Light, the fact remains that some of our students have parents who are Death Eaters. Not every Slytherin has joined Draco's anti-Voldemort group, and there are students from other Houses who have not declared their loyalty. Terence was upset that his prints were stolen, but only today did he have a hint that the thief might have had Darker designs than a childhood prank."

"Boston crème doughnuts, this isn't to be borne!" Vlad stewed.

Severus put a hand on his arm. "I don't know if this helps, Vlad, but Harry has had to deal with far worse since he got back to the Wizarding World at age eleven. Voldemort himself (in various permutations) attempted to kill Harry his first two years. I might have been an idiot concerning the boy, but I did my best to protect him at all costs. In Harry's Fourth Year, one of the Dark Lord's most trusted servants kidnapped a professor, and using Polyjuice Potion, not only stood in his stead, but brought Harry and a fellow student to Voldemort directly. Tom Riddle, Voldemort's name as a student, was brilliant, and as a man, knows how to bend people to his will. Students writing home to loving parents are only one of the many types of tools Voldemort won't hesitate to employ."

Vlad closed his eyes and pinched the bridge of his nose. It wasn't so much that the school didn't keep Daniel safe, but that this Dark Lord was a bit better at ferreting out information than he previously supposed.

Severus sighed. "As long as your impressions of the Wizarding World can't possibly be much worse, I thought you could use a bit of information you might find amusing."

Vlad lifted his head and opened his eyes. "Oh?" With an opening like that, he imagined that whatever the wizard would impart would have to be good.

"First of all, I asked Harry about adoption, and he said yes."

"Congratulations! Daniel and I knew he would."

With a half-smile, Severus said, "Thank you kindly. Perhaps – eventually – we might ask you, in concert with a few goblins, about estate management. Between what he's received from his parents' inheritance and his godfather's inheritance, the boy is probably the wealthiest young man in the Wizarding World. It occurs to me that he has no idea about what to do with it all, and his favorite uncle happens to be quite skilled when it comes to dealing with fabulous wealth and fame."

Vlad preened. "Quite right. I'd be honored to help in any way I can."

"Both of us will appreciate that greatly. After taking note of the great pains and hoops you needed to jump through to make your adoption of Daniel a reality, I decided to prepare myself for the same processes in the Wizarding World."

Vlad nodded, and then remembered Severus's introduction to the subject. Raising an elegant eyebrow, he said, "And?"

Severus looked pained. "The current Wizarding laws of adoption haven't progressed too much farther than the Victorian laws of adoption in the Muggle world. If a magical orphan is at all _on record_, then assuming that family or friends haven't claimed the child, any random adult can sign a form of intent, to be filed at the Ministry. If the Ministry has no record of the child, and no family or friends have laid claim, no one really cares. At all." He thought about Tom Riddle and shuddered again.

Vlad sighed. "Considering that, from what I understand of Harry's earlier existence, he was treated about as well as if not worse than a male Jane Eyre, I can't say that I'm surprised. However, why _no_ authorities whatsoever have been alerted to Harry's deplorable condition at the hands of the Dursleys completely escapes me."

Severus closed his eyes. The man was right. He opened his eyes when he heard… a cruel chuckle. Vlad's eyes twinkled with an unholy gleam. "Hmm. Have you and Harry plans for the Easter break?"

The Potions Master blinked at the seeming non sequitur. "Not as of yet."

"I have a thought or two about how to pay the Dursleys a fond thank you for the care and tenderness they've shown your son-to-be."

Severus raised his eyebrows. "While I'm sure nothing would please me more than seeing what you have planned, nothing will get Harry to leave the Hogwarts grounds again until Voldemort is defeated. Fortunately for us, we are far closer to the goal than ever before."

"How so?"

Severus grinned in satisfaction. "That, my dear Vlad, is classified information. Suffice it to say that when it comes time for you to know, you will. I promise you that."

Vlad gave a sour smile. "Turnabout is fair play, I suppose."

21


	50. Chapter 50

First of all, I want to wish everyone a happy and healthy, sweet New Year for 5771! I offer everyone apples, honey, and pomegranate seeds.

I want to thank everyone for reading, reviewing, and for adding this story (and me) to your assorted lists. You have been a serious source of delight and added confidence.

I do believe that this is the chapter that most people have long awaited, short though it is. I hope you enjoy reading it as much as I did writing it.

Sans the teleportation antics, the final scene of this chapter was written up months ago by CynthiaW. As of this writing, the scene as it was originally written is practically unrecognizable, but I used it as a guideline to help me with the pacing. Thank you, dear friend, once again for all your help and support.

Disclaimer: I do not own either _Danny Phantom_ or _Harry Potter_.

Chapter 50

On February 8, Danny invisibly attended the Apparation lessons. The instructor had an ethereal appearance, and Danny watched the various Sixth and Seventh Years aim to Apparate from wherever they were into their practice hoops.

Inwardly, Danny scoffed. 'Sure. Take already nervous teens and make them focus on a really small space. At least Vlad had me aim for a mark on open floor. It was useful to aim for, but the precision needed… Good heavens!'

Hermione had practiced reciting her Three Ds: Destination, Determination, and Deliberation. She _would_ get it this lesson if it killed her. However, it didn't seem to be working.

Harry and Ron took their places confidently. Murmuring quietly, "See it. Want it. Go. It works for Danny, it will work for us," they visualized the inside of the hoops, desired to get there, and did the necessary turn. It worked!

"We did it!" Ron shouted. Professor McGonagall beamed. One of the Gryffindors managed to be the first to successfully Apparate in this crop of students. It surprised everyone to hear that even ONE student managed it successfully this early in the lesson series.

Mr. Twycross looked up and Apparated to Ron and Harry's side of the room. The Heads of House followed shortly thereafter. "Did you? Really? I must see this. It's my experience that students don't usually 'get it' until their fourth week. You must show me, if you please."

Since Ron shouted to call the instructor's attention, Ron went first. He came back to his starting mark, closed his eyes, and disappeared, reappearing in his target hoop.

Wilkie beamed and fairly glowed. "My boy, you've done it!" Mr. Twycross clapped in pleasure, and turned to look at the other students. "Just as I've said: focus on the Three Ds, and…"

Ron interrupted, "Forget the Three Ds. I focused on far simpler words and got far better results."

"Oh? What words?"

Ron puffed out his chest. "See it, Want it, and Go." The Heads of House were impressed that someone managed to summarize the Three Ds so effectively.

Wilkie blinked. "Well, yes. That is the definition of the Three Ds. That's what makes it so easy to remember, especially as they all start with the same letter."

The instructor was oblivious to the icy glares he received from every student and the cock-eyed stares he received from the Heads of House. Ron and Harry rolled their eyes, and Danny struggled to contain his giggles. Hermione crossed her arms and glared at her boyfriend and their best friend. She was glad they succeeded, but she hated the fact that they got this before she did!

Justin repeated, "See it, Want it, and Go. Huh. Ron, did you come up with that?"

Ron glanced nervously at Professor Flitwick and gulped. "Not exactly."

Harry sighed and flashed an apologetic half-smile at Professor Flitwick. "Sorry, Professor." Looking back at the Ministry instructor, he said, "Professor Flitwick said we should keep quiet about it, as Hogwarts' foreign exchange student didn't register for a British Apparation license yet, but Danny told us that was how he learned it. It works for him, and now it works for us."

Professor Snape crossed his arms and observed his son-to-be, and realized that his favorite student taught both Harry and Ron how to Apparate with mere words that worked more effectively than those that had been taught for generations. He must discuss this with Vlad at some point very soon. Not that he showed it, but he burst with pride at these students showing up the Ministry idiot.

Professor Flitwick looked at Harry and Ron. As per instructions, they didn't call undue attention to Danny, so he couldn't be too upset with them. Danny truly was an asset to the school, and he didn't have to be a wizard to do it. Nicely done!

Mr. Twycross studied Harry. "You can do it, too? Very well, show me." Harry Apparated from his starting point to his target hoop. Wilkie applauded. "Very good, very good. This is wonderful!"

Danny tuned out the Ministry official's blathering about his joyful success. He couldn't believe the level of government stupidity, but looking at the faces of the professors present, neither did they. At least Mayor Montez attempted to do something by galvanizing his parents. This Ministry twit couldn't seem to acknowledge his own ineffectiveness. Then Danny smiled – Vlad would appreciate hearing about this.

* * *

At breakfast on February 15, the professors amused themselves and each other by discussing which students they caught being particularly indiscreet yesterday. Personally, Vlad didn't care, but the Headmaster turned it into a game, and Vlad did _so_ love a challenge: the professor or staff member who caught the most couples (not who deducted the most points) would win three Galleons and bragging rights. Considering that the Hogsmeade weekend that usually fell out the weekend either immediately before, during, or immediately after Valentine's Day had to be cancelled due to Death Eater activity, this game was a fun way to burn off nervous energy.

Vlad was personally happy that however hormonal teenagers might be, Danny had enough going on that his relationship with Luna (which was developing rather sweetly) was more along the lines of a deepening friendship. Regardless, he was also privately pleased that there were enough hidden places the boy had access to that, if he chose not to be as innocent as he seemed, he would never get caught.

Severus expressed amusement with the idea that invisibility could go a long way to hide from professors, librarians, and caretakers. Vlad raised an eyebrow, and realized the Potions Master probably had a similar thought process regarding Harry, and could just as easily refer to Harry using his Invisibility Cloak as Daniel with his natural talent.

What made this particularly challenging was that it was a simple school day. Most students didn't care one way or another, as the Fifth and Seventh Years (two of the three years of students most likely to get in trouble) were buckling down and preparing for OWLs and NEWTs, respectively. Still, Filius explained that some students made the effort to take it as a challenge to find romance where they may, so the game that Albus set up was far more useful than it seemed.

As it was, Professor Vector won the Headmaster's game, having caught 14 couples. After that, it was a point of pride amongst the Heads of House to determine who had the students with the most sense, or at the very least, who had the least students who were caught doing what they ought not. Minerva confided that Severus usually won that one, but not always. This year, Pomona won that honor.

Vlad wondered if the students had any idea what a source of amusement they were to the faculty. Gazing out at the sea of students in the breakfast crowd, many of whom wore disgruntled expressions for having been caught, he would imagine they had no clue.

* * *

As Vlad prepared for his almost weekly trip to London, he thought about his discussion with Daniel earlier in the week (and subsequent discussion with Severus). Vlad was not only pleased with himself as a teacher, he was extraordinarily pleased with Daniel for being able to convey his lessons well enough to teach others. Apparently, after a discussion of teleportation vs. Apparation, Daniel scorned the Ministry's 'mnemonic' device, and used the words Vlad taught him. During last summer, the boy's vocabulary was sorely lacking, and a simple, effective, and efficient verbiage was necessary to get the point across.

He shook with mirth as he understood that Daniel taught Vlad's formulation of the idea to Harry and Ron. As a focus for concentration, it worked as well for Apparation as it did for teleportation. The simple formula won Ron a bet with Hermione and a good deal of amusement for his son. Vlad wondered what Daniel would think if he knew precisely how much his sense of humor was in line with Vlad's own.

These thoughts filled his mind as he stepped out of the alley he teleported to right near his favorite Internet café. And this week, he expected to hear back from Lewis Greer to see what kind of progress was being made with the technicalities of the adoption process.

He never saw or heard the two people who grabbed his arms. Before he could do anything to break free or even protest, he felt a twisting sensation pulling him somewhere. Everything went black. For an uncomfortable moment, Vlad couldn't breathe, as his body seemed to be compressed on all sides. It was like Daniel's description of being sucked into the Fenton Weasel, or Skulker's description of being sucked into the Fenton Thermos.

When the sensation passed, Vlad breathed heavily and might have fallen forward if his captors didn't have as tight a grip on him. Vlad's head cleared, and he had yet to see the people manhandling him. "What is the meaning of this!"

Whoever held him would not be ghosts, as he would have sensed them. The Guys in White were in America, and though they had the technological capability to become invisible, they would not have assaulted, much less abducted, an American citizen. They had no knowledge of him being a ghost, and England was outside of their jurisdiction.

Therefore, the only logical conclusion is that his captors were wizards, who also had the ability to become invisible. As such, Vlad wasn't sure that he was ready to play his intangibility card. Yet.

The captor on his left jeered, "You'll know when our Master's ready for you to know."

"Unhand me this instant!"

The captor on his right chortled. "You hear that? Masters thinks he has a right to make demands."

They put one hand each all over him, patting him down until the one on the left cried, "Hah! Got yer wand."

Vlad struggled experimentally. Without giving hint to his inhuman strength, Vlad realized that whoever had hold of him was far stronger than his human half seemed capable of being. It wasn't unlike physically fighting Jack Fenton.

These people were subservient to a master, were they? They were far too big to be elves. Humans of the Wizarding World were far too independent… unless these were Voldemort's Death Eaters.

Vlad sneered. "How charming. You must be Death Eaters." Now that Vlad knew with whom he was dealing, he had a surprise or two for their 'master.'

The one on his left almost stopped walking for a moment. "And you're not scared?"

Vlad would have shrugged, but his arms were held too tight. "Of course not. You're merely slaves, mindless drones. Unless I'm mistaken, Voldemort wants me undamaged so I'll suit his purposes, whatever they might be. As such, you have no power over me other than to bring me to your," he wrinkled his nose distastefully, " 'master.' How pathetic."

Vlad's imperious manner confused his captors. They had him prisoner; he knew they were taking him to the Dark Lord, but from his tone of voice, it seemed like _he_ was in control.

The fellow on his right growled. Vlad smirked; he struck a nerve. The truth often hurts, and when it does, it can be wielded like a knife.

The guy on his right had a few uncomfortable truths of his own to share. "Seeing how much that kid means to you, you might like knowing that I, personally, killed his family," he sneered.

Vlad paled, and then he flushed with anger. "You? _You_ killed Maddie?"

The captor on his right shrugged one shoulder. "If that's what she's called. Pitiful Muggle. I don't see why you should care."

Careful not to rise to the bait, Vlad raised his eyebrows briefly, dismissively. "Because that woman was my college sweetheart, gorgeous enough to make a goddess jealous, brilliant beyond your imbecilic imaginations could ever hope to appreciate, and she knew over forty ways to kill, maim, or paralyze a person with her bare hands. She had grace befitting any queen, or what you might arrogantly declare a pureblood should have. She respected people, no matter how different they might be, unless they insulted or threatened her family. One of my only regrets is that she didn't fall in love with me, rather than my adopted son's birthfather."

With that litany of praise, his two captors couldn't respond.

Vlad might not be able to see more than the outline of the man who killed the Fentons, but he filed away that voice and the smell of him. He would enjoy killing that man, preferably slowly and painfully. However, quick and undeniably dead would serve in a pinch, if need be.

His captors led him quickly down a yew hedge-lined driveway, until they reached a wrought-iron gate. The two men slowed just enough to raise their left arms while holding him, though he couldn't see what they were doing. They passed through the gates as though they were intangible.

"That's a neat feature," Vlad quipped.

They brought him down the straight driveway until they reached a mansion. It wasn't as large as his castle in Wisconsin, but its obvious age gave it a grandeur that only antiquity (and upkeep) could bring. "Where is this, if I may ask?"

The captor on his left said, "I don't see a problem telling ya. It's Malfoy Manor." Vlad raised an eyebrow as he remembered hearing about how Draco needed to find other living arrangements, as Voldemort took over his home. Killing Voldemort had such an attractive ring to it. He might have the opportunity to try just that.

This could be interesting, and potentially a lot of fun. It was almost worth the price of the indignity of having the thugs practically dragging him along. Otherwise, he could have teleported away at a moment's notice – it wouldn't give anything away, as wizards potentially could Apparate.

The Death Eaters holding him released the Disillusionment spells on themselves before entering the building. That did little to aid Vlad in the visual identification department, as both men wore black cloaks with hoods and white masks designed to inspire fear. However, the one on the right was far bigger than the one on the left.

Neither of these cretins wore gloves. If they realized how easy it would be (for him, anyway) to identify them based on the hair growths on their gnarled knuckles, they might have thought to have covered them. Vlad wondered whether the Wizarding Law Enforcement personnel dusted for fingerprints. If not, it was at least one logical reason for criminal wizards to ignore the obvious.

They brought him, unresisting, to the 'throne room.' The one on the left knocked. A reedy voice commanded, "Enter." Vlad was curious to see the man who so terrified the Wizarding World that most were too afraid to say his name.

The thin man in a black robe who radiated power stood with his back to the door, looking out the window. Vlad was disgusted by this obvious power play. Of course – making them wait until he was good and ready was so like a stereotypical villain. Vlad himself wouldn't do anything of the sort, if he were in a similar position. Really! Truly – he was far more menacing as he faced his prey. Vlad had first-hand experience with this.

Ah, the famed Dark Lord deigned to take note of their presence. He was bald, his head was whiter than a skull, his nose was as flat as a snake's with slits for nostrils, and his eyes were red. Vlad yawned contemptuously. In his vampiric ghost form, Vlad himself was scary. This self-styled Lord Voldemort was merely ugly.

"Good work, Rowle and Scabior. I will suitably reward you later for having delivered my prize." Vlad rolled his eyes.

The goon on Vlad's left handed the Dark Lord the 'wand.' "I thought you might like this."

"Even better, Scabior. You might just have earned your way into the Inner Circle." The smaller man stood straighter with obvious pride. "Now leave us."

Vlad took note of the fact that the man he was determined to kill was named Rowle. Without further ado, the half-ghost sneered, "Are you sure that's safe?"

Voldemort raised the patch of skin where an eyebrow should have been. "Quite. You are dismissed, gentlemen." The masked men released him and bowed low and exited. Vlad tossed his head; he was right – they were pathetic.

"For a wizard with no wand, you are rather blasé in the face of danger, Vladimir Masters."

Vlad raised an eyebrow. "For a Dark Lord who terrifies the Wizarding populace, you are fearfully unoriginal. Do you really think your 'blood purity' mantra impresses anyone?" He carelessly waved a hand. "For a European to have missed the failed experiment in 'eugenetics' and ethnic cleansing shows frightful ignorance. You don't target Jews and Gypsies – your targets of choice are those born without magic." Vlad peaked his eyebrows. "You _are _aware that Hitler lost, aren't you?"

Voldemort glared at the insolent American. "Considering the fact that I was a child during the Blitz, yes, I am aware of that fact. However, Muggle that he was, _he_ never learned the art of immortality."

"Neither have you. You can run from death, you can hide, and you can use magic to destroy your soul, but secrets can be revealed, and your 'immortality' will be revealed for the illusion it always was."

Tom narrowed his red eyes. Vlad assumed that this was frightening to someone who didn't know what to make of such an eye color. His own pupil-less red eyes were more impressive.

"What do you know of 'magic destroying the soul'?"

Vlad shrugged. "Not much, I imagine. But enough to get your attention."

Voldemort cocked his head. He never had such an opponent. The Potter brat had a lip, but he was a mere boy. No man had ever stood to him thus, not even Albus Dumbledore. "Enough of this. You are Daniel Fenton's uncle, are you not?"

Vlad smirked. "You are behind the times; I'm not sure where you get your information. I've adopted him – he is now my son."

Something deep within what was left of Voldemort's soul rang with pain. It's been many decades since he cared about the concept, but he remembered being left as an orphan, rejected by his living father. It pained him to know that the Fenton child received what he never did – an adoption.

Of course, this man before him had no need to know. Lord Voldemort had no foolish, debilitating need for 'love' or such rot. "Indeed. Well, your _son_ has intrigued me the way very few have: he seems to be immune to the Killing Curse."

Vlad raised his chin arrogantly. "Yes. It would seem he is."

"Tell me how."

Vlad looked askance. "Why should I?"

Voldemort narrowed his eyes again, and practically hissed, "No one denies Lord Voldemort and gets away with it!"

Studying his fingernails, Vlad drawled, "You know, I once used that very line against a woman who spurned my love, and a child who spurned my bid for paternity. It didn't work for me, and it won't work for you, either."

The Dark Lord growled. "I tire of your flippancy. Tell me how he survived!"

"No."

Voldemort raised his wand. _"Crucio!"_

Vlad lazily raised his hand and put up a shield of pink ectoplasmic glass. The spell bounced off harmlessly. "And this should impress me… why?"

The Dark Lord screwed up his face in outrage. "You… you deflected an Unforgivable! And you did it without a wand!"

"Yes. I suppose I did."

Voldemort locked eyes with Vlad. "Interesting," he murmured.

Vlad was hypnotized by something in the depth of those red eyes. The villain before him hissed incoherently, but it was nothing Vlad took seriously. He was so lost in the mesmerizing gaze that he failed to recognize that he felt slightly light-headed.

Voldemort broke the stare. "Interesting indeed." He began to chuckle. "You fool. Well, at least now I know how the boy evaded the Killing Curse. You can, too, can't you?"

Vlad sneered. "Yes." A wave of dizziness hit him. "How do you know?"

Voldemort smirked. "The same way I know you're not a wizard. You're not even human." He took a step back. "I may not have your latest technology, but sometimes the old ways work best. Don't they, _ghost_?"

Vlad narrowed his eyes and stepped forward… and screamed in pain. "What…" He looked around him. Except for a circle of five feet in diameter in which Vlad was the center, the floor was strewn about with Blood Blossoms.

"My precious snake Nagini was busy as I ransacked your mind. The floor above this ceiling and the floor beneath this level have also been so treated. I no longer need the boy. But you shall be fun to play with."

For the first time since his captivity, Vlad was afraid.


	51. Chapter 51

Thank you once again for your wonderful support. I sincerely appreciate each one of you who read, review, and put this story (and me) on your favorite and alert lists. I would offer you pumpkin cheesecake and vanilla milkshakes in thanks.

I need to thank CynthiaW. You know why, dear friend.

I do believe that this is the chapter that so many people have long been waiting for.

Disclaimer: I do not own _Danny Phantom_, _Harry Potter_, _Star Wars: The Empire Strikes Back_, _Ghost Busters_, _The Princess Bride, _or _Men in Black_.

Chapter 51

After Vlad left for London after breakfast, the Apparation students, the Heads of House, and invisible Danny trooped outside, where it was cold but sunny. This week, more students succeeded in their Apparation, Hermione and Draco most fierce among them. With the simple words, See it, Want it, and Go, most of the people who were signed up were confident in their newfound Apparating ability, and there were only two instances of Splinching. (Those were caused when the two students in question kept their eyes on the instructor instead of visualizing their targets.)

Wilkie Twycross demanded to see the foreign exchange student who seemed to have vetted the Three Ds from the vocabulary of those he was supposed to be teaching. Danny tapped Professor Snape on the shoulder and whispered, "Is this a good idea?"

Severus nodded with just enough motion for Danny to catch it. "You will be fine; I will be with you."

Danny sighed in relief and materialized. Mr. Twycross marched up to Danny. "So _you_ are the one causing the trouble, are you?"

Glancing up at Professor Snape, who nodded encouragingly, Danny said innocently, "What trouble do you mean, Mr. Twycross?"

Wilkie spluttered. "What trouble? No one cares about the Three Ds! I've taught this course for over twenty years, and…"

"Mr. Twycross," Danny interrupted. "What is the goal here? The Three Ds or safe and successful Apparation?"

"Apparation, of course!"

Danny scratched his head. "So what's the problem? You said that usually, people don't 'get it' until the fourth session. This is the third session, and almost everyone not only 'has it,' but are seriously successful, here."

The ethereal man flushed red for a moment or two, and then nodded, controlling his temper. "You're right, I suppose… They say you are still unlicensed, here."

Danny nodded. "Yes, sir."

"Who taught you?"

"My Papá taught me."

Wilkie studied him. "Is that so? Show me what you can do."

Danny shrugged. "Where do you want me to go?"

Before the Ministry official could think up a destination, a blood-curdling scream came from across the yard. "Harry!" Danny gasped and teleported to Harry's side.

Harry fell to the ground, clutching his forehead. Danny held his shoulders so Harry wouldn't hurt himself as he convulsed in pain. Professor Snape sprinted to the dark-haired duo. "Harry!"

People who were unused to the Potions Professor referring to any student besides a Slytherin by given name stared. Severus sat on the ground and took Harry from Danny's hands, cradling him in his strong arms. "Harry, Harry, wake up. I'm here. Harry, you're safe, Harry. Wake up."

Professor McGonagall commanded, "Everyone, go back inside and get ready for lunch. Thank you for your services today, Mr. Twycross." She strode into the castle to inform the Headmaster of Harry's indisposition.

Professors Flitwick and Sprout herded everyone besides Ron and Hermione away from Harry and the two ministering Slytherins.

As soon as Harry quieted into a pained repose, Professor Snape speared Ron with a glare. Ron peaked his eyebrows, and Professor Snape demanded, "Has he been practicing Occlumency? Well?"

Ron squeaked until he found his voice. "Yes, Professor. Every night and other times during the day. This was weird. He was just talking to Justin and Ernie, and then… this."

"Damn! Then what does this mean?"

Hermione ventured, "I don't know, sir, but Harry's… well, this happens more harshly when Vol…demort is feeling especially angry or happy."

Looking around at the otherwise empty yard, Danny asked quietly, "Uncle Severus? Will Harry be okay?"

Severus took a cleansing breath. "If this is like the other times I've heard about, then yes. There's nothing for it but…"

"Severus?" All eyes flew to Harry.

"Yes, Harry?"

"I had a vision."

Severus rocked him a little. "So I gathered. Shall we sit, or are you up to heading back to the castle?"

Of all the times Harry had to deal with visions from Voldemort, he could never remember anyone holding him like this. It was nice. It was almost worth the accompanying pain. But only almost. "We could sit for a bit longer, if that's okay."

"Shh… That's fine. Ah, here comes Professor Dumbledore."

Professor Dumbledore rapidly approached with Professor McGonagall trailing behind. "Thank you, Severus. Harry? How are you?"

Harry groaned. "I've been better. My head's still sore, but I'll be fine." A wave of dizziness passed over him, and he amended, "Eventually."

The Headmaster took note of who was present and determined that it was safe for everyone present to hear what might be said. "Are you well enough to talk about what you saw?"

Harry blinked and his head started to clear. "I think so." He turned to Danny apologetically. "Danny, I'm sorry. Voldemort has captured Uncle Vlad."

"NOOO!" Danny's scream of anguish was almost palpable. Already on the ground, Danny hugged his knees tightly. He hid his face, sobbing without restraint.

"Oh, Danny…" murmured Professor Dumbledore. Professor Snape and Harry looked at each other, trying to figure out what to do. What _does_ one say to a person who has lost everything and everyone, and has now lost his last anchor to his past?

Hermione's eyes widened. "I'll be right back." She flew back to the castle.

Professor McGonagall knelt to hold Danny's shaking form. Danny was completely unresponsive. The three professors shared a glance, not knowing how to proceed. There were ultimate contingency plans, but no one was ready to discuss them yet.

Harry patted Danny's leg. This was almost worse than Harry losing Sirius last year. While he, too, only had Sirius for two years, and he was devastated at the man's loss, it was returning to a hated life-long status quo. He never had a loving family, and then he lost Sirius.

Danny was just barely getting over the loss of his parents, his sister, his friends, his community, and now this happened. Danny was a Muggle target of Voldemort, and he left his own country to seek refuge here from this very thing. What words of comfort could he give? Harry's brain refused to kick in.

Hermione ran back to the small group huddled on the cold ground, and she was accompanied by Sir Nicholas.

The Gryffindor Ghost took one look at the tableau and glided to Danny's side. "Oh, no. Danny." Sir Nicholas gestured gallantly at Professor McGonagall, who started when she realized he wanted her to get out of the way. "If you would, Madam."

She backed away slowly, giving Sir Nicholas a sidelong glance. "Thank you, Professor." He knelt and hugged Danny closely. Every witch and wizard present stared, as this was a sight no one but Professor Dumbledore had ever seen: a living student was physically touched by a ghost and it was a useful, meaningful contact.

"Shh…Danny." Sir Nicholas rocked him gently in his embrace. "Danny, shh. Everything will be fine. Shh…" He rubbed circles on Danny's back until Danny quieted. "That's right. Everything _will_ be fine." They stayed this way for several minutes as the living humans watched in wonder.

Once Danny's breathing hitched, Sir Nicholas released Danny from a full embrace, but kept an arm around Danny's shoulders. "Harry, might I suggest that you explain your vision in a bit more detail?" Danny followed Sir Nicholas's lead and looked at Harry, waiting for more of an explanation.

Harry peaked his eyebrows. "Of course, Nick. Danny." He closed his eyes, took a breath, and when he opened his eyes he focused on Danny. "Two Death Eaters, Scabior and Rowle they were called, brought Uncle Vlad to Voldemort in Malfoy Manor. Scabior handed Voldemort your Dad's wand. Uncle Vlad didn't seem concerned about that at all."

Harry smirked despite himself. "They taunted each other for a while. I think Voldemort was shocked and surprised – he's not used to people speaking to him that way."

Danny gave a watery smile. "Derisive banter. It's a great diversionary tactic in ghost fights. If your opponent sputters indignantly, they are easily distracted when you land the decisive blow." Ron blinked. "It has the added benefit of adding insult to injury." Professors Dumbledore and Snape looked thoughtful.

Sir Nicholas chuckled. "I hear your banter is legendary, Danny."

Danny gave a lopsided grin. "I try."

Professor Dumbledore raised his eyebrows. There was a lot to Mr. Fenton-Masters' story that was completely unknown to the living wizards that seemed to be common knowledge amongst the ghosts. Danny had the disposition of a hero, but Albus was ignorant of the valiant history that came with his remarkable American student.

"Perhaps you'll share a story or two with us later, Danny. But Harry, if you would…?"

Harry nodded. "Right. Danny, Voldemort said you… lived through the Killing Curse." Ron and Hermione gasped. This was news to them.

"Yeah. Once Uncle Severus," Professor McGonagall blinked, "taught me how to fight the Imperius Curse, I can be more or less immune to all three Unforgivables. The Killing Curse is like a sharp jab with a knitting needle, but if I turn intangible or put up a shield, it's nothing. I could feel the full Cruciatus, but then again, turning intangible or putting up a shield counters that."

Ron gaped for a second. "But _no one_ can defend against the Unforgivables. That's why they're unforgivable."

Danny raised an eyebrow. "Uh, Ron? There's a _reason_ Harry has his most hated title, the Boy Who Lived. _He_ lived through Voldemort's Killing Curse. So, obviously, there are circumstances where the Killing Curse doesn't work as scheduled." Hermione joined Ron in his incredulous stare at Danny.

Danny continued. "And Uncle Severus told me Harry learned how to fight the Imperius Curse two years ago, so it can be fought. But here's the thing you're just not getting. I'm not a wizard; I'm a ghost. I'm not sure it even counts as a power, as much as it's a biological fact: ghosts can't be killed with a Killing Curse." He added wryly, "For most ghosts, that would be redundant."

Sir Nicholas chuckled again. "Too right you are, Danny." He gave the half-ghost an extra squeeze.

Professor Snape grinned. Daniel _was_ exceedingly clever. There were a great number of logical leaps the boy made, and they all led to logical conclusions. Also, he would have to thank Sir Nicholas later for drawing Daniel from his not-quite-mourning.

But for now, Severus hugged Harry with one arm, patted Danny's knee with his free hand, and said, "Well said, Daniel. Well done. But Harry, if you would continue, please?"

Harry nodded. "Right. Well, Voldemort demanded that Uncle Vlad tell him how you lived through the Killing Curse, and the professor wasn't about to tell him. Voldemort threw the Cruciatus at him, but… he looked bored and put up a pink shield." Harry stopped. "I get it now. His color's pink, and yours is green. Like in _Star Wars_."

"Vlad, you are my father. Yup. Totally." Hermione dissolved into giggles.

Ron peaked his eyebrows, but no one helped him out this time. So he decided to ask what was on his mind. "Danny, we've seen your ghost form. What does Professor Masters' ghost form look like?"

Without missing a beat, Danny answered, "Like a blue-skinned vampire. His beard turns black. His hair turns black and somehow almost forms horns. His eyes are red and are without whites and pupils. And he forms a white tunic and breeches, and a white, flowing cape turned up at the neck. The underside of the cape is the same shade of red as his wizard robes. But his boots, gloves, belt, and cape clasp are black."

Professor McGonagall asked, "Blue skin? Is that… healthy?"

Danny thought. "Well…" He looked to Sir Nicholas, who nodded encouragingly. "Ghosts who are mostly tangible, like me, are usually green, blue, ashen, sepia, or pure black or pure white. One more thing that makes me unique is that my skin tone in my ghost form is the same as it is right now." Danny sighed sadly, immersed in thought.

"Daniel," Severus barked sharply, "If you even _think_ the word 'freak,' I will be severely displeased, and you'll have a rather lengthy essay to write on the topic."

Danny sat straighter, releasing his knees. "Yes, sir."

Harry raised his eyebrows. Now an earlier comment had _far_ more context. As far as he knew, Danny and Professor Masters were the only two half-ghosts in the world. While it was painful when the Dursleys called Harry a freak, the fact is that he shared his magical heritage with the entire Wizarding World. Danny was special in a much more exclusive way.

Harry cleared his throat and continued. "So Voldemort was frustrated and performed Legilimency on Uncle Vlad." He stared at Danny's feet, and said quietly, "Voldemort said that your Dad's not a wizard."

Danny sighed. "Neither of them."

"While Voldemort held Uncle Vlad's mind captive, he told Nagini to spread rose-looking flowers all over the place: in a circle all around them and all over the floor outside the circle, and on the floors immediately above and below where they were standing. When Voldemort broke the spell and retreated, Uncle Vlad hit the flower line and screamed in pain."

Professor Snape, Danny, and – surprisingly – Sir Nicholas chorused, "Blood Blossoms!"

"If that's what they're called."

Danny narrowed his eyes. "I will kill that snake." His eyes flashed green in anger. "That snake is TOAST!" Everyone stared, as no one remembered having seen Danny do _that_ before.

Harry recovered first and snickered. "Reverse _Ghost Busters_. I love the irony." He sobered. "Voldemort doesn't want you any more, Danny. But he intends to torture Uncle Vlad."

Danny ran a hand through his hair and murmured contemplatively, "What do we do? What do we do?" The professors were shocked once again. The student who, just minutes ago, was debilitated with anguish now sat, considering options, forming a plan.

Harry rallied Ron and Hermione's attention; he recognized that they were witnessing the right way to initiate a rescue mission. Danny's thoughtfulness in the presence of friends and sympathetic adults was as much an example of 'what to do' as much as Harry's attempted rescue mission of Sirius was an example of 'what NOT to do.'

Professor Dumbledore said, "Danny, I'm not sure that…"

Danny didn't seem to hear him, staring at nothing, focusing on a memory. Thinking out loud, he muttered, "See, this is why I never told my parents my secret. If my enemies knew my parents supported me as Danny Phantom, my parents would have been targets. And now, Vlad is my father."

Professor Snape was intrigued by Danny's reaction. It was at this moment that he realized how much of a mystery Daniel truly was. Fueled by curiosity, Severus burned to see what Danny would say or do. He asked, "Was there a time you faced something similar?"

Danny frowned, shaking his head at past anger. "In Amity Park, the only enemy I faced that was purely human and purely evil was Freakshow."

Sir Nicholas closed his eyes in shared pain. "Oh, Danny!" The professors heard the name before, but the students hoped to find out what was going on soon.

Professor Snape narrowed his eyes and held up a hand. "Daniel, you said that… ringmaster specialized in mind control. What he did to you and those ghosts was untenable, true. But I don't see how that compares…"

"No, that time didn't. There was another time he…" Danny blew a frustrated breath. "No one would have known about it because we had to erase everyone's memory of it."

Professor Dumbledore interjected, "Danny, how could that even be possible? There were no wizards to perform Obliviation spells."

Danny cocked his head. "Professor, there was no wizard-type magic." He cut his eyes to the side as he considered how to explain this. "Frederich Showenhower, the… jerk who used the stage name 'Freakshow,' had in his possession and used something called the Reality Gauntlet. The Gauntlet, with the three gems and the stone that was its power source, gave the wearer the capability of changing all reality." He put one hand on the back of his neck. "I don't know if it was magic – not like your magic – or if it tapped into ghostly power, or what. The dude wrote the book on it."

Hermione burst, "Really?"

Danny rolled his eyes. "Sam showed it to me. I think Vlad has a copy. Anyway… In what is now another time line…"

"But Danny, messing with time is dangerous! In Third Year, I had a Time Turner, and…"

"And I met the Master of Time. Yeah. And I've personally seen time reset and reality juggled and reorganized with wishes and ghosts who had the power to do so. So, let's say I'm kind of familiar with the concept."

Professor McGonagall mouthed, 'Master of Time?' Severus shrugged.

Danny sighed. "Somehow, Freakshow broke out of whatever prison he was assigned to for his grand larceny. It was just the start of last summer. I was looking forward to a ghost-fight free summer. No school, no fighting for my life or the safety of the town. Just a cross-country road trip with my family and my two best friends. We were to leave Illinois, and hit at least three points of interest in Florida, Nevada, and California. You know, from sea to shining sea…"

His rapt audience was aware that they were about to learn of a more detailed slice of Danny's life than he ever willingly exposed.

"And the best part, or what should have been the best part, about it was the 'School's Out' concert of Dumpty Humpty – a favorite rock group, that set up a tent in the school's front yard. Freakshow, and the only ghost who willingly served him, Lydia, flew in. After a not-so-spectacular aerial battle, when we hid the components that made the Gauntlet function, my powers short-circuited, and I transformed. It was recorded on live television. My best kept secret was exposed, nationally."

Harry tried to process this. "So everyone knew you were a hero."

Danny shook his head negatively. "Some people figured this out. My classmates surprised me and were supremely cool with this. However, the Guys in White – the federal agency responsible for enforcing the Anti-Ecto Control Act – had other plans." Danny shuddered. "I was the only known half-ghost, and if they managed to get me, they wanted to experiment on me, with lots and lots of really painful experiments."

Professor McGonagall gasped, "Merlin! That they thought to do this to you, a child!"

Danny shrugged. "Ghost hunters never care about my age. They don't think about the fact that I'm a kid. They just see me as a ghost."

Hermione exclaimed, "But you're… at least half-human, and an American citizen. You have rights!"

Danny gave a half-smile. "As a ghost, I don't have any rights. The joys of being considered non-human."

Harry sighed sympathetically. "I imagine that's how Remus feels."

Severus frowned and closed his eyes. "There's a reason your letters to the werewolves were so effective."

Just seeing how this affected Daniel, Severus became aware that Harry wasn't the only one he grievously wronged. James and Sirius might have been bullies, but Remus really had a problem. The one social redeeming value of the Marauders was their attempt to accompany a lonely fellow whose greatest sins at the time were being mauled by Fenrir Greyback as a helpless child, and being too afraid to lose the friends he made to stop their bad behavior.

What was it about Daniel that brought out these thoughts and emotions? First Harry, now Remus. The Potions Master had known that Remus was a werewolf since their Fifth Year, but it wasn't until he witnessed Daniel's explanation of his perspective that he realized precisely how much pain he'd given Remus when he exposed his secret. Severus now had a much deeper appreciation for Vlad's anger when he learned that Harry saw Danny's power display.

Of course, he understood that intellectually. But now, it was different. Very, very different.

Danny sighed. "On one level, I suppose that's for the best." Sir Nicholas grabbed his head as he whipped around to face the boy under his arm. "I mean, I just don't see Mirandizing the Box Ghost."

Sir Nicholas wasn't sure what 'Mirandizing' meant, but he imagined that it was a right granted to living Americans. "There is that. However, as a sentient being, you _should_ have the right to common courtesy."

Danny gave a mirthless laugh. "Thanks for saying so. Still… That's one _more_ reason it's important to keep my secret."

He closed his eyes for a second. "The whole mess is a rather long story. But the point is that Freakshow managed to kidnap my family, Sam's parents, and Tucker's parents. They were supposed to be held for ransom until we gave him back the gems that made the Gauntlet function." He sighed sadly.

Sir Nicholas gave Danny another comforting squeeze, and Professor Snape stated, "So the situation has a few similarities."

Professor Dumbledore asked, "So what ended up happening?"

Danny sighed again. "My friends and I got our cross-country trip hunting down the stones we wished away, dogged by the Guys in White every step of the way. However… I _did_ get to land a space shuttle. Sam _did_ get to enjoy at least a _few_ minutes of Goth-a-palooza, and Tucker _did_ get to attend that comic book convention." He looked at Hermione. "The heart of every geek thrilled as three costumers, affected by one of the gems, actually _became_ their favorite comic book characters for a short time, with full forms, powers, and regalia. Pity that these folks chose to be villains."

Harry snickered, just trying to visualize that. Danny smiled. "I guess I should tell you, Harry, even ridiculously enthusiastic fans can have their uses. I'm still not sure how I merited the status of comic book hero, but when we got to California, enough costumers decided to dress like me and my girlfriend Sam that they provided the camouflage necessary to escape from the Guys in White that time."

Ron blurted, "Bloody hell!"

"Yeah, we thought so, too. Poor Tucker! He just never got the attention we did."

Danny peaked his eyebrows as he remembered Tucker complaining, 'Still no Tuckers – a crying shame. I even come with gadgets!' He missed Tucker.

Bringing himself back to his friends and professors, he cleared his throat. "Back to Freakshow… So, yeah. He held our families captive. Once he got what he wanted, he decided to mess with reality all over. Day turned to night, national monuments were defaced… Some things I only got a hint of when I had to set to rights what he perverted.

"And for the record, when normality was restored (or what passes for normality in _my_ world), and everyone who learned of my secret because of this incident had forgotten – the precision of the Reality Gauntlet was frightening – I destroyed it."

Professor Snape perked up. "What? How could you?"

Danny covered his eyes. "That was Papá's reaction when I told him, too. Look – no one should have that kind of power. Harry told me that once the whole… episode with Voldemort and the Philosopher's Stone was over, that stone was destroyed. The Gauntlet was _so_ much worse. Just think of it – supervillain living forever vs. supervillain who can change any aspect of reality he sees fit just by _thinking_ about it." Danny couldn't help but smile at the looks of horror he received. "I thought so, too."

Professor Dumbledore took a cleansing breath. "How did you save your families?"

Danny shrugged. "My sister gave me a useful piece of advice, and I outsmarted the creep by using his deepest desires against him. It worked. It's a good thing it did, too, or Freakshow would have killed all of us – my family and friends just because it would cause me pain, and me out of a crazy sense of revenge."

There was silence as everyone present reflected and absorbed the half-ghost's tale.

Sir Nicholas fully embraced Danny. "No matter what _anyone_ says, you _are_ a hero, Danny. Don't let anyone convince you otherwise."

Danny sighed contentedly. "Thanks. I mean it."

When the hug ended, Danny sat quietly for a few seconds and then said, "So now, we need to form a plan to get Vlad back."

Professor McGonagall responded, "There is no 'we,' Danny. You shall stay here."

Danny gave her a cold look. "With all due respect, Professor, Voldemort currently is holding captive the most important person in my world. I'm going to save him, and there's nothing you can do to stop me. I would be grateful, however, if I had some help."

The three professors studied the four teens, gauging their usefulness on such a mission. "I'm not sure you should, Danny," Professor Dumbledore began. "This is precisely what we've been trying to protect you from since July. Harry on the other hand…"

Danny gritted his teeth, but before the boy could say something he might regret, Severus raised a hand and interrupted. "Headmaster, you are not using logic. I have had the opportunity to see both Harry and Daniel in battle situations."

The three teenaged Gryffindors stared at Danny. When would Professor Snape have had the chance to see Danny fighting against anyone?

"While Harry is sharp and clever, and resourceful beyond imagination in the heat of battle, the fact remains that Daniel's powers are considerable, and are largely unknown in the Wizarding World."

Harry cocked his head. He knew that Severus wanted to adopt him, but this high praise of himself presented a cognitive dissonance – for as long as he knew the Potions Master, Snape had always insulted his intelligence and skill level in front of other people. Since mid-October, Severus praised his work and his efforts in Potions, but only the people closest to them could hear. This is the first time he remembered Snape speaking his praise in front of an audience.

Danny just nodded – Uncle Severus merely stated the obvious.

"Not even _I _ have seen the limit of Daniel's skills, and I've been honored to be witness to almost… I would hesitate to say almost everything, but I would have no problem saying that I've seen more than anyone not in their immediate family unit. Daniel, and the tremendous powers he possesses, would bring a serious element of surprise.

"Beyond his skill, I've seen him 'think on his feet.' Further, he is personally motivated. The only reason anyone would dismiss him is that they've seriously undervalued him."

Professor Dumbledore raised his eyebrows. While Severus was known to be overly generous with praise for his Slytherins, this was higher praise than Albus had ever seen his former spy give to hardened veterans. He made a mental note to discuss Snape's observations on Danny at a later time.

For now, there were other things that needed to be attended to. "Very well. So Harry and Danny are coming. I'll need to call on a few Aurors and Order members…"

"What about us?" Ron interjected, gesturing at himself and Hermione.

All three adults chorused, "No!"

Ron and Hermione were taken aback. Hermione ventured, "But…"

Professor McGonagall gave them a look of steel. "It's bad enough that two children are coming at all. If it were up to me, they wouldn't come, either."

Hermione saw that further objection would be futile, but Ron was mutinous. He glared at Professor Snape. "You favor them!" Hermione gasped at his audacity.

Professor Snape surprised them with an amused smirk. "Of course I do. Was there ever any doubt?"

* * *

The members of Professor Dumbledore's strike team began to assemble in the Headmaster's office. Of the professors, besides Dumbledore, it was determined that Severus and Filius would join the rescue mission. The four House Ghosts floated in the background of the meeting in case their support was needed. They thought of themselves as extended family, as far as Danny was concerned.

The first people to arrive were Arthur and the Weasley twins. Arthur nodded gravely at Danny. "I'm sorry to hear your news, Danny."

"Thank you, sir."

George closed his eyes. "Sorry, Danny. This… we'll get Professor Masters back."

Danny furrowed his brows in determination. "Of course we will."

Fred raised his eyebrows. "Look at that. There's no fear in this one. You sure you're not in Gryffindor?"

Danny snickered quietly. "The Sorting Hat said I'd fit there, no problem. But the Hat had its reasons." He thought for a second. "Professor Snape's care and unconditional favor might have been a couple of the things it decided I needed."

George nodded. "Makes sense."

It was Harry's turn to raise his eyebrows. "You know, it wanted to put me in Slytherin."

Severus turned to face the boys. "Did it really?"

Fred blinked and then grinned. "Seriously evil Heir of Slytherin comin' through. Yup. Why not?" The Bloody Baron raised an eyebrow. Harry giggled at the memory. Fred and George were a breath of fresh air in Second Year, when Harry was suffocating in the miasma of unwanted notoriety.

Danny studied Harry. "You would have done great in Slytherin. My guess is that you would have done well in any of the four Houses, but either Gryffindor or Slytherin would have worked best. In Slytherin, you might have found a great deal of security and any number of allies for a whole host of reasons. But from what I've seen, Gryffindor is a lot more open. I just don't see the posturing and maneuvering to suit whatever agenda is going on.

"If I had to guess, I'd say the open friendships in Gryffindor were probably better in the long run for you, who didn't really have such things before, than Slytherin, where everyone has secrets. I would say that no one in Slytherin (but Uncle Severus, who was privy to the knowledge before I was even sorted) has guessed my secrets, other than I'm anti-Voldemort." And thank heaven for that!

Danny's pronouncement gave the Gryffindors reason to pause until Tonks arrived. "Wotcher, Harry. Good to see you again, Danny. We _have_ to stop meeting like this."

Danny gave a half-smile. "What can I tell you? Incredibly evil Slytherins have a thing for putting me in harm's way. Last time, Papá came to find me. It's time to return the favor. At least _we_ know where to start looking." Harry grinned and put a hand on Danny's arm.

Remus came next. Danny smiled. "Uncle Remus!"

Severus strove not to roll his eyes. "Apparently, they found a name for you, _Moony_."

Remus fought to hide his smirk. "We'll see what we can do to get Vlad back, Danny."

Danny smiled lightly. "I know. Thanks."

Tonks tugged Remus's arm and pulled him into a quiet conversation with Arthur. A brief nudge from Harry made Danny notice the interactions between Remus and Tonks. Danny whispered, "He has no clue, does he?"

Harry sighed. "Actually, he knows, but he is so worried about… Well, Tonks would call them 'technical details.' Remus is the same age as Severus, and Tonks is as old as Charlie Weasley." At Danny's questioning glance, Harry clarified, "That's just about seven years older than Ron."

"Ah."

"He's also worried about money, and the whole werewolf thing…"

Danny rolled his eyes. "Wuv. Twue wuv. Sam would kill me for being so mushy, but you know… If _she_ doesn't care, I don't see why he would."

"Self-consciousness doesn't have to make sense."

Danny covered his eyes. "Oy."

Kingsley Shacklebolt came in. The tall dark man scanned the crowd, and when he picked out Danny, he nodded respectfully. Danny nodded back.

Professor Dumbledore took a headcount and proceeded. "From what I've been able to discern, I don't believe that Voldemort is prepared for a major battle at this time. I believe that our rescue mission will come as a complete surprise. Regardless, we will have to be wary of wards and protective barriers.

"Once we get in… Severus, you know the layout of the house. Take Danny, who can make both of you invisible without setting off Disillusionment wards in the house, and rescue Professor Masters. While you are off doing that, we'll keep the resident Death Eaters busy.

"Harry."

"Professor?"

"I know and understand that you are brilliant at Defense. However, at _no time_ are you to engage an enemy, except in Defense."

Harry was indignant. "But…"

"I respect you and what you can do. But you are _still_ a minor, and I want you out of harm's way as much as possible. The prophecy makes it clear that you are to be present, not that you need to be engaged," Dumbledore lied. "Is that clear?"

Harry heaved a put-upon sigh. "Yes, sir."

"Good." Addressing the team once again, he said, "This is a rescue mission. Our main objective is to rescue Professor Masters. Anything else we accomplish towards that end is bonus. But once we've safely procured the professor, we leave as soon as we are safely able to do so. Are there any questions?" When no one spoke, Professor Dumbledore nodded. "These two candlesticks are Portkeys that will take us outside the wards around Malfoy Manor."

* * *

Voldemort stood back and sneered. "So, Vladimir, now that you know that you're no match for my magic, what shall I do with you?"

Vlad was dizzy from the aroma of the surrounding flowers and imprisoned within their circumference. He waved a hand at the Blood Blossoms to clear them away in a feat of ghostly possession to no effect. An ectoblast at the flowers was equally useless, as was a blast at the wizard. "Butterscotch toffee!"

Vlad looked him in the eye. "Well, Tom, you may have me well penned, but I'm far from defenseless. And other than that bit of mind magic you did, I would correct you. Your magic is no match for my power."

Voldemort bristled at being called 'Tom.' "I'll believe that when I see it." He fired a Stunning Spell at Vlad who turned intangible. "But you didn't even shield."

Raising a derisive eyebrow, Vlad jeered, "For someone who takes pride in his Wizarding heritage, you are woefully ignorant of the basics on ghosts. Most spells can't affect an intangible ghost. You might have known that if you spoke to the Bloody Baron. I _would_ be disappointed, Tom, but you've really done nothing to impress me but hold me captive."

_"Reducto!" _Vlad yawned. Voldemort growled, "You _will_ yield to my power."

Vlad shrugged. "Not likely."

Petulantly, the Dark Lord shouted, "Damn you!" He picked up a flower and threw it at Vlad, hitting him. Vlad turned tangible and yelped in pain. "Interesting." Voldemort stepped into the circle and shoved Vlad, who was unsteady on his feet. Vlad stumbled and fell through the aroma barrier, screaming and writhing in agony.

Voldemort sat back down in his armchair and quipped, "This is far more entertaining than Cruciatus with far less work."

* * *

The strike team landed at the start of the drive to Malfoy Manor. Harry closed his eyes, sucked air through his teeth, and clutched his scar. Danny yelled, "Harry!"

Harry slowly opened his eyes. "I'm not sure what just happened, but Voldemort is extremely pleased. That _can't_ be good for Uncle Vlad."

Danny growled, turned ghost (which amazed everyone, including the professors who saw the transformation before), formed a tail, and took off down the drive. They found him a few minutes later, studying the iron gate.

Professor Dumbledore waved his wand and reported, "The wards are particularly strong at this point. Any magic on this gate besides a Detection Charm will be detected."

Severus frowned. "That is something here that didn't exist last time I visited."

Danny gripped a bar. "The wards detect magic, huh? What about a physical assault?"

Filius smiled, curious to see what Danny would do. "I'm sure that neither the Malfoys nor You-Know-Who counted on a physical assault on cold iron. I'm fairly certain such a thing would go undetected. What did you have in mind?"

"Just this." Danny's eyes flickered a crystal blue. A similar glow surrounded his hands, and he fired a prolonged ice blast at the wrought iron, freezing each and every inch of iron. Releasing the ice from his eyes and hands, Danny fired an ectoblast at the frozen brittle iron, shattering it completely.

Severus crossed his arms and smiled proudly. "Well done, Daniel."

"Thanks." Danny furrowed his brows. "Voldemort really doesn't think much of Muggles or Muggle defenses, does he? A fire extinguisher and a Molotov cocktail might have done just as well."

Arthur cocked his head. "A cocktail?"

Harry supplied, "A fire bomb made from a bottle of liquor and a cloth wick. Good point. No, I don't think he notices or cares."

Danny processed what he heard and what he just did. "Let me get this straight. This Dark Lord has managed to be able to detect all forms of magic, but a primitive physical attack completely slips under the radar." Severus nodded. Danny peaked his eyebrows and then rolled his eyes. "The Terror of the Wizarding World is an idiot."

The magical assemblage started to laugh uneasily. Albus stroked his beard. "That is an interesting perspective. I don't think I've heard anyone state it before." The Supreme Mugwump decided not to announce that most pureblood wizards would have missed the Muggle solution just as easily.

Severus broadened his smile and laid a hand on the floating child's back. "Vlad _did_ say you have a gift for thinking 'outside the box.' Let us proceed."

The group Disillusioned themselves and Danny turned invisible, and they made their way to the house. There were two Death Eaters standing guard at the door. Tonks observed, "Thanks to Snape, we have a profile on the known Death Eaters. The posture, gait, and simple size of these two don't match any we have on file."

Fred muttered, "That's 'cause they're right out of Hogwarts and relatively new."

George concurred. "Montague hasn't moved quite right since we… well, since last year, before our grand exit."

Severus lowered his voice to a dangerous rasp. "I _knew_ you two were responsible, you…"

Fred cut him off. "You didn't seem to care what he was up to doing to First Years outside of Slytherin. Montague was a bully who got his come-upance."

The Head of Slytherin had no response to that.

At fifteen feet away, two whispered Stunning Spells took the unwary guards by surprise.

Harry muttered, "So much for 'constant vigilance.' Crouch, Jr. posing as Moody might have been a Death Eater, but he _was_ one of our better Defense instructors."

Danny frowned. "That's just sad."

Harry shook his head; Danny was right. "Yeah, well… Interesting to see who _didn't_ pay attention two years ago."

Kingsley bound both unconscious cretins for easy retrieval later. "Release all Disillusionment now." Everyone reappeared except for Danny and Professor Snape, who stayed invisible under Danny's power.

Arthur raised a hand and flung the door open. "Now!" The team piled in, and Death Eaters spilled into the hall to meet them.

Professor Dumbledore grasped Harry's shoulder firmly. "Not yet." Harry didn't growl, but he thought about it.

Within seconds, the foyer was alight as a rainbow-colored spectrum of spells flew. Danny kept Severus invisible and intangible as the professor directed the floating child to the sitting room.

As they got closer to the 'throne room,' Danny shook his head to dispel the light-headedness. "Uncle Severus, I'm getting dizzy."

Severus responded gently, "It's no wonder. You remember your reaction to _one_ of the Blossoms. From Harry's description of his vision, hundreds of them are scattered a floor above, below, and in the room we're headed to." Danny closed his eyes, coming to a brief halt. "Daniel, I'm here for you." In good conscience, the Potions Master couldn't say there was nothing to fear; Voldemort and a room full of flowers guaranteed to cause the boy pain were valid sources of fear.

"Thanks." They turned a corner and heard blood-curdling screams. "Vlad!" Danny grabbed Snape's hand to maintain the wizard's invisibility, pulling him hurriedly along. Severus was impressed with Daniel's persistence and increased speed, while quiet sounds of discomfort were the only signs of further complaint against what had to be significant discomfort if not pain for the boy.

At the door, Severus looked in Daniel's direction. "Are you ready for this?"

With a quiet moan, Danny admitted, "I'm as ready as I'm gonna be." He closed his eyes, took a deep breath, and nodded to himself. "Let's do this." He turned them both intangible and phased them into the room.

Danny sucked breath through his teeth, involuntarily turning tangible and lost purchase in the air. Severus caught him. "I've got you," he whispered. He was further impressed that the boy kept their invisibility.

Danny waited for his head to stop spinning before opening his eyes. "Thanks. I needed that." His head pounded in pain, but when he could rally enough attention to register anything beyond his own pain, he saw Vlad writhing on the floor, screaming, outside of the flower-free zone. Voldemort sat back in his throne-like chair, eyes closed and laughing raucously. Danny looked immediately in front of him, and saw that the flowers were an inch from his boots. "Professor, help."

Severus shifted Danny's slight form to his left arm. Wordlessly, he waved his wand, and all of the Blood Blossoms piled into a corner farthest from the two ghosts.

Danny peaked his eyebrows; Vlad continued to scream as if he were still in the midst of the flowers. "They're still hurting him!"

Severus thought, 'Interesting effect.' He also noticed that Daniel refrained from mentioning his own hurt. He said, "From what I've read, Blood Blossoms resist a ghosts' standard defenses. Before I met you, I understood that to mean that a ghost couldn't fly over them, and a poltergeist could not evade them by turning intangible. Since I met you, I further understand that to include ectoblasts, and I'm not sure, but I would guess that would also include ghostly possession and levitation.

"However, I do believe that you have quite a few powers that are well beyond standard. Am I correct?"

Danny answered, "Yes, I do." He closed his eyes. "Did you have anything in mind?"

"My idea is to see if we can kill the blossoms, such that the aroma would cease to spread. However, transfiguring or destroying that many in one place at one time would require a spell that would have to be audible, and that would give us away. Still, if the many were to become one, it would be a simple matter to banish one solid entity."

"Gimme a second." Danny thought for a minute. "I got it!" he whispered excitedly. Danny froze the pile of Blood Blossoms, and they stuck to each other in one mass. Danny blew a breath of relief. "Wow… much better." He was still light-headed, but it felt like a pain reliever just kicked into effect. "That didn't seem to help Vlad, though."

Severus Vanished the neutralized flowers. That did the trick. Vlad stopped screaming and started panting at the same time that Narcissa opened the door.

* * *

Narcissa came to the room to inform Voldemort of the battle happening in the foyer.

The sound of graceful footfalls alerted Voldemort to the distinct lack of screaming. His eyes snapped open, and he saw Vlad uncurling from his erstwhile agony and the fact that every last Blood Blossom in this room had gone missing. Narcissa stood in the doorway and Tom glared at her. "You dare…!"

Not sure what she had done to incur the Dark Lord's wrath, she tried to explain. "Forgive me, my Lord, but there are…."

"Narcissa, I thank you for the use of your house, but you have outlived your usefulness. _Avada Kedavra!_"

While Tom was distracted with waving his wand to kill Draco's mother, Danny noticed Nagini crossing the floor to investigate the empty space that used to hold the pile of Blood Blossoms. At the same time as green light flashed from Voldemort's wand, Danny sent an ectoblast that incinerated Nagini.

Having seen the flash of green from the corner of his eye, Tom turned in the direction of the flash. Vladimir lay on the floor, barely conscious, and there was a distinct lack of his snake, his familiar and Horcrux. His eyes found a small pile of ashes and scorch marks. "No! Nagini!" He dropped to his knees and closed his eyes for a moment.

He recognized that the flash came from the direction of the door. "But for an _Incendio_ to be that powerful, I would have heard it. Who…?" The Dark Lord rose and stormed out of the throne room.

Danny and Severus materialized, and Danny sprinted to Vlad's side. "Papá!"

Vlad wearily opened his eyes. "Daniel. You found me."

Dropping to the floor, Danny scooped Vlad up and hugged him gingerly. "Of course I did! But I had a lot of help." He looked up at Severus, smiled at his favorite professor's tender gaze of pride in his nephew, and buried his face in Vlad's shoulder.

After resting in each other's arms and recovering from the pain for a few minutes, Danny sat up a little straighter. "Papá, that looked… painful. Are you okay?"

Vlad closed his eyes. "Not yet. But now I will be. You are here."

Severus watched the loving scene, sighed quietly, and said, "Based on the flowers above and below this room, it can't be healthy for you to remain in this throne room."

Focusing on his light but lasting dizziness, Danny quipped, "You can say that again."

The good professor smiled with a feral glint in his eyes. "Come – let's join the party."

Danny looked to Vlad, who said, "Go. Give them my best, won't you?"

Danny peaked his eyebrows. "But…"

"Get started. Give me a moment. I'll catch up with you."

* * *

When Voldemort reached the scene of the battle, Dumbledore sighed over a bound and unconscious Scabior. Bella's half-blood niece and her pet werewolf stood triumphantly over Fenrir Greyback. That level of smugness could only signify Greyback's death. Pity – he was a useful tool.

That dark Auror battled Goyle, the senior Weasley (Who else would he be with that hair?) was engaging Rowle, Flitwick exchanged volleys with Amycus Carrow, and Bella was more than a match for the Weasley brats. And the Potter boy frowned impatiently, standing against a wall, away from the combatants.

Voldemort roared, "Which one of you killed Nagini?" All eyes turned to the Dark Lord.

Harry grinned. "Danny did it!" he murmured. "Good for him!"

Professor Dumbledore shook his head, avoiding the question. "Tom, you have no more Horcruxes." The Dark Lord struggled to suppress a gasp. "You might be surprised to know you've been reduced to a mere mortal, like the rest of us."

Voldemort shook with rage. How did anyone learn of his Horcruxes? The old man looked too confident. "How did you know about that?"

With a half-smile, Dumbledore answered, "I have my ways. But all six of them have been destroyed."

Filius _did_ gasp. You-Know-Who made _six_ Horcruxes? One required a phenomenal amount of evil to create. But _six_?

Voldemort narrowed his eyes. "No matter. All of you _will_ regret it. I _shall_ prevail!" He started firing at Dumbledore, and the three of Tom's Inner Circle left standing resumed their battles.

Danny and Severus made their way back to the battle visibly. Bellatrix, Amycus, Rowle, and Voldemort were fighting, Remus and Tonks hung back to keep Harry company, and Kingsley watched the four battles, ready to jump in as necessary.

Severus looked at the team members besides Harry who were not currently engaged. He sneered and murmured, "Gryffindors, almost all of them. Out of a faulty sense of fair play, they've given up their advantage of numbers. Let's help them out, shall we?"

Danny furrowed his brows. When fighting ghosts, he'd agree with Uncle Severus. After all, a team effort was particularly useful when fighting Skulker and Technus, and absolutely necessary when fighting the Fright Knight. But he _really_ didn't like using his powers against humans. Danny realized Uncle Severus would consider his sense of fair play as faulty as the Gryffindors he scorned.

Danny said, "Gimme a second." He narrowed his eyes in thought. Severus waited until Danny formed a plan – it was useful to have a warrior who could be immune to most forms of magic.

Danny thought of the fights he had with humans. With the exception of attempting to correct a mistaken assumption of overshadowing, he never fired at his parents. Valerie wore her protective suit, so even when he hit her, nothing he threw at her would cause _too_ much damage. The Guys in White… Danny never actually fired at one of them. He didn't mind destroying their vehicles; they always wore parachutes. And when they didn't… he didn't drop them from a height to injure more than their pride (and leave them a little sore). Even Freakshow… he might have shot the creep a couple of times, but only with enough energy (not with heat) to make him forcibly land against a trunk, where heavy artwork fell on him. No harm done. Some pain, some bruises, a useful arrest, but no serious harm.

Freakshow… When Danny and his friends were on the run from the Guys in White on their cross-country scavenger hunt, they stopped at a diner. Danny shot the cell phones from the patrons' hands. Maybe something like that would work.

He looked back at the assorted fights. Fred and George looked overmatched. "I've got an idea." Severus nodded, and observed Daniel to see what he had in mind.

Turning invisible again, Danny shot Goyle's wand out of his hand. The man yelped in pain, and Kingsley stepped back to reassess the situation. As Goyle dove for his wand, Kingsley Stunned him and bound him.

Danny drifted over to the twins, who were wearing out. The ghost whispered in George's ear, "When I give the signal, leave her alone. I have a plan."

Between firing curses, George asked, "What's the signal?"

Danny answered, "You'll know. Trust me on this."

After reciting a quick _Protego_, George heard the queen of evil gasp. She said, "Now!" George lowered his wand and waved off Fred.

As Danny got used to his new surroundings, he realized that this witch was far more powerful than Vince and Greg combined. Experimenting, Danny had Bella cast _Protego_ between Dumbledore and Voldemort. The professor was surprised, but the Dark Lord howled in rage.

'I can get used to this,' thought Danny.

Kingsley turned to fire at Bellatrix, but George said, "Don't! Danny's in there." The Auror was taken aback, but he stood down to watch the show.

Danny cast _Tarantallegra_ on Rowle, and Amycus realized that there was something wrong with Lestrange. Carrow fired a Stunning Spell at Bella, but Danny turned intangible. The spell went through Bella and hit Rowle, who dropped unconscious. His legs convulsed in a dance without him.

Amycus narrowed his eyes, shouting "Summat's possessed Bella!" Few present knew what to make of that statement. Arthur and Fred knew that Voldemort possessed Ginny, but Voldemort currently had his hands full.

Danny was distracted as the leg movements of the downed blond no longer matched a dance rhythm, but every muscle in his body clenched. What was going on there?

Amycus took advantage of Bella's bizarre preoccupation with the irrelevant wizard and fired _Avada Kedavra_ at her.

Bella fell dead, and Danny was forcibly ejected. "Ow!" Danny complained as he landed on the ground, rubbing his stomach. "Do you know how much that stings?"

Amycus stared dumbfounded at Bella, lying dead on the floor, and the white-haired boy in an incomprehensible uniform. Where did he come from? Cognitive dissonance didn't cover the magnitude of the wizard's mental disconnect.

Professor Dumbledore took advantage of the severely distracted Carrow, Stunning and binding him.

Voldemort looked at Danny with surprise (as did everyone besides George and Severus – when did he show up?) and outrage. "You, ghost brat, are responsible for losing me my best lieutenant!"

Danny cocked his head. "I would've thought that was this guy, here." He pointed at the fallen Carrow.

At that moment, Rowle stopped convulsing and Vlad turned visible in ghost form. He observed his handiwork. "Slow, painful, and reliably dead. Perfect."

Voldemort gave no indication of the fact that he was startled by Vlad's vampiric appearance. He merely glowered at the imposing ghost. "_You_ cost me my best informant. Your _son_ lost me…"

Harry saw Voldemort's glare shift to Danny and quickly realized where this was headed. Danny was still dazed from being ejected. Harry moved to stand by his new cousin.

Voldemort pointed his wand at Danny, who was prone on the floor. _"Avada Kedavra!"_ Harry leapt in front of Danny, taking the blast.

"Harry!" Danny caught Harry, breaking his fall. No one cared enough to catch Voldemort when he fell.

Danny cradled Harry and started to cry, moaning, "Harry, you idiot! I can't be killed with the Killing Curse."

Severus dropped to his knees. Voldemort killed his Lily, and now he took his Harry. Severus clenched his fists and wailed inconsolably. "NOOOO!"

24


	52. Chapter 52

Thank you once again for all of your kind support. At this writing, this story has over 90,000 hits, and I thank everyone for reading, reviewing, and putting this story and me on your assorted lists. In thanks, I give everyone pumpkin pie and apple cider.

We are drawing to a close. I can't say for sure how much left there is to go, but we've got a bit more to cover. I just figured you should know.

At least two scenes were heavily influenced and inspired by a couple of chapters in _Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows_, particularly Chapter 35: King's Cross and Chapter 30: The Sacking of Severus Snape. Even so, I'm sure I changed them significantly such that the presentation is my own.

Disclaimer: I do not own _Danny Phantom_, _Harry Potter_, "Shari and Lamb Chop," or _The Princess Bride._

Chapter 52

Harry lay on his back. There was a slight rustling. The sounds were very different from those he last remembered hearing. He was not quite alone.

The next sense he registered was touch. He was comfortable, perfectly comfortable and at peace. He felt safe.

Harry shifted a wrist and realized that he was clothed. But he also recognized a new feeling – it was the same feeling he had when he woke up from his vision, but this time, without the pain: he was being held.

He slowly opened his eyes. He was not wearing glasses, but he could see as clearly as if he were. He looked into eyes as green as his own. "Harry, love. You're awake."

Such a tender voice called him 'Harry, love.' He focused on her face and noticed that it was surrounded by a halo of red hair. "Mum?"

She smiled. "Yes, Harry. I'm so very proud of you."

Harry felt a bitter-sweet pang. "I… but, you're… am I…"

Almost a mirror image of himself smiled down at Harry from over his mother's shoulder. "No, son. You're… not quite dead yet. But it was a near thing."

"Dad?"

Another face, younger and more carefree than the last time he saw it, came from a slightly different direction. "Saving your friend that way was very brave of you. It was a better design than when I took my leave, yeah?"

"Sirius!" Harry never felt quite as enveloped in warmth and love before. Then he closed his eyes. "Sirius, I'm so sorry. If I would have planned better…"

"You listen, Harry. My death was _not_ your fault. It was the fault of my rotten cousin Bella and my own cockiness. You fell prey to one of the master manipulators of our time, and older and… well, I won't say wiser, but I think you get my point – people have been fooled by less."

Lily held Harry closer, and Harry let a few tears fall. "Thanks, Mum. But Sirius, if I would have paid more attention to Severus's Occlumancy lessons last year, that might never have happened."

Lily murmured, "Severus… You've made up with Severus."

Harry looked confusedly at his parents and his godfather. "Yeah. He's… different now." He wasn't sure what reaction the people around him would have to his new relationship to his father and godfather's childhood rival and his mother's childhood friend, so he closed his eyes. "When he found out that Aunt Petunia never wanted me, he understood that I wasn't… pampered and spoiled like he thought."

Sirius grimaced. James opened his mouth to speak, but Lily got there first. "Harry, I'm so sorry you had to deal with Petunia."

Sirius muttered, "Never wanted you?" He knew Harry wasn't happy at home, but not being wanted was a whole different dimension.

Lily tearfully held her son. James pursed his lips, as he knew what Petunia and her husband were, and said, "Harry, you've grown into a fine young man. You are _far_ more mature and rational than we were at your age. There are _so_ many reasons we're so proud of you. I love you. _We_ love you so very much."

Harry reached up and hugged his mother. "I love all of you, too." Harry wanted to burst into tears, but that really wasn't the first image he wanted his parents to have of him.

He gulped. "Severus… said he loved me, too."

Sirius looked askance. "Snape? Are we talking about the same Snape who hates all things Potter? And Black?"

James commented quietly, "That was _our_ fault, you know. He gave as good as he got, but… We've had a lot of time to think about this, you see."

Harry felt safe, and warm, and loved, and there were a million things running through his mind. He wanted to share everything, and ask every question he ever wanted to know. But something niggled at his mind. "Dad, you said I wasn't exactly dead."

The senior Potter nodded. "That's right."

"How come?"

James furrowed his brows in concentration. Harry thought, 'Is that what I look like?'

James answered, "I really don't know."

Lily said, "I might. You know those soul pieces you and the Headmaster have been talking about all year?"

Harry nodded vigorously. "Yeah."

"And you know how you sometimes feel Voldemort's feelings, or get visions?"

Harry subconsciously put a hand on his forehead. "Absolutely."

Lily said tenderly, "Sweetheart, I think Voldemort accidentally made _you_ his last soul receptacle."

"Me?" Harry cringed, but he thought about it. "Well, Dumbledore said that an innocent bystander was the final Horcrux. He never wanted to tell me…" He closed his eyes. "Of _course_ he didn't want to tell me. What kind of a person would tell a kid he practically has to die?"

Sirius said, "He never gave a hint of it. I'm rather glad he didn't. You're… He probably expected you to do what you did to save your friend."

This was too much to process, so Harry backed up a bit. "So… Is Voldemort dead?"

James peeked over his shoulder at a dark mass that whined and quivered in a corner. "Not yet. But I think the next time you meet will be the _last_ time."

Harry paused. "Is Voldemort still attached to my soul?"

James smiled. "Nope. You are free and pure. Next time you go to the zoo, find out whether Parseltongue was you or… Tom."

Sirius grinned. "It would be a great gift to have, especially if there were no strings attached."

The zoo… Harry could do that. But he had to ask. "Mum, could I stay here with all of you?"

Lily peaked her eyebrows. "You could, if you really wanted to. We certainly wouldn't mind having you. But Harry…"

James picked up the thread. "Son, don't you want to see the end of the war? You've come so far."

Sirius's grin turned impish. "Rumor has it that you have a girlfriend. While I understand that no professor caught you yesterday, don't you want a chance to explore a relationship with a redhead of your own?"

Harry blushed. He only stole an innocent kiss from Ginny in the Common Room, but he covered them both with his Invisibility Cloak to do it. Ron could get weird about such things.

The senior Potters laughed, and Harry smiled. "I guess."

Lily murmured, "And Severus will miss you."

Severus would miss him. Of all the adults Harry spent significant amounts of time with, Severus was one person who didn't think of him as a hero. Once he figured out that Harry wasn't his father, Severus was one of the few people who simply liked Harry for who he was. And Severus would miss him.

Sirius and James looked at each other and both blushed. James ventured, "About that…"

Harry glanced curiously at the men in this interesting place. Sirius gulped. "Harry, when you go back, could you…" He closed his eyes. Thinking nice thoughts about Sniv-, er, Snape was hard. "I know that it is beyond 'Too little, too late,' but… could you tell Severus that we apologize? While he… well… Harry, when you yelled at me and Remus, I realized how wrong we were. But mostly…"

James sighed heavily. "Mostly, it was just the two of us. Unfortunately, Snape was right about just about everything he said about us. All three of us." He gestured at the three adults present.

Sirius almost growled. "That didn't give him the right to mistreat _you_, mind, but… We've had a lot of time to view things a bit more objectively, you see. And… While he's got a while to go to fix things with you, he really _was_ right about…us."

"And Harry?" Lily added. "Please tell Severus I forgive him. It's been a long time, and I'm sure he's changed his mind about a few things."

Harry closed his eyes, preparing for whatever might come as a reaction. He took a breath, opened his eyes, and said, "When I go back, Severus offered to adopt me, formally."

James and Sirius's eyes widened in surprise. Lily just smiled. "Once the scales fell from his eyes, I thought he might."

Harry gulped. "What do you think, Dad?"

James closed his eyes, ashamed of his past actions. When he opened his eyes, he asked, "Harry, do you want this?" The boy nodded nervously. "Then please tell him I would be honored to share the title 'Dad' with the one man who decided to love my son as _his_ son."

"Really?"

"Really, son. You've had a hard life, and you deserve as much love as you can get, and so much more." James hugged his son, who was still cradled in his mother's lap.

Lily narrowed her eyes. "You might want to prepare Professor Dumbledore, and let him know he's in for a nightmare, perhaps more than one. I can't _believe_ he left you with Petunia and didn't bother to look in on you until he picked you up _last summer!_ The _nerve_ of that man! He didn't bother to offer you counseling after _any_ trauma you've been through, _especially_ Cedric and Sirius's deaths."

Harry decided that his mother was quite scary when she was angry. She could give Mrs. Weasley a run for her money.

"Oh – and Cedric says, 'Hi, and don't feel guilty.' He certainly doesn't blame you. You shouldn't blame yourself, either."

Harry gave her a watery smile. "Thanks, Mum."

Sirius grinned again. "While we're on the topic of delivering messages, tell a certain werewolf to shake a leg and get a move on in his relationship with a certain Metamorphmagus, or I will… invade his dreams and sing 'This is the song that doesn't end…' Life is too short for such a brilliant man to waste time being stupid."

Harry giggled. "I think Danny would approve of that."

James soberly added, "I've seen your friend Danny. I'm glad you've found that brotherly love you never had before. I warn you – he will be annoyed with you. He can't be killed…"

Harry smacked himself in the head. "Arg! He said so. He just… He just seems so human that I forgot he isn't really. 'Ghosts can't be killed with the Killing Curse. For most ghosts, that would be redundant.' He's going to kill me, isn't he?"

The adults laughed.

James said, "You tell him that Danny's parents and sister, and Sam and Tucker send their love, and… tell Vlad that Maddie mostly forgives him. Does that make sense to you?"

Harry fought a snicker. "Yes."

The four of them spent a few more minutes basking in each other's love, but once they fell silent, Harry said, "It's time, isn't it?"

Lily nodded. "Yes, love. But remember – we're always with you. And we'll be here when you get back."

James raised an eyebrow. "But _don't_ pull another stunt like that again. While we are here and watching you, we don't want to see you back here, or beyond, until you are an old man, married, and a great grandfather."

"And don't pay attention to that old bat, Trelawney," Sirius supplied.

Harry opened his eyes wide. "Will I really…?"

James whispered, "Shh… It could happen."

Harry got up and hugged each of them in turn. "I'll miss you."

Lily reminded him, "We'll always be with you."

Harry nodded. A bright mist descended, obscuring his view of his parents and Sirius, and he came back to the world of the living.

Harry decided to play possum until he was ready to face the future.

* * *

After Severus completed his first mournful shriek, he allowed Albus to embrace him, though the dark man was resolved that nothing would console him.

The old man wept as he murmured, "Harry was the final Horcrux. In his selfless act, he destroyed the final Horcrux."

Danny didn't know what a Horcrux was, but it sounded like destroying such a thing was important. He was still angry about Harry's loss, and he tearfully hissed, "Good to know, Professor. But he also destroyed _himself_, as well."

He brushed Harry's bangs aside and ran a finger over the lightning-shaped scar. Harry clutched it in pain during both visions, and Danny figured out that it connected Harry to Voldemort. "Whatever else this was, it wouldn't hurt you anymore."

A moan elsewhere in the room drew the eyes of everyone present, except for Harry, who just listened.

Danny screwed up his face in disbelief, and complained, "Geez, this guy's like a Timex watch – he takes a licking, and keeps on ticking."

Voldemort rose to his feet and began to get his bearings. Every last Death Eater at Malfoy Manor was either dead or down for the count. The team against him was alive and well, except for the boy.

"Ah. I see the Boy Who Lived is no more. As it should be."

Danny shifted Harry slightly, lowering him gently to the floor. He stood up and glared at the Dark Lord. "It's my policy to not purposefully harm humans. For you, I'll make an exception."

Before Voldemort could respond, Vlad said, "No, Daniel, you won't. _I_, on the other hand, have no such policy." He raised a black-gloved hand and blasted Riddle across the room and into a wall. Members of the strike team winced at the crunch of bones breaking. Vlad joined his hands together and formed a sword out of pink ectoplasm. He raised it above his head as he charged the fallen villain with a wordless battle cry. With one forceful blow, Vlad decapitated Voldemort.

After turning intangible to divest himself of blood spatter, Vlad stood straight and faced the team, allowing the sword to disappear in a pink puff of mist. "I do believe that concludes your trouble with your Dark Lord."

The assembled wizards, Tonks, and Danny stood silently for a moment, absorbing what just happened. There was no epic battle involving hundreds, or a dramatic showdown between the Dark Lord and the leader of the Light. Voldemort was dead, and there was an end.

Kingsley Shacklebolt found his tongue first. "You know, they say that Harry was 'the Chosen One'."

Vlad cocked his vampiric head. "Oh? Chosen for what?"

Severus raised his eyebrows and covered his mouth. He just realized that, in the entire time that the half-ghosts were in the Wizarding World, no one actually explained Harry's celebrity status beyond being 'the Boy Who Lived,' if that. It was a ridiculous expectation, of course, but no one told the American professor of the media hype depicting Harry's supposed role as the only one to be able to defeat… Severus blinked and prepared to enjoy the show.

Kingsley said, "The Wizarding public was of the mind that Harry Potter was chosen to defeat Voldemort."

Vlad frowned and crossed his arms. "Do you mean to tell me that the Wizarding World actually expected a sixteen-year-old boy to _kill_ a seventy-year-old man?" The magical assemblage (besides Snape, who agreed with Vlad wholeheartedly) was embarrassed into silence. It was shocking to hear the truth so baldly spoken.

With his brows drawn, Vlad uncrossed his arms and his mouth hung open for a few seconds. Then he clenched his fists at his sides and roared, "The Wizarding World is populated by soulless morons!"

After about thirty seconds, Professor Flitwick gulped and shook his head. "Sometimes it appears that way, Professor."

"Morons…" Vlad repeated.

A new moan caught their attention. Severus's eyes flew open. "Harry!" The man dove across the room, snatched the teenager from the floor, and buried him in hugs as he cuddled him on his lap. "You're alive! My son, you're alive!"

Vlad drifted towards Danny, putting an arm around his shoulder. "It's about time." Professor Dumbledore noticed Arthur put an arm around both of his sons. It was horrible for a parent to be bereft of a child, and Arthur was glad both of his sons who were present were safe.

Danny hugged Vlad, looked up, and said, "Yeah. I'll be right back." Vlad peaked his eyebrows and released his son.

Danny sat on the floor. "Harry, how are you?"

"Better. Much better."

"But… we thought you were dead. There's no coming back from dead."

Severus released Harry only enough to look at his boy. He wanted an answer to that, too.

Harry shook his head. "No. From what I understand, I was only _mostly_ dead. There is no coming back from 'all dead'." Danny blinked. "If I was all dead, there would only be one thing left to do."

Danny peaked his eyebrows. "What?"

"Go through my clothes and look for loose change."

Danny smacked Harry in the back of the head. "You jerk." Harry snickered.

Severus refused to process the nonsense the boys spewed forth. He would look for answers only after Madam Pomfrey declared Harry well enough to speak sanely. The Potions Master looked up at the elder half-ghost. "Vlad, I understood that ectoblasts were of heat energy. If that was so, Tom would have caught fire."

Vlad smirked. "It appears that I failed to explain that ecto-energy could manifest as energy, separate and apart from heat or electricity. _Mea culpa._"

Severus rolled his eyes. "You bastard." Vlad laughed.

* * *

At 5:00pm, Madam Pomfrey deemed Harry well enough to receive visitors, but he was _not_ leaving the infirmary any earlier than Monday morning. Severus was quick to agree; with Harry's near-death experience, the professor wasn't taking any chances. Harry marveled at the novelty of having an adult care enough to make decisions for him regarding any hospital stay. What impressed him even further was that Harry trusted said adult to make those decisions on his behalf.

The first round of guests included Danny, Vlad, Remus, and Professor Dumbledore. Professor Snape was nigh immovable, and no one saw fit to try. Danny asked, "So what's the prognosis?"

Harry smiled. "I'll live. Well… I don't know what the Ministry or the media will do yet. Once I know, I'll have a better idea of what I'm dealing with."

Severus raised an eyebrow. "Whatever they do can't possibly be worse than last year. Further, this time, you have me." Looking to the others in this particular group, he amended, "You have all of us." He took Harry's hand fondly. Harry closed his eyes contentedly.

When Harry opened his eyes, he fluffed his pillows to help him sit straighter, and began. "While I was… out, I, um… met my parents and Sirius. They asked me to pass along some messages."

Everyone looked at him in various states of surprise. Harry realized it was a bit shocking to receive messages from beyond where even ghosts could go. He took a breath. "First – Severus, all three have messages for you." Severus frowned and Harry gulped. "Dad and Sirius said it might be too little too late, but they do apologize for everything they did to you." Harry closed his eyes. "They said you were right about everything you said about them." Severus peaked his eyebrows. "They weren't too chuffed about what you did to _me_, but they appreciate what you've done since October."

Severus murmured, "Harry…"

"And Mum says she forgives you." Severus closed his eyes. He would _not_ cry. His eyes did itch, however.

When he opened his eyes, the Potions Master found his tongue. "Do they know that we are merely a form away from formal adoption?"

Harry nodded. "Yes. Sirius was a bit surprised, but Mum wasn't at all."

Severus pressed his lips together, not sure if he wanted the answer to his next question. "And James?"

Harry carefully looked up into his eyes. "He thanks you, and is honored to share the title 'Dad' with you." Harry closed his eyes for a moment. "We didn't discuss it, but… could I call you that?"

Severus practically melted. "If you would be comfortable calling me thus, I… would also be honored." Professor Snape had difficulty swallowing around the lump in his throat. He would be the first person in Harry's memory the boy would call 'Dad.' And the Marauders (who counted – Peter didn't) were not merely _fine_ with this, but they were _honored_ by this. Severus had in mind that he might some day forgive James and Sirius. Not today, but eventually. Perhaps.

Harry squeezed his hand. "Thanks… Dad." Harry now understood why Danny persisted in calling Uncle Vlad 'Papá.' The feeling of warmth and love he felt by calling Severus 'Dad' was truly addicting. "Could… I say it in public, too?"

Severus smiled. "Voldemort is dead. We no longer have anything to hide. However, you might find less resistance from all parties once the final form is… finalized and filed. But I would be quite happy if you did, either way." Harry smiled so brightly he almost glowed.

Harry looked at his new cousin. "Danny, they told me that your parents, your sister, Sam, and Tucker send their love."

Danny closed his eyes and whispered, "Thanks." A tear escaped his eye. He missed them all so much!

"Uncle Vlad, they told me to tell you… Maddie mostly forgives you."

"Oh, Pixie Stix! _Mostly?_ Well… I…" Vlad covered his eyes. "I guess that's better than nothing, and probably more than I deserve." Danny hid a grin behind a hand.

Harry looked between Remus and Professor Dumbledore. "Which would you rather hear first, the good news or the bad news?"

Remus and Albus shared a glance. Professor Dumbledore nodded gravely. "The bad news first. That way, we can end on a happy note."

Harry took a deep breath. "Professor Dumbledore, my mother wasn't happy about the fact that you never checked up on me as I was growing up. She said she intends to share her displeasure with you in a dream or two." Or a few.

The Headmaster blanched. "I… understand." He had seen Lily upset before, and he was not going to enjoy being reprimanded by Mrs. Potter in her nightly visitations.

Remus gave a half-smile. "And what do you have for me?"

Harry snickered. "Sirius was particularly adamant that you, er, develop your relationship with Tonks. They're all rooting for you, but let's just say that Sirius intends to plague you mercilessly until you do."

Remus was about to respond when Severus said, "Remus, if you value your sanity, just do it. I don't know _what_ they have planned, but…"

Remus grinned. "Point taken. It shall be done. A not so gentle nudge in the right direction…" Danny dissolved into giggles. The werewolf looked on curiously. Severus raised an eyebrow and Vlad started to laugh heartily.

Remus asked, "Did I miss something?" Harry shrugged. Severus started to chuckle and Danny and Vlad laughed even harder.

As it got closer to 6:00, Harry looked back up at a subdued Professor Dumbledore. "Professor, before you go, I wanted to remind you about a trip to Godric's Hollow."

For the first time since Harry delivered Dumbledore's message, Albus smiled. "I think we can arrange with… your father to make a trip towards the start of the summer break."

"I'd like that, sir."

Professor Dumbledore's eyes twinkled once more, knowing that at least Harry forgave him. This trip with Harry was something he should have done years ago. Many things would be accomplished: visiting his parents' graves, learning that Harry's parents were in the same cemetery as Albus's own mother and sister, and the two stones were only two rows away from each other…

The professor decided to get Harry a copy of _The Tales of Beedle the Bard_. That is something that should have been given to him in the boy's infancy. Harry deserved to know how he was related to the individuals in "The Tale of the Three Brothers."

He wondered how both Harry and Severus would not only deal with the fact that Harry was the direct descendant of Ignotus Peverell, the originator of his Invisibility Cloak, but that Harry was distantly related to Tom Marvolo Riddle, who was descended from Cadmus Peverell, the brother who was responsible for the Resurrection Stone.

He debated with himself about when to mention the idea that between Harry and the Headmaster, they possessed the three Deathly Hallows. Perhaps the appropriate time and place would be in Godric's Hollow. In any event, they had time.

Leaving off his personal reflections, Professor Dumbledore looked over at the door of the hospital wing and smiled. "As much as all of us here have enjoyed your company, Harry, we have to clear out to make room for other guests who are eager to wish you well."

"Thanks for coming," Harry said.

Danny squeezed Harry's hand that wasn't occupied by Uncle Severus. "We'll see you later."

Remus smiled. "Indeed, we will." Severus rolled his eyes. Somewhere along the line, an apology was owed. Then the Potions Master brightened; the werewolf didn't know of Snape's resolve to apologize, so Severus was free to pick the time and venue of his own choosing.

Remus and Albus left, and Danny and Vlad followed. They encountered Hermione and almost the entire Weasley clan. Vlad announced, "They're ready for you." Hermione, Ron, and Ginny rushed in, followed by Molly, Arthur, and the twins.

Vlad waited until Lupin and Dumbledore cleared the stairs and turned to Danny, gesturing to the hospital room they just vacated. "Should we?"

Danny shrugged. "They've known him longer, and they deserve some privacy."

"You're right, I suppose. But no one would know…"

Danny snickered. "Maybe. However…"

"Come, my little knight. And when we get back to my rooms afterwards, we'll have tea and cookies. I'm not sure that either of us can handle anything heavier at present. Chamomile will help to remove any remaining traces of ache from the Blood Blossoms."

Danny knew it was wrong, but the temptation was so strong. Danny was a hero, but he _was_ curious. He thought about it, and rationalized that even though it might not be right, no one would be hurt by it. He nodded, and Vlad smiled. The elder ghost took his hand, and both became invisible and intangible, and they floated on the infirmary ceiling.

Ron and Hermione stood closest. "Harry! What happened?"

Severus warned, "You _will_ calm down, or you will leave."

Harry's two best friends were stricken, but the warning was fairly given. Hermione said, "Yes, sir."

Ron took the lead. "Dad and the twins said… They said you were hit with the Killing Curse again."

"I was."

Ginny grabbed Harry's other hand as she cried furiously. "Dad said you jumped in front of it. It wasn't even aimed at you."

Harry looked at Severus, back at Ginny, and closed his eyes. "It was aimed at Danny. And I didn't want…"

Molly stood closer to Harry's head than Ginny. "Harry, you can't _do_ things like that." She slipped a hand behind Harry and hugged him.

Harry decided that, even if the fuss over him was a bit much, maternal hugs were good things. He further decided that Ron was nuts for pushing his mother away when she fussed over Ron more than Ron cared for.

The infirmary door swung open noiselessly, but Poppy was alerted to the fact that one visitor too many had just entered the hospital wing. She was about to reprimand the extra guest until she saw who it was.

Madam Pomfrey's appearance in her office door drew the attention of everyone in the room. "Percy?" Mrs. Weasley gasped.

Percy nodded to himself as he stood in the entrance to the infirmary, looking at the knot of people surrounding Harry's bed; in short, his family. He saw the hostility, curiosity, and longing in everyone's eyes. Only his father was filled with pride. Squaring his shoulders, Percy approached.

"Mr. Weasley, this is an interesting surprise," Severus said, breaking the uneasy silence.

Percy cleared his throat and adjusted his glasses. "Yes, well… I have two important things to do here. First…" He closed his eyes and took a breath. He opened his eyes and met the gaze of everyone in the room. "I apologize." This was so hard. "To everyone. I… was a fool. I was an idiot. I was a pompous prat, I was a… a…"

"Ministry-loving, family-disowning, power-hungry moron," said Fred.

Percy swallowed. "Yes I was. All that and more."

"Well, you can't say fairer than that," said Fred, holding out his hand to his erstwhile wayward brother, which was gratefully taken and shaken.

Mrs. Weasley burst into tears. Ginny ducked out of the way to make room for her mother, who pulled Percy into a strangling hug while he patted her on the back.

Arthur beamed. "I'm proud of you, son." They met each other's gaze, and Percy nodded.

George asked, "What made you see sense, Perce?"

"An enlightening conversation with Dad," Percy admitted as he lifted his glasses to wipe his eyes. "See, over Christmas, the Minister made a comment about how Harry's new guardianship was 'inconvenient.' I didn't think much of it at the time, as it only came on the heels of a much larger anti-Potter rant.

"But," he turned to the boy in the bed. "Please forgive me, Harry." Percy took a breath and looked at his siblings. "Dad explained at least five different occasions when Harry's… relatives denied him simple things, but _important_ things that family is supposed to provide."

Harry blushed and turned away.

"And the Minister complained that Harry gaining a useful guardian was _inconvenient_. When it was all on the table, I was disgusted by Harry's ill usage by those evil Dursleys, and then the Ministry, and then… myself. I'm sorry, Harry." Harry turned back to him and nodded.

Percy broadened his focus to include everyone. "And I realized that I was truly no better than the Minister when I… treated my own family as an inconvenience." He closed his eyes as fresh tears welled up. "It was horrible when I saw how my behavior compared to that of the Minister. But when I realized I was no better than those… Dursleys, I…" He squeezed his eyes shut and sobbed. Molly hugged him tightly.

It took a while, but once Percy quieted, Harry looked up. "Percy, even when you were a git, you were _never_ as bad as the Dursleys. You might not have done right by your family, but… you didn't take away anything from your family but your care or attention. You didn't beat anyone over the head, literally or figuratively, with the idea that anyone was worthless. What you did wasn't… right, but I can promise you that at your worst, you never even came close to the beginnings of what the Dursleys did. I can promise you that."

Percy came closer to the bed and patted Harry's foot. "Thank you for saying so, Harry."

The oldest Weasley sibling present looked around at his family. They all forgave him. He mopped his face again with his handkerchief, took a breath, and smiled. "And now for my second reason for being here today. Professor, your form of your declaration of intent to adopt Harry has been filed and processed. Now, we need you and Harry to sign this one last form. Harry, it will list whatever you choose to use as a last name."

Drawing the form and a "never out" quill from his pocket, Percy conjured a clipboard and handed the form, quill, and clipboard to Professor Snape, who signed and gave them to Harry, who didn't hesitate. Once he finished, he handed everything back to Percy, who read it and smiled. "Congratulations, Professor and Harry James Potter-Snape."

Severus sat up straight. "You… did… really?"

Harry grinned. "If you could share the title of 'Dad' with my father, I figure I could share my name with you both."

Severus jumped from his seat and hugged Harry tightly. For weeks, he wondered if he could get Harry to help him reenact the jubilant moment in the Masters' library, and now it actually happened. "Thank you, my son." The Potions Master allowed himself to cry tears of happiness.

Vlad grinned invisibly and hugged Danny. Danny whispered, "This is a moment that Clockwork is as happy to see as we are."

"You're probably right, Daniel. And thank you for sharing this moment with me."

* * *

At 8:30, Harry drifted off to sleep. Severus prevailed upon Remus to stay with Harry; he had other students who were in need of him.

Severus entered the Slytherin Common Room, waving off attention from everyone until he reached his target students. "Draco, Gregory, I need you to come with me."

Crabbe peaked his eyebrows. "What about me?"

After a moment, the Head of Slytherin came to a decision. "You can come, too, Vincent. That could be quite useful. Come, let's go to my office."

Three puzzled students found seats, and Draco asked, "Professor, what's this about?"

"At breakfast tomorrow, the Headmaster has a few announcements to make. Voldemort is no longer in your house."

Draco raised his eyebrows. "Really? How…"

"A surprise raid by Aurors and other interested parties entered Malfoy Manor, capturing or killing the Death Eaters present and rescuing all prisoners."

Draco gulped as he felt an odd sense of foreboding. "So Mr. Ollivander's safe now?"

Severus nodded gently. "Yes, Draco. Among others." The professor fell silent for a moment. It was time. "Gregory, your father has been sent to Azkaban."

Goyle sat impassively for a few moments with his eyes focused on his hands in his lap. "Guess I won't have to worry 'bout what he'll think of me not takin' the Mark. I'll miss him, though."

Crabbe didn't smile, but he said lightly, "Guess all three of our Dads are together, now."

Professor Snape agreed. "Indeed, they are." Goyle shrugged. It wasn't happy news, but he felt a little safer.

The professor came out from behind his desk to stand closer to the boys. "Draco."

The boy peaked his eyebrows. "Sir?"

"Your mother has been killed."

Draco shook his head. "No, that can't be. She's not a Death Eater, and she's… she's a consummate hostess. No one would do that."

Severus took a quiet breath. "No, Draco. Voldemort had his reasons, and decided 'she outlived her usefulness'." How he hated that expression!

"But… but… That's not right. She made sure he had all he demanded. He wouldn't…"

"I'm sorry, Draco."

"But… but…" Tears threatened to fall.

Severus knelt and put his hands on Draco's shoulders. "It's alright, Draco. We're safe, here. You're allowed to let it out." He hugged the boy who began to cry in earnest.

Crabbe and Goyle shared a glance. Malfoy could be strong later. They would be there for him, regardless.

After the first wave of emotion, Draco's breath hitched. He released Snape and asked, "Now what? Where will I go?"

Severus said, "The Headmaster has a few ideas. He's expecting us, when we're ready."

Draco wiped his eyes with a sleeve. "I guess I'm ready."

"Would you like Gregory and Vincent to come with us?"

The blond looked at his friends. "Not just now, if that's okay."

Greg patted his hand. "Whatever you need. We'll be in the Common Room when you get back." Vince nodded his agreement.

Draco gave them both a half-smile. "Thanks." He wiped his eyes again. "I'm ready when you are, Professor."

On their way up, Draco asked, "Professor? Surely you have a few ideas of what will happen to me."

"Of course, Draco. Your Aunt Bella…"

"Is insane. She'd have no problem killing me or anyone else if it suited Voldemort's purposes." Draco shivered. "Or her pleasure."

Severus put an arm around the teen's shoulders. "Then it might relieve you to know that both Voldemort and Bellatrix are dead."

Draco stopped short. "They're dead?" The young Slytherin felt this was information overload, and needed to process this a bit more slowly. "Voldemort – is it like last time, when Harry killed him as a baby?"

"No, Draco. All of the bizarre machinations that kept Riddle practically immortal are gone. He is dead, never to return. The Aurors present brought the body back for processing and identification. Although I'm not sure what there would be left to process, as Riddle was simply decapitated."

"With _Sectumsempra_?"

With a wry smile, Severus said, "No. It was done the Muggle way – with a sword."

Draco gave a mirthless laugh. "Such a thing would make 'newly' Headless Nick jealous, huh?"

"I never thought of it that way. I suppose we'll find out when Sir Nicholas is told."

They walked in silence for a few minutes. "Professor, Mother's dead, Father's in Azkaban, and Aunt Bella is… not worth thinking about. Who's left? I can't think of anyone close enough to care."

Severus pulled Draco to a halt. "Draco, your mother had another sister named Andromeda."

Draco screwed up his face. "Why was I never told?"

"Because she married a Muggle-born wizard, Theodore Tonks. Your family disowned them."

Draco paled and gulped. "Professor, a Muggle-born? But…" The boy hung his head. Maybe Danny had the right of it, concerning matters of blood purity. "But… If my family spent so much time rejecting them, who's to say that they'll accept _me_? I…"

Severus hugged Draco. "Shh. I don't think you need to worry. Andromeda, Theodore, and your cousin Nymphadora are in the Headmaster's office, waiting to meet you."

For the first time since Professor Snape told him of his mother's death, Draco began to feel hope.

18


	53. Chapter 53

Thank you once again for reading, reviewing, and putting this story and me on your various lists. We are winding down, and I am truly grateful for all the attention this story has gotten. There are new readers all the time, and the intrepid readers who have followed this story from the beginning until now (and, I suspect, until the end, which will be only a couple more chapters) warm my heart beyond words. I will, of course, offer cyber pumpkin pie, cranberry sauce, jelly doughnuts, and potato pancakes, but they are mere trifles to show how I truly appreciate your support.

Disclaimer: I do not own _Danny Phantom_ or _Harry Potter_.

Chapter 53

On Sunday, February 16, many students noticed a few more adults at the Head table than normal at breakfast. Professor Dumbledore stood up to make an announcement.

"The morning owls are about to deliver most wondrous news: yesterday, Voldemort was vanquished. He was killed, and the members of his innermost circle were either killed or captured."

The cheer that rose from the Great Hall was nearly deafening. There were those who didn't give voice to the fact that the Dark Lord was finally gone, as they had more pressing matters in mind.

After the first roar had quieted, the Headmaster continued. "As we did on November 1, 1981, we shall have a feast at dinner to celebrate Voldemort's fall and the saving of the Wizarding World, joining the parties that have begun since last night. Feel free to invite your families to come and join us."

A second cheer erupted, and the few who were solemn before became more tight-lipped.

"But this time, as with last time, the cup of joy is filled with bitterness and wormwood for some, who experienced profound loss of loved ones. A quieter, less festive dinner (no less sumptuous, but perhaps less boisterous) will be available in the ballroom in the dungeon for those who require a calmer atmosphere to deal with their reactions to the whole situation."

Professor Dumbledore met the gaze of Draco, Gregory, and Danny. "There is no shame in taking part in either party. The need to mourn personal loss is as important as celebrating the downfall of this generation's Dark Lord. Enjoy the rest of breakfast, and enjoy the rest of the day."

One more great cheer rose, which was followed by a dull roar of chatter amongst the students.

Danny put his arm around Draco's shoulders. "I'm sorry to hear about your Mom, Draco."

"Thanks for saying so." He was comforted for a few seconds, but anger took him over shortly thereafter, and he slammed a hand on the table. "This is just great – now _everyone_ will know about my mother and Goyle's father."

Danny looked at Greg, who raised his eyes in resignation at this. "Da's in Azkaban now, with Crabbe and Malfoy's fathers."

"Sorry to hear it, Goyle." Danny patted him on the shoulder. He wasn't actually unhappy about the fact – the man WAS a Death Eater, but he _was_ sad about how that would affect Greg.

Danny came back to Draco's conversation and shook his head. "Actually, Draco, no, they won't. No one besides who was there knows about what actually happened, or who took what losses. So, there is no real reason that anyone should single you guys out. From what I understand, Harry lost his parents on Halloween in 1981. I can't believe that he'd think of 'Voldemort being vanquished' without remembering his own loss, so many years ago. I could easily see him opting out of the party in the Great Hall."

Draco closed his eyes for a moment. "I didn't think of that. I suppose you're right." He opened his eyes. "Where were you last night?"

Without missing a beat, Danny answered, "Yesterday, I had a bad allergic reaction, and while it cleared up enough that I didn't have to stay in the hospital wing, Papá wanted to keep me where he could monitor me. So I stayed in his rooms last night." The fact that Papá kept him close and didn't want him anywhere near wizards last night was also a major factor.

Danny sat back and looked up at the Head table, and noticed the two new non-Weasley adults give Draco an encouraging glance and nod. "Draco, who are those people with Auror Tonks?"

The blond looked at Danny. "They are my Aunt Andromeda and my Uncle Ted. The Auror is my cousin, Dora. (She doesn't like being called Nymphadora, unless you have a death wish.)"

Danny chuckled slightly. "Like my friend Sam. Let's say she wasn't big on being called Samantha, and her Grandma Ida was the only person allowed to call her Sammy."

Draco smiled. It wasn't often that his dark-haired friend shared information about his friends in America. "Aunt Andromeda is my mother's sister. She was disowned by the Black side of the family (except for Harry's godfather, Sirius) and was never acknowledged by the Malfoy side of the family because Uncle Ted is Muggle-born." He found it hard to speak around the lump in his throat.

Danny raised his eyebrows. "Really?"

Draco took a deep breath. "Yeah. I met them and cousin Dora last night. The funny thing is they were all so very gracious. I just… I just figured that they would hate me as much as the rest of my family hated them. But… they didn't. They don't."

Danny patted him on the back. "I figured they wouldn't. They have no reason _not_ to like you. My Aunt Alicia, my mother's sister, is interesting. She might not have approved of Dad, but I'm not sure whether it was more of a personal thing, or more of a 'divorced is a preferable state to be in' thing with her." He rolled his eyes. "I love her anyway. And she probably loves me, in her own way. But it's no wonder that I prefer to be with Papá on a more regular basis."

He sighed. "You'll do fine with your newly discovered aunt and uncle."

Draco breathed, "Thanks for the vote of confidence."

Danny smirked. "I'll tell you a not-quite secret." Draco raised an eyebrow. "I believe your cousin Dora is soon to be engaged to Professor Lupin."

"Lupin! But… he's a werewolf."

"And?" Draco opened and closed his mouth a few times to no good effect. "I don't know if it makes you feel better, but because of the tremendous support he's given to me and Papá, I've recently started calling him Uncle Remus."

Draco stared at him. "You've been calling… Professor Lupin 'Uncle'? But…"

"But what?"

Draco's worldview was falling apart. "I'm having difficulty dealing with all of this. My uncle is a Muggle-born, and my half-blood cousin is either engaged or soon to be engaged to a werewolf. I just… My parents taught me to revile everything about this, but Professor Masters has made a lot more sense. And without batting an eyelash, you've been calling my soon-to-be cousin… Remus, 'Uncle.' I guess… I don't know. It hasn't hurt you."

"It won't hurt you, either." The blond furrowed his brows as he tried to process this. Danny decided that telling Draco, at this point, that Harry _also_ called the former professor 'Uncle' (though sometimes it was Remus, and sometimes it was Moony) would be information overload. "Tell you what… I'm going to be joining you at the quieter dinner."

"Thanks, Danny." Goyle smiled and nodded his agreement.

Professor Snape appeared at their table. "There will be a House meeting immediately after breakfast. I'll see you all there shortly."

Goyle looked up at Danny. "The good professor doesn't miss a beat, huh?"

Danny gave a gentle smile. "No, he doesn't. Let's go."

* * *

Once all the Slytherins were assembled in the Common Room, Professor Snape addressed them. "As you have heard, Lord Voldemort is no more. That will mean many things to many people.

"For some of you, this will mean there will be no joining the Death Eaters, now or ever. For others, this will be a release from the conflict between family pressures versus choices of conscience. For still others, this will be a time to reflect on family members who have been killed or imprisoned because of any battle of Death Eaters (or Lord Voldemort himself) and others.

"I would like to repeat the Headmaster's sentiments. If you choose to celebrate heartily, this is a fine decision. If you choose a more… sedate situation, this, too, is a fine decision. I am aware that there are those who will judge you harshly, regardless of your choice or reasoning." Many students grimaced in frustration. The joys of belonging to Slytherin were simply unbounded, sometimes. It just wasn't fair. It really wasn't.

"Regardless of all of this, _I _will not judge you for either decision. Personally, I will be at the quieter dinner, comforting mourners and others who need succor at this time." A number of students relaxed and sighed in relief. There was at least ONE constant – Professor Snape's care and support.

"You may be surprised to know that there will be students attending this second dinner who will not be Slytherins. Voldemort's reign as Dark Lord has touched the lives of many, and many will be of the mind that boisterous celebration is not for them. I would expect that wherever you choose to be tonight, either upstairs in the Great Hall, or down here in the ballroom, you treat your fellow revelers or mourners with respect and decorum.

"I will be here for you, either here or in my office, until 11:00 this morning. I will always be there for you, but there will be need of me elsewhere in the castle at that time."

After a respectful silence, Terence asked, "Professor, who do you expect to be at the second dinner from outside of Slytherin?"

Severus raised his eyebrows. "There may be others, but for one, I believe that my newly adopted son is so inclined."

The entirety of the House looked on in curiosity except Danny, who was puzzled for a different reason. "Sir?"

The professor smiled. "I believe I can convince Madam Pomfrey to liberate him for long enough to eat dinner." Danny smiled back – the rest of Slytherin was in for a severe surprise.

* * *

When the House meeting was over, Danny found Vlad in his office. Between them both, it was taken as given that they would join the quiet party, and for more reason than Danny told Draco that he would. Location was the last thing on Danny's mind. "Papá, you did a great job finishing off Tom."

Vlad smiled. "Yes, I did, didn't I?"

Danny chuckled, but sobered quickly. "You know, I would have done something."

The new father raised an eyebrow. "I understand your desire. After all, I did the deed. However…" Vlad's demeanor changed from smug to concerned. "Daniel, you have been through countless hardships. You have seen death and unquantifiable evil. While I have no doubt that you are powerful enough to pull such a thing off, I sought to maintain the remnants of your innocence. Your 'policy' is born from your hero complex, and while it annoys me at times when I find your moral code inconvenient, the fact remains that the killing of a human is something you have no need to taint your soul therewith.

"You are more than capable, physically. However, just because you _can_ do something doesn't mean that you _should_ do it. On the whole, I'm rather proud to know that my son is a true hero, a knight in shining armor, and now that I can appreciate the value of such a status, I intend to preserve the treasure that I own." Vlad smiled proudly and possessively at Danny.

Danny wasn't sure what to make of Vlad's attitude. While the sentiments were flattering, he wasn't sure he liked the idea that Vlad objectified him. Then the boy rolled his eyes; on one level, Vlad _always_ thought of Danny as an object, or a prized possession to be won, or at the very least, acquired by any means. But Vlad also learned to love him as a person. The boy sighed in resignation; after all, he did sign up for this. Kind of.

He sighed again. "Papá, I… Harry told me to kill Voldemort's snake, and I did. But Voldemort killed Mrs. Malfoy. I was right there, but… I didn't do anything to help her. I failed."

Vlad sighed. The boy's hero complex was downright inconvenient. Here was the perfect opportunity to celebrate the destruction of the reason for their temporary exile, and the child focused on the one person who counted who wasn't saved. "Daniel, you were suffering from a massive headache. I'm amazed that you were able to concentrate enough to stay and keep yourself _and_ Severus invisible. Further, your aim was not only true, your power was intense enough that you completely incinerated the thing. If you were completely functional at the time, it would have been an incredible feat of multi-tasking. As it was, it was even more praiseworthy since you were operating under the serious handicap of pain and disorientation.

"However, if you _were_ fully functional, I understand that you would have held yourself to a higher standard, and you might have been able to save Narcissa. Regardless, no one faults you for her death."

"But I…"

"_No_, Daniel. Narcissa's death is _not_ your fault. But if the reaction of others is concerning you, let your heart not be troubled. The people who were present at the time _know_ how we suffered and wouldn't blame you. The people who weren't present didn't even know of your supposed missed opportunity. No one blames you but _you_, and I find this unacceptable. The fact that you rallied enough attention to destroy the snake is praiseworthy. Remember that."

Danny looked at his hands in his lap. "I guess." He wasn't convinced of his lack of guilt, but there would be no point in arguing further. "But I still don't feel like partying."

"Then isn't it fortunate that the Headmaster set up a non-party dinner?"

* * *

Between the owls delivering mail at breakfast and students who needed to send home to their families, the school was in an uproar for the better part of the day. The idea that Voldemort's final battle ended in the Dark Lord's defeat put many people in mind that Harry Potter was probably involved. As such, Harry received a few visitors in the hospital wing.

Severus was present when Harry was visited by Hermione, Ron, Ginny, Neville and his Gran, and Luna and her father. Augusta Longbottom and Xenophilius Lovegood nodded to Professor Snape, acknowledging his presence before addressing the student they came to visit.

Mrs. Longbottom fixed her gaze on Harry and stated, "It's good to see you again, but this time we're in the hospital wing of Hogwarts and not St. Mungo's." Neville cringed as he thought of the last time this crew, _sans_ the Lovegoods, met his Gran.

Mr. Lovegood said, "Luna's mentioned all five of you before. You were all at the battle in the Ministry last year. I must thank you, young man, for being such a good friend and a good teacher. You have a great many gifts, and I thank you for sharing so many of them with my Luna."

Harry sat, temporarily bewildered. So many people knew _of_ him in the Wizarding World at large, but Neville's grandmother and Luna's father remembered him almost personally. They didn't thank him for being a hero but for doing things he not only did, he would readily do again gladly. It took him a few seconds, but when he found his tongue, he said, "Thanks for saying so. Luna and Neville are great friends to have. I…"

The Longbottom matriarch nodded. "I hear that you were present at the final battle with He-Who-Must-Not-Be-Named." Harry refrained from rolling his eyes. Riddle was dead, and people were _still_ afraid to say his name.

Before he could say anything, the professor raised an eyebrow. "Oh? How did you find that out?" The members of their strike team were members of the Order of the Phoenix and/or otherwise personally motivated to be discreet. He couldn't think of who would have carelessly announced who was present in their sting operation.

Augusta studied the professor for a few moments. "Who was present was in the official Ministry report. I hear the details were sealed, but the list of people who were present for the final battle was in the _Daily Prophet_: Aurors, professors, Weasleys, Mr. Potter, and a couple of ghosts. Although I'm not sure what use ghosts would have been on such a mission…"

"Bloody hell!" Ron blurted. "Have they no shame? They can't…"

"_Language_, Mr. Weasley. Five points for prattling on." Ron looked stricken. Ginny rolled her eyes at her brother. Professor Snape might be Harry's adopted father, but he was still a teacher in the school, and really… Ron cursed in front of three adults. What did he expect?

Hermione shook her head at the siblings' reactions and sighed. "But still, Ron has a point. It's not like Harry _looks_ for fame. I just don't see why they can't leave Harry alone. I get that his name sells papers, but surely he deserves some privacy."

Harry smiled wryly. "Thanks for saying so, Hermione. But apparently, the Wizarding World doesn't believe that 'privacy' and 'Potter' belong in the same context."

Mr. Lovegood cleared his throat. "Yes. Well, the _Quibbler_ has a policy about releasing information about underage children only with the consent of said minor or said minor's guardian. There are laws about such things, you know, and I don't see how the _Prophet_ can disregard such things out of hand…"

A truly evil, predatory smirk crept across Severus's face, causing all five Gryffindors to shudder. Luna nodded impassively.

Augusta sniffed, annoyed at the interruption, and regained her momentum. "In any event, the article says that the Ministry wants to interview Mr. Potter. They want the perspective of the Boy Who Lived Yet Again, so it would seem."

Harry looked to his new father, pained. They should have seen this one coming, as when did the Ministry _ever_ respect the fact that Harry was just a kid? Severus closed his eyes, collecting his temper. When he opened them, he purred, "I imagine they've forgotten that 'the Boy Who Lived' is no longer adrift on his own. We'll have a few surprises for them, won't we?"

Harry raised his eyebrows. Professor Snape might be his new father, but Severus was still the cruel, vindictive man he always was, and Harry was more than grateful, certain that he didn't want to be on the receiving end of this 'surprise.'

Neville came to the same conclusion, and decided that he might be afraid of Professor Snape, but the Ministry people were in far worse danger than _he_ was ever in. He said, "Anyway, Harry, I wanted to thank you for being a teacher who _inspires confidence_, and for being a great friend." Severus raised an eyebrow in response. Neville shrugged.

Xeno and Augusta agreed. Mr. Lovegood said, "Indeed. Thank you again, Harry. And thank you, Professor, for taking care of Harry."

Severus raised both eyebrows in amusement; the two adults before him were not yet aware of the adoption. They would discover it in due course. For now, he accepted the unexpected praise. "I assure you, it is my pleasure."

"Didn't say that a few months ago," grumbled Ron. Ginny punched her brother in the arm.

Luna smiled. "Harry, whatever your plans for your evening meal, my father and I would like to join you."

Harry smiled back. "I'd be honored. Thanks."

Ron rubbed his arm where his sister hit him and asked, "So, mate, is Madam Pomfrey releasing you for the celebration?"

Harry shrugged. "I don't know. I'm not especially concerned."

Neville sighed. "I know how that could be."

Ron frowned. "But You-Know-Who is gone for good!"

Harry rolled tired eyes. "I know. I was there. But you know… Draco's mother was killed, but more than that… I just… You know, Tom's gone, but so are a lot of good people who didn't deserve to die. Ron, it's hard for you to understand, but don't you see how yesterday is similar to October 31? Yeah, Voldemort is gone, but so are my parents, and…"

"But that didn't happen this time!"

Ginny scowled at her brother. "You're right, Ron. This time, Harry didn't lose anyone. If you didn't have the emotional range of a teaspoon…"

"Oi!"

"You'd get that the similarities between yesterday and that day long ago are many. This wasn't simply Tom's downfall. Professor Masters was hurt…"

"But he got better!"

Hermione grabbed the shoulder of Ron's arm that Ginny didn't hit. "Ronald, are you seriously going to tell me you have no empathy for people who suffered and just don't feel like celebrating? Harry mentioned something about that last Halloween." Ron blushed. He remembered that now. But… "While I _hope_ Harry can come, I – for one- am going to join the ballroom dinner."

Ron sat disgruntled. He understood what Hermione said, he did, but it would be a shame to miss the party.

Harry smiled wanly. "Thanks, Hermione."

Ginny nodded. "As I will. Mum is rather keen on being wherever Harry is tonight. So if _you_ want to party in the Great Hall, enjoy. The rest of us… well… Harry, will you be coming to the ballroom?"

Harry sighed. "I don't know. That's not what Madam Pomfrey said yesterday. What do _you_ say, Dad?" Neville gasped and his eyes grew wide. The senior Longbottom and Lovegood also registered their own surprise.

Severus smirked. He surmised that the adults present didn't know. The students not knowing – that was an unexpected bonus. Once the initial shock wore off, students would no longer act with fearful surprise that Harry was now his son. But this reaction from Mr. Longbottom was oddly gratifying.

Still… his son (it gave him a warm glow to _think_ thus) asked a question. "Last night, I believe I convinced Poppy to let you come to the quiet dinner, if and only if after two hours – win, lose, or draw – you come back here for the night.

Harry smiled. "Can do."

Ginny nodded. Looking askance at her brother, she continued her harangue. "The rest of us will stay with Harry and Professor Snape. You can do what you like."

Ron blushed furiously. "Alright, alright, I _get_ it. Enough already!"

Ginny smiled in feigned innocence, and Harry grinned at the by-play. "Thanks. Both of you." Severus continued to smirk in amusement at the Gryffindor antics.

Augusta Longbottom announced, "That's all well and good. But Neville will be joining me and Algernon at the upstairs feast, properly celebrating the death of the Dark Lord and the monster who destroyed the sanity of my Frank and his wife Alice."

Harry cringed. Mrs. Longbottom had a way of cowing Neville the way no one but Severus could.

Neville's bottom lip trembled as he considered. Then he came to a decision. "No, Gran. I understand why you and Uncle Algie might want to celebrate. Personally, I want to honor my parents more quietly."

"Nonsense! You're…"

"Going to be where I can think, in peace, of my parents, what they've done, and what they've become in their fight against… _him_. Beside – I fought with Harry in the Ministry. I get Harry's reasoning. Actually, I have lots of reasons. I've made my choice."

"Now, see here…"

"Pardon me, Madam Longbottom," Professor Snape interjected, "but with all due respect, this division of celebration is about emotion. And Mr. Longbottom has cogently expressed his wishes based on his emotions. Your grandson deserves to have his wishes respected."

Augusta was momentarily speechless. She wanted to reprove the professor for gainsaying her in front of her grandson – the young professor, youngest on staff, was of the same age as her son, Frank! How dare he!

Then she remembered that message from Professor McGonagall, telling her that even though Augusta thought Charms to be silly, not to discourage Neville for playing to _his _strengths, and those strengths involved Charms and Herbology. Of course, the boy was better at Herbology than Frank ever cared to be…

Professor McGonagall reminded her that Neville was _not_ Frank, Professor Snape forced her to consider the boy's feelings, and _both_ professors somehow made her feel like… she was holding Neville back. Neville _was_ almost 17, and she thought of the fact that he was a day older than Harry Potter.

While Neville wasn't 'the Boy Who Lived' or 'the Chosen One,' he _was_ at that Ministry fiasco. And of all the teens present, Neville and Harry _were_ the last ones standing.

She frowned. Neville was terrified of Professor Snape. He's made multiple mentions of this fact on numerous occasions. But here, her Neville practically reproved the Potions Master while praising Harry. Perhaps… Perhaps, if Neville could overcome his fear of this very professor, he might also be mature enough to make an emotional determination.

While Augusta wanted to heartily celebrate the destruction of the evil witch who tortured her son and his wife into insanity, the fact is that Neville might have a different perspective on the matter. And if Harry Potter was granted the opportunity to express himself on the matter (or, he would, if he didn't have health issues that determined the situation for him), there was no reason Neville Longbottom should have any less.

Augusta closed her eyes as she collected her thoughts. She opened them and said, "You are right, Professor. My grandson _does_ deserve to have his wishes respected."

Neville raised his eyebrows. "Gran?"

Her pride took enough of a hit with the remonstrance of two professors. She wasn't going to explain herself in a room full of people. Still, Neville deserved an apology, and she would give it privately. "We'll discuss a few things later. I'll let Algernon know of my… our change in plans. He'll do whatever suits him. I'll… support you as you wish. I _am_ proud of you, young man."

Surprises never ceased. "Thanks for saying so, Gran."

* * *

At a quarter to 6:00, Draco entered the dungeon dining room with Andromeda, Ted, Dora, and Remus. The ballroom tables were not arranged in room-length House tables and a head table for the professors and visiting adults. Instead, there were tables set for nine in small family arrangements. Draco knew that Professor Snape would never lie to them, but he couldn't believe that this room wouldn't be either almost abandoned or stuffed with Slytherins whose parents were Death Eaters and weren't clever enough to recognize the political implications of seeming to mourn for the Dark Lord. He was rather surprised to see the room set to receive at least 100.

Danny suggested that Harry Potter might show up here, of all places. That didn't make much sense; everyone knew that Voldemort specifically targeted the Boy Who Lived since he failed to kill the 15-month-old toddler. While Danny explained that Harry might connect this fall of Voldemort to the day that Harry's parents were killed, it was hard for Draco to conceive of Harry being less than jubilant at hearing of the death of the man who set a death warrant on him for as long as he's been alive.

"Aunt Andromeda, between us, the Crabbes, the Goyles, Danny and Professor Masters, and Professor Snape and his new son, what if we're the only ones here?" Normally, the blond boy was proud and confident in who and what he was. However, he had too many paradigm shifts to deal with in less than twenty-four hours. Between the presence of Professor Lupin, who was soon to be Cousin Remus; Uncle Ted, who was a congenial Muggle-born wizard; Aunt Andromeda, who utterly rejected the Black family motto '_Toujours pur_'; and Cousin Dora, who toned down her bright pink hair to a darker, muted purple in mourning for Narcissa; Draco was so surrounded by informality that he allowed himself the liberty of acting the part of the scared, sad, and hurt teenager that he was.

Andromeda smiled gently and put an arm around his shoulders. "If we're alone, we'll have a quiet moment to reflect, mourn, and grow closer. But I can guarantee you life is never that simple."

"How do you know?"

Remus fought a smirk. "Severus's new son has come to expect that life is _never_ that simple, especially where he is concerned. I hope to help change that, soon."

Draco turned to him. "Who _is_ this person? The professor never told us. Professor Snape told us in a House meeting that he would be here, and his adopted son was from a different House."

Remus held a fist to his mouth. "Oh, dear. It never occurred to me that… Draco, I believe he wants it to be a surprise. It's not a secret, but Severus has a flair for presentation." The werewolf gave in to the smirk he fought before. "If it makes you feel better, we'll probably be joined by a number of Slytherins who are as curious as you are to learn the identity of your Head of House's new son."

The boy crossed his arms in frustration. "Do _you_ know who he is?"

"Yes, and so do you."

Before Draco could come up with a retort of any sort, the five of them were joined by Danny and Professor Masters. The presence of his friend helped Draco regain his confidence and his general poise. "Aunt Andromeda, Uncle Ted, I would like to introduce you to my best friend Danny and his newly adopted father, Professor Masters. Professor, Danny, this is my Aunt Andromeda and Uncle Ted Tonks. Dora, I think, you already met in a professional capacity. And you already know… Remus."

Danny smiled at the werewolf. "Hi, Uncle Remus. And I guess that… since it looks like 'romance has winged its way into the scenario', I guess you are soon to be… Aunt Dora, right?"

Tonks raised an eyebrow. "Remus?"

Lupin laughed. "It's complicated. It has nothing to do with blood ties and everything to do with reconstituting family when… Well, when disaster strikes and you need to hit a cosmic reset button."

Andromeda and Ted shared a glance, and then the mother said, "Well, Dora, it looks like with this one wedding proposal, we will have gone from having practically no family to having more family than have recognized us in a long time."

Vlad smiled proudly, as Madam Tonks could have as easily spoken about himself as herself and her husband.

Danny, on the other hand, pieced a few things together. "Mrs. Tonks, you look an awful lot like…" No.

"Danny, Aunt Andromeda was my mother's sister." Draco sighed. "You know, Danny's right. You do look… um…"

She smiled. "Yes, I know I look a bit like Bella, much to my misfortune."

Danny's eyes grew wide. "You're…you're…" He grasped Vlad's hand, unable to form a coherent thought.

Draco took immediate notice. "Danny?"

The dark-haired boy looked miserable. "I'm sorry about…"

Vlad rolled his eyes, and put his free hand on Danny's shoulder. "Daniel, what did I say?"

"Not... It wasn't my…" Danny sighed sadly, looking at the floor.

Dora tapped Vlad's hand, getting him to let go, and she grabbed both of Danny's hands. "Hey… You'll be fine. And…" She peeked back at Draco, then smiled warmly at Danny. "I hear you have a way with wordless _Incendios_. You should be proud of yourself and your accomplishments. Remember that."

Danny cocked his head and realized that Dora told him she knew what he did, and that _she_ was proud of him. "I'll try." He took a deep breath. "I'm sorry for your loss." Vlad raised an eyebrow and nodded. The boy was still understandably sad, but at least he wasn't blaming himself at present.

Draco was confused about why Danny looked guilty and appeared to be as mournful as he was, if not more so. Then he processed part of what Cousin Dora said. Wrinkling his brows, he asked, "When would you have seen Danny's _Incendio_?"

She turned an amused smile at her younger cousin. "I was at the Head table this morning. I hear things." Danny appreciated the subterfuge; Tonks didn't lie, exactly.

Vlad smiled at Draco, and it was practically a sneer. "Why, Mr. Malfoy… Fancy meeting you here, and in such company…"

Draco turned bright pink. "Indeed, Professor. I'd say I learned my lesson rather well, wouldn't you?" The Tonkses were confused and Remus frowned.

Vlad's sneer turned to a smirk. "Yes, yes of course. Life has a way of teaching us precisely what we need to know."

Danny elbowed him. "Papá, I think he gets the point. Leave him alone."

Vlad chuckled quietly in a way that always made Danny feel awkward. After having teased his formerly tactless student, Vlad cleared his throat and addressed said student's aunt. "Madam Tonks, I wish to extend my condolences. You have been bereft of both of your sisters on one day."

Andromeda raised her eyebrows. This gentleman was a complicated individual. He comforted his son, and in the next breath chided Draco for his 'Malfoy' sensibilities, unsettled his son, and then offered condolences to her. She would be cautiously gracious.

"Professor Masters, thank you for your sentiments. I'm very much aware of what my sisters were." She glanced sadly at Draco, giving him an extra squeeze. "I expect I'll miss Narcissa quite a bit more than Bellatrix, but no where near as much as I miss Sirius."

Draco sighed. "I guess I can understand that." He thought for a second. "Wait a minute. Sirius Black…" She nodded. "He… was…" Everyone knew that he was a convicted felon, but the papers said he was an innocent man.

Professor Masters smirked again and raised an eyebrow. "Harry Potter's godfather."

The blond knew that, of course, but something in his mind just clicked. Then he paled. "No. That means…"

Vlad enjoyed the boy's discomfort far too much. "By parental decision, you're practically related to Harry." Draco swallowed hard.

Danny piped up, "If it makes you feel better, that means so are _we_."

Draco relaxed. The idea that he was actually almost related to his best friend really _was_ a comforting thought. "It does. That's the best news I've had all day."

Greg and Vincent joined them, accompanied by their mothers. Mrs. Crabbe and Mrs. Goyle widened their eyes when they saw the Tonkses, but graciousness abounded. After general pleasantries were exchanged, the four boys stood close in a not-quite huddle. Draco gave the bigger boys a half-smile.

"Guess what? Danny and I are practically related!"

Goyle cocked his head. "How does that work?"

Danny smiled as Draco said, "It's complicated, but it has to do with marriage, family blending, and personal choice."

Danny raised an eyebrow. "Smooth."

Other students started dribbling in with their families. General socializing and posturing were not a part of what anyone was interested in. Draco specifically took note of a few Slytherins from their anti-Voldemort crew, most particularly the Greengrass sisters, Terence, Blaise, Theodore, and Tracey, and all of their parents who came to shake hands.

Draco furrowed his brows. "Thank you, I think."

Daphne and Astoria nodded. Others wore bemused expressions. Terence said, "You're welcome but…"

"But what?"

Terence looked at Tracey who raised an elegant eyebrow. He blushed, and after a knowing nod, she turned back to Draco and continued Higgs' unfinished sentiment. "We offer our condolences, particularly to you and Goyle. But we are rather curious about who Professor Snape adopted. He's been the Head of Slytherin since before Auror Tonks was a student. While he's always cared for us, actually adopting a student is something new. You can't tell me you aren't curious."

Draco nodded. "True. Look – I don't believe it!"

Severus walked in with his arm around Harry Potter's shoulders. The professor directed his new son to Madam Tonks, Draco, Madam Goyle and Greg, and Danny. "I offer my sincerest condolences."

Every one of the students besides Danny stared, but Tracey was the only one brave enough to venture, "Harry?"

Harry closed his eyes. He could almost _feel_ the insane number of questions everyone had for him. With his eyes closed, he said, "Look – I don't want to be the Boy Who Lived. I don't want to deal with a major celebration. I just… want a chance to be with my new Dad, and just… not deal. Alright?"

The students who came as spectators were in a bit of shock. Terence knew from their photo shoot that Harry wasn't the starry-eyed celebrity the press made him out to be, but this declaration rejecting all of that was more than most people here were ready to understand. There were murmurs, but a glare from Professor Snape ended that.

Danny walked over to Harry and gave him a hug. "I know almost exactly what you're talking about."

Harry whispered back, "Thanks."

Severus and Vlad nodded solemnly at each other.

The next people down were the Lovegoods, who received little attention but for the Masters, Snapes, and Remus. They were followed by Hermione, the Weasleys, Fleur, and the Longbottoms.

The Weasleys and Fleur made much of Harry and Danny, comforting, hugging, and slapping backs and punching shoulders as necessary. Neville shared a nod of confidence with Harry, and Danny and Luna shared a shy smile.

Draco's jaw dropped. "Well, isn't this cozy?"

Ginny glowered at him, and Danny sighed and said, "It is what it is. Everyone here has a story and a reason for being here. Some are a bit more obvious than others."

Professor Snape closed his eyes to collect himself. He recognized that, as the only Head of House likely to be at this particular gathering, he was going to be the Master of Ceremonies this evening. "Please find seats. The arrangements will suit well for nine to a table."

At Draco's table, a quiet but animated conversation took place over where Draco was to stay. At present, Aunt Andromeda and Uncle Ted's house was the best location. Some time after the wedding, the Lupin household might become a frequent destination for visiting, and a reworking of plans could be made if it seemed like a good idea. After all, Remus was old enough to be Draco's father, and the boy might prefer guardians of that age group. Or not. The whole situation could be renegotiated later. After all, family was family, and the comfort of all was top priority.

The Crabbes and Goyles were invited to visit both the Tonkses and the Lupins, regardless of where Draco chose to live. The mothers did a double take, as they had to reassess things rather quickly. They were invited to spend time with Mudbloods, blood traitors, and a werewolf, but they were asked so sincerely, it was difficult to imagine rejecting the offer, particularly because whoever else might be in the household, Draco Malfoy would be there. They accepted the offer, for which the three boys were grateful.

At Danny's table, Vlad and Xeno discussed the possibility of visiting sometime in July, but that would take place sometime after Vlad's planned sightseeing with Danny, visiting friends, and other projects back in America. By that time, Severus and Harry should come back from their journey to Godric's Hollow with Professor Dumbledore, and the lot of them might visit Ottery St. Catchpole for a time. But this is time that could be negotiated around Remus's wedding to Dora and Bill's wedding to Fleur. Severus and Harry agreed, and were looking forward to spending more time together with Danny, Vlad, the Weasleys, and the Lovegoods. Ginny was delighted with the beginnings of the arrangement, and was eager to share tentative plans with her parents who were at a different table.

Augusta and Neville offered their home for hospitality, and Vlad was sincerely touched. He was being offered social connections that were purely that – social. The Longbottoms had no clue that he was a billionaire, with a vast corporate empire that stretched all over the world. They had no notion of the fact that in the Muggle World, Vlad was more famous than Harry Potter was in the Wizarding World. They were simply offering a professor and his son a place to visit when they passed back in their direction. Vlad was happy to agree, and was glad that Danny and Neville were friends enough to make the trip worthwhile.

Vlad also planned to spend some time with the Lupins and the Tonkses, and hoped to arrange for Harry and Severus to join him. Harry was excited at the prospect of spending more time with Moony, and he was sure Remus would agree. Severus gave it a moment's thought and then agreed.

While Severus was getting a bit freer about building a cool (and slowly becoming warmer) friendship with Remus, Vlad was privately thrilled that it would annoy Draco to have Harry in close quarters. With all the things he had to do, places to go and share with Danny, and people to see, Vlad decided that it would be particularly entertaining to see this particular relationship develop. Of course, if Draco and Harry actually became far more friendly, the 'annoying Draco' factor would no longer exist, but then Vlad could be quite helpful in arranging family get-togethers. He had such plans…

At the Weasleys' table, Ron and Hermione started to make visiting arrangements, and Arthur and Molly looked forward to spending more time with Hermione's parents. Arthur was particularly thrilled; imagine - pure Muggles in his own house! Much was made of Bill and Fleur's wedding, and the siblings present were able to speak far more peaceably with Fleur when Bill was around. Who knew? They might even grow to like her.

Percy renewed his family's acquaintance with Penelope Clearwater, and the twins were relatively (but temporarily) subdued. Being present for the deaths of Rowle, Bellatrix Lestrange, and Voldemort left them shaken. It was necessary, but the experience left their nerves a bit jangled for the nonce. Charlie attended to them, telling them he would stand a week of this. Then he might help them plan some gentle teasing of Percy on his upcoming romance.

The students from the anti-Voldemort Slytherin group and other students who were there from various Houses for various reasons and their families comforted each other and looked in wonder at the three central tables. While they spent their energies on their own mourning and comfort, they were curious about the assorted arrangements, particularly at Draco and Harry's respective tables.

Dinner was as delicious as advertised, and the assorted folks stayed on after dinner was finished until news was given for the details of Narcissa Malfoy's funeral. They were told that more details would come in a couple of days. A passable time of mourning, contemplation, and quiet reflection was had by all.

18


	54. Chapter 54

First of all, I want to thank everyone who has read, reviewed, and added this story and me to your assorted lists. Before this chapter, I had picked up many new readers, and I am as thrilled to discover you as you say you were to discover me.

I offer many warm holiday greetings, with alcohol-free eggnog, gingerbread cookies, and peppermint sucking candies.

This is the penultimate chapter, and I intended to tie up many loose ends. I hope you like the way I've done so. I've used Chapter 19: Elf Tails from _Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince_ for inspiration, and I've used the family tree of the Noble and Ancient House of Black that can be found in the Harry Potter Lexicon.

Disclaimer: I do not own _Danny Phantom_ or _Harry Potter_.

* * *

Chapter 54

On Wednesday, February 19, Professor Dumbledore received a fire call from Minister Scrimgeour. "Headmaster Dumbledore! What is the meaning of this outrage?"

Albus _did_ expect to hear from the Ministry over Voldemort's final battle, but this reaction left him puzzled. Well, not precisely, but feigning puzzlement would be ever so much more annoying. "Which outrage would that be, Minister?"

"Your Potions Master is filing a lawsuit against the Ministry's PR Department for releasing Harry Potter's name to the _Daily Prophet_!"

Albus furrowed his brows. "Tut, tut! It _is_ an outrage. Disclosing information about a minor without his father's consent _is_ a problem. Were the Snapes even consulted?"

Rufus turned red. "What is this? His _father_? Multiple Snapes?"

"Indeed. My Potions Master, Professor Severus Snape, adopted Harry as his son, so he is now Harry Potter-Snape." The Minister spluttered. That was a development he completely did not expect.

"But even before the adoption was finalized, I understand that you, at least, knew since Christmas of Professor Snape's guardianship of Harry. The failure to adhere to government protocol lies with the Ministry. And I _will_ support my professor and his son on this matter."

Scrimgeour realized he was losing ground rather quickly. "But it was about Harry Potter! The public has a right to know about 'the Chosen One'."

"No, actually, the public has no more right to Mr. Potter-Snape's affairs than Professor Snape allows. I noticed that no exposé was written or even mention was made of the Malfoys' home, nor were there editorials asking about Mr. Malfoy's custodial placement. But for the past three days, there have been all kinds of questions asked in the media about the Boy Who Lived."

"That's because the Malfoys (and whoever has the boy now) would never allow such private information to be released to the public."

Dumbledore nodded. "Correct. And the Snapes were not interested in having _their_ private information publicized, either. But they were not consulted. Mr. Potter-Snape _is_ underage. I wouldn't be surprised if the professor becomes far wealthier, based on how many times the Ministry has ignored the basic rights of Mr. Potter-Snape." He thought for a moment. "His suit with the _Daily Prophet_ is already showing promise."

Scrimgeour opened and closed his mouth a few times to no good effect. The Headmaster was right, of course. As an orphaned celebrity, there was no one to stand up for Harry Potter's rights. And now… well, there was an adult in the picture to make sure the boy wasn't ridden over, roughshod.

He realized that he was defeated on this front. Running a hand through his hair, the Minister said, "Be that as it may, I need to set up an interview with… Mr. Potter-Snape, as you call him."

The Headmaster looked at him coolly. "I call him that because it is the boy's name."

Waving a hand impatiently, the Minister replied testily, "Yes, yes. This Saturday would be best."

Professor Dumbledore was highly amused. "Fair enough. I'll inform my Potions Master of your request, and let you know whether here or the Ministry would suffice." Rufus narrowed his eyes. "It will have to be after Harry's Apparation lesson. Very well. Either I or Professor Snape will call back to confirm when and where the appointment should take place."

Scrimgeour blew a frustrated breath. How did he lose complete control of the situation? "Fine. I'll be waiting for that call." He withdrew his head from the fire.

Professor Dumbledore chuckled to himself. "Oh, dear. Our poor Minister has taken news of Harry's adoption with very bad grace. The reality of the situation will hardly be _more_ pleasing to him, but Rufus has no one to blame but himself."

* * *

Severus consented to meet with the Minister at the Ministry, as he had a few surprises to spring, and he could do so much more effectively at the source of the problems. So on Saturday, February 22, Severus and Harry went to the Minister's office.

Once his guests were seated, Rufus began. "Between Aurors Shacklebolt and Tonks' report, they made it clear that you, Harry, were there at the final battle, but did not actually vanquish You-Know-Who."

Harry cocked his head, unsure of what the Minister wanted. "Yes, sir. I was hit by another Killing Curse. I was barely conscious at the time."

Scrimgeour sat back and steepled his hands. "What you said was confirmed by the Aurors' reports. The reports also said that You-Know-Who was killed by a tangible ghost, who was identified as Vlad Plasmius." Harry blinked, as 'Plasmius' was a name he was unfamiliar with. But it made sense, when keeping in mind Uncle Vlad's vampiric form.

"I suppose so, sir."

This was not going the way Minister Scrimgeour intended. "How was it possible for a ghost to do anything like that? Ghosts are barely physical."

Severus grew impatient. "Is there a point to this line of inquiry? You _should_ know as well as I do that the ghost of Myrtle Duncan can manipulate water, and that poltergeists have a lot more physical substance. The two ghosts who were present at Voldemort's final battle are more powerful than most tangible ghosts they know are. But this doesn't explain why you are harassing my son about this."

Rufus realized he had to come to his point quickly, or he would lose his opportunity to speak to the Boy Who Lived Again. "Yes. Right. I wanted to know how ghosts can do this when _you_ were 'the Chosen One'?"

Harry looked askance at the Minister. "It's not my fault that the media placed such ridiculous expectations on me. I never claimed to be chosen for anything. The media created the fiction, and it made you happy to buy into it." The Minister spluttered. "I was present, and my presence destroyed Voldemort's seeming immortality."

Harry grinned. "I believe the ghost who decapitated Tom," the Minister winced at the graphic description of the death, "declared that people who decided that a sixteen-year-old boy was supposed to kill a seventy-year-old man were 'soulless morons'."

"But… but… Now see here…"

Severus ignored the Minister and raised an eyebrow at his son. "So you heard that, did you?"

Harry shrugged. "Yeah. But it's about par for the course, though. This is the same Ministry that had no problem declaring me an attention-seeking liar last year for doing nothing more than telling the truth, locking away Sirius Black for twelve years, and… Are you _still_ holding Stan Shunpike captive?"

The Minister felt at a loss. "Yes, but those things happened while…"

Harry narrowed his eyes and interrupted. "Fudge was Minister? It would be a more creditable separation if you didn't put Fudge in an advisory capacity. And Stan was all your own fault." He turned to his father. "Soulless morons. I like the sound of that."

Severus enjoyed Harry's capacity for banter. Oh, he _had_ to reward the boy after this was over.

Scrimgeour fumed. "How dare you question this office?"

"How dare this office question me? If you were _really_ interested in truth and justice, you could have questioned Sirius, Stan, or me with Pensieved memories or Veritaserum. But this Ministry would rather _appear_ to be doing something than actually _doing_ something. Has anyone actually seen Stan's arm to check for a Dark Mark?" The look of confused frustration on the Minister's face was a simple enough answer. "No, of course you didn't."

Professor Snape smirked. "Professor Masters isn't the only proud father to have a hero for a son. As you've pointed out the necessity, I do believe my _next_ suit against the Ministry will be on behalf of Mr. Shunpike. No one else has sought justice on his behalf, and you have convinced me that it is beyond necessary."

They sat for a few minutes in relative silence. The Minister turned the same shade of purple that Vernon Dursley turned when he was angry enough, but the fact was he could not do anything about it. Rufus decided that this interview, which was scheduled to bring Harry Potter back under ministerial control by pointing out that he failed to live up to the expectations of the Wizarding World, was distinctly a bad idea.

Harry frowned. "Does Dolores Umbridge still work here?"

The Minister blinked at this seeming non sequitur. "Yes. She is still the senior undersecretary."

Harry rubbed his right hand. "Why is she still here? She was worse than Fudge was."

Severus noticed this interesting gesture of his son. "Harry, what's wrong with your hand?"

Harry blushed. "Well… Nothing is wrong _now_. But Umbridge… When I…" He turned away.

Severus grew dangerously quiet. "Harry, let me see your right hand." Harry sighed as Severus took it. The Potions Master narrowed his eyes and said in that silky voice that portended a great deal of either pain or humiliation, "And why do you have on your hand, 'I must not tell lies'?"

Harry shuddered. "It was Umbridge's favorite detention. She didn't care to hear me say that Voldemort was back, so she made me use a Blood Quill to write that sentence until it was a permanent part of my hand."

Both adults stared incredulously. Severus was the first to recover. "You foolish boy! Why didn't you tell anyone?"

Harry narrowed his eyes and spat bitterly, "Who was I going to tell? When I tried to complain to Professor McGonagall, she told me to 'keep my head down and stay out of trouble.' She was on about me keeping my temper, so slicing my hand open for each detention never got a chance to come up. Professor Dumbledore didn't even want to _see_ me, unless someone _else_ had an emergency, and _you_? Dad, try to remember that your change of heart about me only started last October. You took _delight_ in my pain and humiliation!"

Rufus was stuck between a desire to crow triumphantly about Snape's less than perfect record with Potter and complete horror at the measures his undersecretary dealt this boy.

Severus covered his eyes. Last year, every single professor, including the Headmaster, failed Harry in every possible way. And no one failed as spectacularly as Severus, who was guilty as charged. If he, the adult and professor, did not take his grudge against a dead man so seriously that he set up said man's son to fail, the child might have communicated… all kinds of things.

Instead, Snape took every opportunity to cause the boy pain and humiliation, demanding the boy's respect, though he gave none in return.

The only professorial decision made regarding Harry during the entirety of the year that _wasn't_ tainted with shame was Minerva's insistence that he give Harry a chance to earn his way into the NEWT-level Potions class.

The professor uncovered his eyes. "Which was unforgivable, true. Let me ask you this – were there other students who had to use this quill?"

"Lee Jordan. There might have been others, but I only noticed Lee in the Common Room."

Severus took three deep breaths. Then he glowered at Scrimgeour. "Minister, when I get back to Hogwarts, I am going to check the records to see who had detention with Dolores, and I will owl each of them and/or their parents to find out whether this abomination was used against them as well. It was inexcusable that a Ministry official posing as a professor used such a Dark instrument on _one_ student. If I bring a class action law suit against your undersecretary, not only will both of you be removed from office, neither of you will see the light of day for a VERY long time."

"I…" Rufus practically had no bluster left.

Severus stood up. "Come, Harry. This interview is over. We have much more important things to discuss. Good day to you, Minister."

"But I haven't dismissed you!"

"Minister…"

"Very well, then. Good day." The Minister watched as Professor Snape left his office with Harry Potter. He reflected on the fact that his bad choices might very well end his political career, especially when the professor could simply reach the voting public with such damning information…

He could lessen the damage by addressing the three main charges against his office that were still reparable. Releasing Stan Shunpike with a healthy compensation gift would be a good beginning. Dismissing Cornelius Fudge as an advisor would not be fun (as he was useful), but it was necessary. However, firing Dolores Umbridge before she was brought up on criminal charges seemed to be top priority.

Yes, quite. Once these three initiatives were taken care of, Rufus Scrimgeour _might_ have a chance at surviving until the next election cycle. It wasn't a certainty, but considering that none of his actions or decisions were at all useful in removing You-Know-Who as a threat from the Wizarding World, these minor contributions to justice might just help his career, assuming anything was salvageable.

* * *

Dolores Umbridge smiled as she finished up her paperwork. You-Know-Who was gone, so everything was set to go back to 'business as usual' without the fever pitch that had been going on since that dreadful incident last year. The sound of hoof-beats still made her nervous.

She was upset to hear of _his_ downfall. She would never do something as public as the overt illegal actions of the Death Eaters, of course, but when it came to matters of the supremacy of pureblood wizards without the taint of beasts in their blood, the Dark Lord had the right idea.

Ah, well. Back to business as usual.

When there was a knock on her door, she rang out sweetly, "Come in!" When the Minister entered, her smile broadened. "Good afternoon, Minister. What can I do for you?"

Rufus impassively stated, "Nothing at all. We no longer require your services here."

Dolores blinked. "I beg your pardon?"

"As of this moment, you no longer work for the Ministry of Magic."

She stared at the Minister, dumbfounded. "But after all my years of dedicated service… You can't…"

Scrimgeour ignored her indignation. "Of course I can. You are an appointee, and you are easily replaced. The position will be filled by Monday morning."

"But, but…" Dolores realized that further protest would probably be useless at this juncture. She cleared her throat and took a new tack. "May I know _why_ I am being summarily dismissed?"

He considered not giving her the satisfaction, but decided that, as long as he was proverbially throwing her under the Knight Bus, he had nothing to lose by telling her. "It has come to my attention that you have done many deleterious things in your term as a professor in Hogwarts.""

"Deleterious?" Umbridge's face turned the shade of her bright pink cardigan, and her voice squeaked at a higher pitch proportional to the loss of her temper. "I brought that institution of Wizarding education under full control of the Ministry."

Rufus was so upset with this woman and the possible loss of his own job that he could take no pleasure from this woman's pain. "Yes, I am aware that you attempted to suppress the truth when Harry Potter and Headmaster Dumbledore announced You-Know-Who was back. Considering that the Dark Lord's corpse and head are in our morgue, it appears that they were not only correct, the Aurors' reports say they were present at the Dark Lord's demise."

Dolores knew she was in trouble, but political hard ball was hard to play when you were behind the eight ball. She took a breath and weighed her words. "I only proposed to propagate the Ministry position. Fudge had determined that the Dark Lord had not returned. That was the official position of the Ministry, and I took steps to ensure that was the _only_ position heard."

"Considering that it was entirely incorrect, and Fudge is no longer Minister _because_ of his failure to recognize the obvious," Dolores winced, "I would _not_ hold that to be a point of pride."

The toad-like woman opened and closed her mouth to no good effect. "And tell me, Dolores, why you felt the need to bring Dark objects into the school?"

Her mouth snapped shut indignantly. "I did no such thing!"

"Was tormenting an orphan worth the lawsuit you will face for forcing students to use a Blood Quill?"

She narrowed her eyes in fury. "That lying little…"

The Minister raised an eyebrow. "You mean 'the lying little boy who has "I must not tell lies" as a permanent scar on his hand'? Actually, he was loath to make mention of it at all. You will find that persecuting Harry Potter is not a harmless recreation. Neither he nor the other students you had forced to slice open their hands during your 'detentions' will…"

"Harry Potter was here?"

"Indeed. He and Professor Snape left my office immediately before we had this discussion. You'll clear your things from your office by the end of the day."

Umbridge did not see reason; she only saw red. "Why that little…" She bolted out of the office and ran to the elevator. The brat would _not_ get away with this!

The elevator spilled her out at the lobby level. "Potter!"

The undignified shriek pulled Harry and Severus short. Harry cringed. "What…"

In the Atrium, everyone stopped and stared at the former Ministry official storming up to and railing against the boy in front of the Fountain of Magical Brethren. "How _dare_ you come to the Ministry to get me fired?"

Harry looked at Severus, who put a protective arm around the boy and said, "Madam, lower your voice. You're causing a scene."

"Ah, Professor Snape. You understand better than anyone what a lying, worthless, attention-seeking brat the boy is. You..."

Severus drew his wand against the hysterical witch. "Actually, I know better than anyone that he does not fit even _one_ of your descriptions of him. If you repeat any of them, I will jinx your tongue from your mouth." Employees, tourists, and other people who had business at the Ministry temporarily ignored their intended destinations to watch this drama unfold.

Umbridge's eyes flew wide open. "You dare draw a wand on me!"

Severus narrowed his eyes. "You dare assault my boy in my presence!" He tightened his hold on Harry with his left arm.

"It wouldn't be the first time," Harry muttered.

Dolores's jaw dropped open, but Severus glanced down at the boy. "What do you mean?"

Harry's eyes widened. He was being invited to publicly recount the toad-woman's sins against him. His sense of justice would be satisfied, and his new father would keep him safe. "For starters, _she_ sent the two Dementors that attacked me and my cousin, so I cast the Patronus to save us; that was the cause of my trial two summers ago. I have a room full of witnesses to the fact that you said so. They also saw you threaten to attack me with a Cruciatus Curse." People in the hall gasped, but none as sharply as Severus.

"And I'm not the only student you forced to use a Blood Quill."

The accused witch tightened her lips. "You're lying. You'll never prove it."

Harry raised an eyebrow. "I suppose the scars on my hand mean nothing, huh? And since you have no qualms about using Veritaserum whenever it suits your fancy on whomever you like," another horrified gasp escaped the crowd. Severus merely nodded. "Veritaserum, Pensieved memories, and signed affidavits (which will be gotten once we spread the word about you) mean nothing? Or does due process not pertain to me, because someone decided that I'm too famous to have the laws that are supposed to protect minors _protect me?_"

Two Aurors peeled away from the crowd. "Madam Umbridge, any _one_ of these allegations, if proved true, would land you quite a bit of jail time. If _all_ of them proved true, you'd never see the light of day again. Come with us, as we have some questions to ask you."

Dolores stared at Harry, then Professor Snape, and then at the approaching Aurors. "You can't do this to me! I am Dolores Jane Umbridge, Senior Undersecretary…"

Auror Shacklebolt darted forward and grabbed her arm. "I don't care if you were the Queen Mother. You _caused_ this scene by verbally assaulting Mr. Potter-Snape, and we're going to find the answers to some very pressing questions."

"Potter-Snape! Professor, is this true? You actually _adopted_ this…"

"Finish that sentence, Dolores, and I'll make good on my promise; you'll have to finish your interrogation via Pensieved memories and written testimony."

Dolores snapped her mouth shut again. She really had no desire to discover the creativity of a former Death Eater. She imagined they had their uses, but staring down the business end of their wands was never a good option or wise choice.

She closed her eyes, holding off the inevitable. "Fine. I'll go. But everything I did, I did with Cornelius Fudge's stamp of approval. If I'm going to be hauled in for questioning, Fudge should be investigated and interrogated at _least_ as much. After all, it was _his_ position that You-Know-Who was not back, and that Dumbledore and the Brat-Who-Lived were delusional liars. He…"

Kingsley cut her off. "That's enough from you, Umbridge. We'll speak to Fudge, but he is no longer your concern."

Auror Dawlish raised an eyebrow. "I'll get that started. Sending me after Headmaster Dumbledore, the greatest wizard of our time, to arrest him for… creating a student organization that might do something useful at Defense. Dumbledore's Army, they called it. Let's say I'll enjoy this…"

Percy Weasley was sent to the Atrium to find out where Umbridge had gone, and now he knew. He saw Harry and the professor, nodded in recognition, and then announced, "Alright, people. The show is over. Move along, let the Aurors do their jobs." The star-struck audience woke out of their seeming trance and remembered that they had places to go and people to see.

Once the congestion broke, Percy came to greet the dark-haired family. "The Minister's interview today couldn't have been much fun. I'm sorry you had to endure it."

Severus tucked away his wand, hugged Harry close, and then looked back at Percy. "I don't know. In one visit, we've managed to set the wheels of justice in motion, ruining the days of Scrimgeour, Fudge, and Umbridge with minimum effort. Besides a few intense moments, I'd say it was a worthwhile endeavor, and quite a lot of fun, actually."

Harry stared up at him. "You know, Dad, you can be quite scary when you try."

Severus smirked. "Ah, good. I haven't lost the knack."

* * *

Since February 16, the Ravenclaw members of Danny's History of Magic class worked to find the courage to ask what was on their minds since that fateful day in October, and between the four of them, they decided that February 28 was the day.

Danny came to class on the last day of February to find his classmates present and smiling attentively at him. He smiled somewhat nervously. "Uh, hi, guys."

Terry took a breath as Danny took his seat, and said, "Danny, can we ask you a question we've had for a while?"

Danny closed his eyes for a second as he thought of how to answer his friends' curiosity. Whatever issue had been on their minds, and that nervousness could be connected to one of three things he could think of: Voldemort, Vlad, or his as-of-yet unknown ghost half.

At this point, he decided that this group (and Ernie and Melissa) could handle the answer, and would safeguard his privacy. They had until now, and he had no reason to assume that wouldn't continue.

He nodded to himself, opened his eyes, and said, "Go for it."

Lisa bit her lip as she realized that Danny was almost as nervous as they were. "When we first figured out that you had a half that wasn't entirely human…" Ah. That was the one. He could do this. "You and Professor Binns…"

Terry added, "And Hagrid."

Lisa continued, "Said that telling us about your non-human half would pose a security risk for you."

Danny nodded. "Yeah."

Michael fidgeted. "Well… Since You-Know-Who…"

Danny clucked his tongue. "Dude – the guy is dead and gone. You can say his name. Voldemort, or Tom Riddle, if it makes you happy."

Michael peaked his eyebrows. "Right. Well, since Vol… uh, Riddle no longer poses a threat, can you tell us what that other half is?"

Danny shivered. "Maybe. You're not gonna…" His ghost sense went off.

Professor Binns entered the classroom to this tableau. Danny didn't look comfortable, and the old ghost noticed. "I say, Mr. Fenton-Masters, are you alright?"

"I, um…" Danny blushed.

Michael gathered his courage and looked at the displeased professor. "Professor Binns, since… uh, the Dark Lord no longer poses a threat to anyone, we figured that the security risk to Danny had to be significantly lowered. So, we asked Danny about what his other half is."

The professor raised his eyebrows. "The Dark Lord's demise will make _everyone_ safer, it's true. But I'm not certain that Professor Masters would approve."

Danny frowned, trying to think this through. "You're right, Professor, he wouldn't. But now that Tom's not after me anymore… well… But guys, here's the thing. Even if I tell you, you can't tell _anyone_ (besides Ernie and Melissa). Voldemort isn't the only threat to my kind of hybrid." He rolled his eyes as he thought of Skulker. "There are people who would have no problem exploiting all kinds of things about me. Further, this combination is so… off-the-wall, even for what passes for normal in the Wizarding World." He grimaced.

Mandy reminded him, "You said that it's not Dark."

"It isn't, but…"

Terry sighed. "Danny, we've kept your secret, and…" He raised his eyebrows and the other three Ravenclaws nodded at his unspoken question. "We'll continue to keep it, whatever it is."

Danny looked at the ceiling and blew a breath. "Fine. I'm actually half-ghost."

The four Ravenclaws sat in various states of puzzlement. Mandy narrowed her eyes in concentration. "But how is that even possible? You're… um…"

Danny smiled wryly. "Yes, I'm alive. And I'm solid (except for when I choose to be intangible). I can turn invisible, and I can fly. _And_, I have lots of other powers and talents I'd rather not discuss right now."

Terry thought about this. "I guess that makes sense. You have a 'ghost sense,' and that seems to be a rather specialized feature. I mean, what other species would have a built-in sensor simply for ghosts?" He smiled, pleased at his conclusion. Then he furrowed his brows. "But… why would you need to sense other ghosts?"

Danny's smile turned genuine. "Where I'm from, almost all ghosts are naturally tangible. I would say that my ghost sense is a built-in safety feature. Tangible ghosts often have bizarre obsessions, and acting on those obsessions often causes chaos for humans. At home, I stop renegade ghosts – think Peeves, but a hundred times more powerful, and sometimes seriously malevolent. They don't appreciate my interference. And there is one ghost who has decided that I'm 'a unique specimen,' since Papá and I are the only two half-ghosts I know of. He's been trying to add me to his collection of valuable pelts on his wall."

Michael moaned, "Eww!"

Danny nodded. "Yeah, my friends Sam, Tucker, and I thought so, too."

Lisa cocked her head. "Danny, what would make your eyes change color?"

He answered, "Well… Like an Animagus, this isn't my only form. And in my ghost form, my eyes are green, among the few changes that happen to me."

Professor Binns surprised the lot of them. "Danny… Would you do us the honour of allowing us to witness your transformation?"

Danny thought for a moment as he watched his eager classmates puzzle over why their professor would find this an honor. "As long as it's only us, I don't see why not. Terry, seal the door first."

The addressed student nodded; if Danny had gone the whole year so far protecting his secret so guardedly, it made sense that he would want to ensure that _only_ the students who knew he wasn't entirely human saw that other side. As requested, Terry cast _Colloportus_ on the door.

Danny stood up and moved to the space between the students' and the teacher's desks and flashed a lop-sided grin at Binns. "This one's for you, Professor. Goin' ghost!"

All five audience members watched in wonder as two bluish rings appeared around his waist. The black, flowing student robe was turned into a close-fitting suit of a material none present could identify that was highlighted with his silver-white insignia, belt, boots, and his student observers were startled by the materialization of gloves. But, as explained, his blue eyes turned green and his black hair turned white.

Professor Binns smiled proudly. "I've seen you in both your forms, but your transformation is magnificent."

Danny blushed. "Thanks, Professor."

Michael asked, "You're a ghost? But you… blushed red. And… with a few minor changes, you look exactly the same as normal."

Danny sighed. He knew this was coming. "I blush red and not silver because… I guess it's because I have more substance in general than the ghosts you're used to." He smiled apologetically at Professor Binns. "See, they are merely conscious ectoplasmic imprints of who they once were. My mother once used the term 'odd manifestation of ectoplasmic energy and post-human consciousness'."

The professor nodded. "An astute observation, but from your mother, I'd expect no less."

Lisa gulped. "How did you become a half-ghost? Surely, I… well… I can't imagine…"

Danny snickered and saved her. "No, no, no. It was nothing like that. Both of my parents were alive and human, as I was, once." This elicited a round of wide eyes and raised eyebrows.

Terry asked, "Then what happened?"

Danny formed a tail as he drummed his fingers on his chin in thought. "Would you know what I'm talking about if I referred to DNA?" To his surprise, all four Ravenclaws nodded. "Whoa. One day, I'll have to ask how that one happened. Anyway… My parents – another one of those things that won't leave this room – studied ghosts. They wanted to understand what they were, _why_ they were, what made them tick.

"You see, not all ghosts are sentient memories of those who are no longer living. Where I'm from, there are plenty of ghosts who are creatures made of ectoplasm who came from a different dimension called the Ghost Zone."

Mandy sneered. "You've been talking to Loony Lo…"

Danny snarled, "Don't bother finishing that sentence. And just so you know, this weekend, I'll ask Papá if we can visit the Ghost Zone – I promised Luna a picture of a Crumple-Horned Snorkack. I've seen them when they're _not_ invisible, and if you can't show her the respect she is due, I see no reason she would need to share the pictures with you. What a learning opportunity you'll miss out on." He clucked his tongue three times. "I thought you were smarter than that."

Lisa gasped. "You mean… they're real?"

Danny shrugged. "Yup. I wonder if Terence will lend me his camera…"

Terry cleared his throat. "Danny, could you come back to explaining how you, er, came to be as you are?"

The Slytherin sighed. "Fine. So… My parents worked to create a portal from the Real World to the Ghost Zone. At first, it didn't work. But… My friends and I thought it would be cool to explore what could, in theory, open a door to a whole different dimension. So, I put on a haz-mat suit…"

At the blank stare he received from all five of his audience members, he sighed and tried again. "I put on a protective suit to shield me from hazardous material. See? Hazardous Material – haz-mat. You got it.

"Anyway, I wanted to check out the chamber. It was dark and it was an unknown environment. The floor of the chamber had more give than I was used to, so I leaned against a wall to feel my way around and steady myself. It was fine until I leaned on the 'on' button. (Don't ask why it was _inside_ the chamber.) With a horrific jolt of electricity, ectoplasm bonded to my very DNA. And now, I'm a half-ghost, as my body knows how to be both human and a ghost."

Terry nodded. "And Professor Masters… How did _he_ become a half-ghost?"

Danny grimaced. "A similar accident happened something like a little over twenty years before mine."

Lisa asked, "Did the portal end up working?"

"Oh, yeah. It works far better than either of my parents anticipated. But I think that concludes this session of information sharing on my being a half-ghost."

Professor Binns applauded. "Well done, Danny, well done. Now, we'll get back to our regularly scheduled lesson, but…" He paused for a few seconds.

Danny peaked his eyebrows. "Professor?"

"But… Danny, with your permission, I would like to explain your entanglement and defeat of Pariah Dark. That way, the students will understand your heroism, and," the elder ghost glared at Mandy, "will understand – without question of a doubt – that you are _not_ Dark."

Danny turned human and rubbed the back of his neck. "Uh, sure, if you think that's necessary. But we'll leave Papá's initial role out of it, okay?"

Terry shook his head. "How come you called Danny a hero, Professor? Not that he couldn't be, but…" He didn't know how to finish his thought.

Professor Binns answered simply, "Amongst ghosts, Danny Phantom is as well known for his heroics as Harry Potter is among wizards. Both boys have made history with their wondrous feats of courage, valour, cunning, and strategy. But for now, I do believe we are up to discussing the International Statute of Secrecy."

Michael asked quickly, "But… can we tell Ernie and Melissa?"

Professor Binns thought for a moment. "Which students are they?"

"They are the other two students who know that I'm half-human, but don't yet know my other half," Danny supplied.

The older ghost nodded. "Yes. Very well. If these students have kept your secrets for as long as the students present have, I don't see a problem sharing the secret with them. Regardless, you need to tell Professor Masters of today's revelation." The Ravenclaws paled.

"Of course, Professor," Danny said, his innocent tone giving chills to his classmates.

"Now, I'm sure you've all heard about our very own Sir Nicholas, and the event which led to his untimely execution…"

* * *

That same Friday, during the afternoon office hours, Vlad heard a knock on his door. "Come in." When the door opened, Vlad raised his eyebrows. "Severus! What a pleasant surprise. To what do I owe this honor?" He gestured to a chair, inviting the Potions Master to make himself comfortable.

Severus smiled. "Tomorrow is a landmark day. It will be the first time since our disastrous foray in November that Harry and I will spend time together in Hogsmeade. It occurred to me that – since you are no longer in hiding, as it were – you and Daniel might enjoy visiting Hogsmeade, too, now that it has been restored to its former glory."

Vlad's blue eyes twinkled. "Yes – we _can_ go to Hogsmeade without that cloud of danger hanging over us. I think I'd quite like to go, and I'm sure Daniel will enjoy a little change in scenery. Is there something or somewhere in particular you had in mind?"

Severus frowned. "Not precisely. I just… I don't know if you can appreciate this, but I'll give it a shot. Since I entered the milieu of Hogwarts, my life has been in an almost constant state of battle-readiness. Some of that was caused by peers, much of it was caused by war, my service as a spy… always one role after another. Some of it was due to my own choices. Some of it was forced upon me." Vlad raised a fist to his mouth, listening with great concentration.

Severus took a breath. "Once I settled into my role as a spy, I never truly expected to live through the war, but now…" He closed his eyes. "I'm not even sure I know what I mean."

Vlad thought quickly. This particular wizard was an intensely private person. He just mentioned battle-readiness because of peers – from what Vlad gathered, such would refer to the torment of the Marauders. The war… Severus was a former Death Eater. Even if they managed to have _some_ social redeeming value, Death Eaters _were_ evil, and as a spy, Severus couldn't afford to get too emotionally close.

Vlad lifted his head as he figured out what the man before him sought. "Severus, I do believe you are searching for camaraderie." He blinked. "You want to be… friends." Snape called him a 'close personal friend' before, but it was one thing to tell a government official what they wanted to hear and another to… wow.

The dark man opened his eyes to see Vlad stare at his desk, his brows were furrowed and his gaze was on a memory. "Friends. I've had many relationships and acquaintances, but… I don't know that I've had a proper friend since Jack and Maddie, before my accident." He met Severus's gaze. "When we were in Wisconsin, I listed you and Remus as my 'support system.' But honestly… It would be nice to have real friends again."

Severus sat back and relaxed. "Yes, it would."

"I think I'd like that, and it's clear that you would, too. We can make that work."

"Especially considering that we have so very much in common."

Vlad tilted his head. "We do, indeed." He nodded. "Very well, then. We'll have plenty of time to reflect on the deeper implications of this later. As for now, what time shall we collect the boys tomorrow?"

* * *

Saturday was March 1. Ron woke up to see the bright sunlight in the dorm room window. Harry was already dressed and ready for breakfast. "Good morning, Ron. Happy birthday."

Ron bolted upright. "Yes! Today… There is no more Ministry trace on my magic, as I'm no longer under age. And I'm gonna take my Apparations Exam. Yes!"

Harry smiled at his friend's exuberance. "Now, you _and_ Hermione will be of age."

"And the twins can't just… Hah! Next time Mum sets me to peel leeks, I can do it with magic."

Harry raised an eyebrow. "Well, first you need to learn the spell that would make peeling all the quicker. I wonder if it's related to the spell your mother does to make the dishes wash themselves."

Ron sighed. The fact that he had permission to do things didn't mean he necessarily knew how to do them. "Yeah, well… Ginny and the twins are meeting me in Hogsmeade. We'll…" He shut up for a moment. "Harry, now that You-Know-Who is gone for good, will you be able to come to Hogsmeade again?"

Harry smiled. "Yup. Yesterday after dinner, Dad told me that we're going to Hogsmeade again. This time, we expect there will _only_ be happy memories. You know, like Christmas, without either of us fighting for our lives." Ron snorted. "And Danny and Uncle Vlad are coming, too."

"They'll come to my party, like at Christmas. Brilliant!"

They met Hermione in the Common Room. "Happy birthday, Ron!" She hugged him and gave him a peck on the cheek. Ron beamed, and the three of them headed down to breakfast.

They found seats on the side of the table that allowed them a view of the Slytherin table. Harry nudged Ron. "Danny's excited about going to Hogsmeade. You can tell that's what he's talking about to Draco, Crabbe, and Goyle by the light in his eyes."

Ron frowned, and his fork was left in the air, ignored as he sat in concentration. Hermione tapped him on the shoulder. "Ron?"

Still staring at the Slytherins, Ron said, "You know, Danny's close to… Draco, isn't he? Not as close as he is to you, of course, but… Isn't he?"

Harry was curious to know where Ron was taking this conversation. "Yes. I understand Draco was thrilled to know that through Remus, he's as related to Danny as I am, even though Danny and I… yeah."

Ron tapped his chin. "Draco doesn't really have anyone anymore, does he?"

Hermione frowned. "Sure he does. He's got Tonks, her parents, Professor Lupin…"

"But his world's been yanked out from under him, kinda like Danny, yeah?"

Harry raised his eyebrows. "Yeah."

Ron rolled his eyes at himself. "I can't believe I'm saying this, but it just… seems to be the right thing. After breakfast, I'll invite Draco to come with us to the Three Broomsticks. Danny's coming, Professor Snape's coming, and… well, I don't… Draco's still a right prat, but if Danny's joining my party, I just… I don't know, but Draco looks like he needs Danny. I wouldn't, but if I…" He sighed.

Hermione looked thoughtfully at him. "You are going to invite Draco to your seventeenth birthday party. That is… really mature of you. And really sweet, based on your reasoning."

Harry sighed. "All of us have come a long way since the Hogwarts Express ride First Year."

* * *

A week later, Draco still couldn't believe what happened to him. "Danny?"

The sleepy ghost groaned. "Wha…" He yawned and tried again. "What?" Wasn't Saturday morning meant for sleeping in?

Draco waited for Danny to rub the sleep from his eyes. Otherwise, this conversation would be useless. He rubbed, he stretched, he was ready enough. "I still can't believe that Weasley… er, Ron invited me to his party last week."

The dark-haired boy inwardly rolled his eyes. They've been through this before. "Well… He can be clueless sometimes, but he is loyal to his friends. Like he explained to me, the reason he was mean to you before (besides a nasty anti-Slytherin prejudice) was that _you_ always started with… well, all of them. Harry, you teased as an orphan – which was a jerky thing to do, by the way…" Draco turned bright pink. "You wouldn't let Ron alone about being poor, you seriously disrespected Hermione. I don't remember what you did to Ginny…"

Draco sighed heavily. "I _get_ it. I was a git."

"Yeah, but the operative word is 'was.' You've mostly left them alone, which gave Ron a chance to reassess a few things. One thing you know for sure about Ron – he's a chess champ. You told me he was given recognition for his skill."

The blond peaked his eyebrows, curious where this was going. "Yeah."

Danny looked askance at him. "You should realize by now that Slytherins aren't the only people capable of forming a strategy." He stared away. "It was totally cool of him, and you… that Ron."

"What?"

Danny smirked. "You know how you told them that you invited them here for our Quidditch party because it would make me happy?" Draco nodded. "I think he returned the favor. He invited _you_ to his party, again to make me happy. I don't know how I got to be so lucky… Either that, or I'm a convenient excuse." Thinking of Papá and Uncle Severus, he added, "It wouldn't be the first time."

Draco chuckled. "At least, you're a good sport about it."

Danny shook his head. Everyone's a character. "Yeah, well… I try. So… how do you get your scarf to change color? Harry wore Slytherin colors to support me, and now I want to return the favor, and wear Gryffindor colors for him."

Draco looked at him. "This is your third game as a spectator, and this is _still_ only your first time wearing House colors. You tap your wand on your scarf and say the House you want it to turn colors for."

"But I didn't have to do that when I first got sorted."

The blond smiled. "That's a built-in spell, otherwise it might be a hardship on the tailors for our uniforms. But once the colors are set, that's what you do to change it. It only works on the colors, and won't change the House crest, so it's great for the scarves, which are only switched temporarily."

Danny sighed. "Can I ask you to do the honors for me?"

Draco shook his head in disbelief. "You can levitate and summon stuff wordlessly. Cousin Dora heard you've got an awesome _Incendio_, but changing the color of your scarf is beyond you. I don't get it."

'And you never will, if I have anything to say about it,' Danny thought darkly.

"Of course I will." Draco smirked. "Cousin."

Danny stretched again. "Yup. You are." He got out of bed to retrieve his clothes. "You do realize that you're probably more closely related to Harry than to me, right?"

"You mean, besides my first cousin, once removed, being Harry's godfather? My great grandfather's sister married a Charlus Potter, so… yeah. I guess."

Danny blinked. "You know who's on your family tree that far back?"

Draco smiled with pride, the kind he wanted to share. "When you belong to a noble and ancient house, it's required learning. I was drilled on this stuff for years. However, I was only required to know as far back as Phineus Nigellus Black, the last Slytherin Headmaster of Hogwarts. He's two generations farther back than Great-Grandfather Pollux, whose sister Dorea married Charlus Potter."

Danny's eyes widened. "Whoa."

With a half-smile, Draco admitted, "Yeah. But I was excused from knowing the names of people who were blasted off the family tree for making unworthy connections or being Squibs." He grimaced sheepishly. "That's why I didn't know about Aunt Andromeda. Mother never told me about her."

Danny ran a hand through his hair. "This is a little too intense for me, this early." Well… without a ghost-fight attached to it. "We'll discuss scarves and stuff after my shower."

Draco watched as Danny left to perform his morning ablutions. Draco had his own reasons for supporting Gryffindor. It would please him to no end to surprise his friend. Or cousin. This whole 'family blending' thing was an interesting phenomenon.

* * *

After breakfast, Danny saw Harry stand, preparing to collect his team. Danny popped up. "Guys, give me a sec. I just want to wish Harry well."

Much to Danny's surprise, Draco said, "Good idea. Crabbe, Goyle, let's go."

The four of them made their way to the Gryffindor table. A few eyebrows were raised at the Head table as the professors watched this progression.

Ron noticed their long-time tormentors, and said suspiciously, "Mal- uh, Draco, Crabbe, Goyle… What are you…?"

Danny cleared his throat. "I just wanted to wish you luck in today's game against Hufflepuff. And they came with me."

Harry smiled. "Thanks, Danny. Fellows."

Crabbe grabbed Harry's shoulder, startling him. "Just wanted to tell you to give 'em hell for me."

Goyle nodded. "For all of us."

Danny raised his eyebrows. "Uh…"

Ron murmured, "Interesting."

Draco exchanged a glance with Ron and said, "Harry, Ron, Ginny… This is a first. And don't get used to it! But… I wish you success in today's game."

Ron's eyes widened. "Really!" Draco waggled his eyebrows, gestured with his head at Danny, and Ron raised his eyebrows. "Whoa. Nicely done. And thanks."

Danny was aware of _some_ undercurrent, but he couldn't fathom what it was. From what he could tell, his six closest friends were happier than he'd ever seen them in each other's company. He said cautiously, "You're welcome."

Draco smirked. "We'll leave you to collect your team. Come, Danny, we've got cloaks and scarves to attend to."

Before Danny could question the situation or voice an objection, the three older Slytherins boxed him in and herded him back to the dungeon. Once they got to the Sixth Year dormitory, Draco invaded his dark-haired friend's closet, digging out a warm woolen black cloak.

The halfa found his tongue and spluttered. "Draco! What are you doing? What's going on?"

The blond smiled. "Let's say, hmm. I believe I have a new appreciation of my new-found cousins."

Danny screwed up his face. "What?"

An amused chuckle escaped Draco's lips. "You have no idea how amazing you are. You have single-handedly made me see the value in my Gryffindor former rival. You have made it _all_ worth while."

Danny's frustration grew. "I'm glad you're getting along better with Harry. I'm not sure I deserve the credit for being your catalyst."

"Trust me – you so do."

Pained, Danny looked to Crabbe and Goyle. They weren't any help, as they shared smirks of satisfaction. Greg said, "Not to worry, mate. It's all good."

Vince snorted. "It's… nah. Don't worry about it."

Danny sighed in resignation. "Whatever." He put on the cloak, and when he had his scarf on, he gestured at it. "Would you?"

Draco nodded. "Of course." Touching his wand to Danny's scarf, he intoned, "Gryffindor!" The silver and green scarf changed to crimson and gold. He blinked. "Merlin, you even look… it's uncanny. But it's all to the good."

"Draco…"

"Listen. We have a surprise for you. But for now, meet up with Hermione. We'll join you shortly."

Danny huffed. "Fine. _Then_ will you tell me what this is about?"

The three older Slytherins shared a glance. "It's hard to explain. We just see the advantage of highlighting the use of inter-House unity." Danny looked askance. "No, really. But if you catch Granger now, you'll save us seats – I showed you the best seats in the stadium. Go get them!"

Danny shook his head and left as directed. Draco Malfoy was a bizarre mystery. He caught up with Hermione in the Entrance Hall. "Hey, Hermione!"

She blinked. "Danny… You know, if either you or Harry wore colored contacts, you could pass for identical twins?"

Some of his frustration with Draco, Crabbe, and Goyle's weirdness hit Danny. "Hermione, I kind of thought we were long past this in July."

She wondered what set Danny's teeth on edge. "I know. But… it's just that much more pronounced because you're wearing Harry's colors. I realize that Harry wore yours last game, but Harry's been here far longer. Expect to be stared at – such is Harry's life, and now, yours."

"Joy." Hermione giggled. Danny rolled his eyes. "Draco suggests that we seek out the seats we had during the Ravenclaw/Hufflepuff game."

When they found their seats, Hermione asked, "Where's Luna?"

Danny smiled proudly. "She's going to be commentating."

"You're kidding."

Danny narrowed his eyes. "Is there a problem?"

Hermione widened her eyes. The _last_ thing she wanted to do was offend Danny, and she realized how close she came to doing just that. "No, not at all. It's just… she has a unique perspective. That's not a problem, in and of itself, but…" How could she put this tactfully? "Well, whatever else it will be, Luna's commentating experience will be interesting."

Terry and Lisa sat behind them. "Harry, why aren't you…" Danny turned. "Danny. Good to see you. Where's Draco?"

Lisa murmured, "Nice save, Terry." He blushed.

"Draco's coming. I'm not sure what's on his mind, but he insisted that I come ahead of him and his buddies."

Ernie sat on Terry's other side. "I see you chose a team this time. I guess it's only fair – Harry chose yours last game." Danny nodded. "Erm… Danny, may I make a personal comment?"

Danny peaked his eyebrows. "If it's too personal, Terry gets to smack you again." Both Ravenclaws laughed.

Speaking quickly, Ernie said, "No, no. It's nothing like that. It's just that… Like on the day with the Boggart, it is very clear how very much you look like Harry. Both from behind, and at a distance."

Danny nodded. "So I've been told."

Draco finally came. "Again, I apologize for the Boggart incident."

Danny and Hermione looked up. Danny started to say, "I…"

Hermione's eyes widened. "I don't believe it." Draco, Crabbe, and Goyle wore Gryffindor scarves.

Draco took the seat on Danny's other side and smiled smugly. "Indeed. In a move almost unprecedented for decades, if not centuries, I do believe that the entirety of Slytherin will be wearing Gryffindor colors."

Terence and Tracey found seats in front of them, and Hermione sat dumbfounded. Danny saw, as various Slytherins filled in around them, that Draco was correct. "I know why _I'm_ doing it. Does this mean the cutthroat rivalry's calmed down to, like, something more reasonable?"

Tracey raised an eyebrow. "Not exactly. Well, at least not overnight."

"But…"

Terence cleared his throat. "Part of it is ditching stupidity. But a more honest representation of most of this is, ah, not so much support for Gryffindor, but anti-support for Hufflepuff."

Hermione laughed so hard she cried. Danny raised an eyebrow, and his reaction was thoroughly ignored. Hannah, Justin, and Susan found seats on Ernie's other side, and they clued in. While Zacharias found complete respite from retribution for his part in the prank on Danny, he would never completely be forgiven by Danny's friends, regardless of what Danny had to say about the matter.

Michael and Mandy brought someone with them who Danny was sure he met, but he couldn't remember. Mandy said, "Danny, I know you've heard her name, but I wanted to properly introduce you to someone who has wanted to meet you for the longest time. This is Melissa Spradt."

Danny jerked his head in recognition. "Uh, hi. Melissa, you're a Hufflepuff prefect, right?"

She nodded. "That's right. And I was right about a few things."

Danny squirmed. "I suppose."

She looked at him, turning her head this way and that, to get different perspectives of him. "Melissa?" The addressed Seventh Year didn't seem to hear him. "Can I help you?"

"No, thank you, Danny. I just…" She raised her hand to shake Danny's hand. "May I?"

Danny crinkled his brows. "Oookay."

They shook hands, and Melissa noticed the ghost had a firm handshake. "It's solid," she murmured in wonder.

Danny frowned. "I should think so. My Dad, Jack Fenton, always said that you could judge a person's character by their handshake. He had a particularly powerful grasp."

"But I didn't…"

"Miss Spradt, if you meant anything else, you should know that this isn't the time or place to discuss it."

Melissa winced at Danny's formal address, and realized she overstepped her bounds. Danny growled and muttered under his breath, "There's a reason I didn't bother to correct people when they assumed you were a liar."

Draco didn't understand Danny's sudden discomfort, but some things didn't require a firm understanding. "Miss Spradt, I don't know what you've done to upset Danny, but I'm pretty sure we can find something rather unpleasant to do to you if you don't find a seat elsewhere. Professor Masters is particularly protective of his adopted son."

Melissa paled. "I-I… right. I'll just move along, then. But it _was_ nice to finally meet you, Danny." With that, she moved off a few rows – she was far enough away to no longer give offense, but close enough so that she could observe him.

Danny melted into his seat, covering his eyes with a hand. "Oy." The last thing he needed was to be thought of as a loser who couldn't stand up for himself.

Guessing the source of his frustration, Hermione hugged him. "Not to worry, Danny. You'll be fine." She looked over at Draco and then stared up at the sky, saying, "I can't believe I'm saying this." To Danny, she said, "Nobody who matters will think less of you." Gesturing to the people immediately around them, she said, "We certainly don't."

Danny uncovered his eyes and smiled. "Thanks, guys." His eyes widened as he realized that a full three quarters of the audience was set to cheer for Gryffindor. "Whoa."

He listened as Luna announced the rosters on both teams. Once the game was on, she was interesting to listen to. As Hermione said, Luna's unique perspective wasn't particularly informative, as far as the Quiddich game at hand was concerned. It was like listening to music and watching television while the mute function was on. One had nothing to do with the other, but if either was interesting enough, it just didn't matter. And Danny really _could_ listen to Luna's sing-song voice all day.

"And that's Smith of Hufflepuff with the Quaffle," she said in her dreamy voice. "I think people forgave him for what he did to Danny, but it's hard to say for certain. Oh, look, he's lost the Quaffle, Ginny took it from him, I do like her, she's very nice…"

Professor McGonagall looked pained, and while McLaggen was disrespectful to her and Luna, he might have had a point about Luna's commentating skills.

Danny kept his eye on the Quaffle and the Snitch. Between Ginny, Katie, and Demelza, they gave Zach, Gary Cadwallader, and that other Chaser whose name Danny missed a run for their money.

Professor McGonagall interrupted Luna's lovely description of cloud formations to angrily announce the score. "It's seventy-forty, to Hufflepuff!"

"Is it, already? Well, then, it would be a good time to find the Snitch, as that would make it anyone's game. Oh, look – I think Harry's spotted it. And there he goes. He's got it now. I guess that's it, then. Hmm. That means Gryffindor won, 190 to 70. But why does that matter, when you can see the moon in the daytime sky? That isn't as common a sight for us this time of year, when we spend only enough time outdoors during the day to go to Herbology and Care of Magical Creatures. And Quidditch practice, I suppose."

Professor McGonagall took the megaphone from her.

Danny was aware of the thunderous applause that came from all quarters. He was a part of it, but… wow.

"Fenton!" Startled out of his happy frame of mind, Danny looked up. Cormac McLaggen glared at him. The last time someone said his name like that involved Dash Baxter and a 'D' on a history test.

"Can I help you?" Danny asked. He didn't have any wiggle room to get away from McLaggen.

"What do you think you're…"

Crabbe and Goyle stood up. Crabbe crossed his arms, and Goyle just stared the rude Gryffindor down, saying, "You got a problem with Fenton?"

When Cormac McLaggen came over to give Danny a hard time, as he never forgave him for being present when he failed to get on the Gryffindor team, and now that Slytherin had the gall to wear Gryffindor colors, he didn't really think through the idea that Danny was surrounded by people from all four Houses, with the preponderance coming from Slytherin. Actually, the whole of the Slytherin Quidditch team was within three rows of him.

Harper stood up, wand in hand. "You look like you could use a few hexes or jinxes. All we really need is an excuse."

McLaggen felt a chill between his shoulder blades. Between Malfoy, Granger, Macmillan, Abbot, Goldstein, and Spradt, he felt more than vindicated. "In front of all these prefects?"

Draco smiled like a cat that caught the canary, as he leaned his chin into his palm, with his elbow on the armrest. "That won't help you if the prefects are in on your punishment scheme."

"Right, then. I'll… help set up for the Gryffindor victory party, then, shall I?" Cormac backed away, and when he turned to walk faster, he yelped in pain as a Stinging Hex connected with his backside.

Hermione hugged Danny again. "Some things just don't matter. You, however, matter quite a lot to a good number of people. Don't forget that."

"I don't know how I got to be so lucky, but thanks. I won't forget."

27


	55. Chapter 55

First of all, I want to thank everyone who has stuck with me for the entirety of this journey. Your readership has left me humbled, and inspired me to write more, and – on the whole – helped me to become a better writer. I sincerely thank each and every one of you who has read, reviewed, and put this story and me on your favorite and alert lists. I cannot express sufficiently my gratitude.

This is the final chapter of this epic work. The main story arcs that I envisioned at the start of this story have come to a close. However, I have a few ideas and scenarios that were fun to think about and will be interesting to explore. I intend to put them to writing in a collection of one- and two-shot slices of life called "Continuing to Vent."

Feel free to send me suggestions. Some of them may or may not fit my vision. I don't promise to use all of them, but I'll see what I can do.

Godric's Hollow Secondary School and its Headmaster David Solomon are the creations of CaelumFelis, and they feature in her own completed Danny Phantom/Harry Potter crossover, "Walk Three Worlds."

It also explores Danny and Vlad's situation after "The Ultimate Enemy," but it has VERY different results. It is a very good story, and I highly recommend it. Further, I thank CaelumFelis for the permission to play with her school.

Olive is a real Kosher restaurant in London, advertised as Jewish Persian fare. You can find more about it at: www . olivekosherrestaurant .co . uk /

My goal was to embarrass the Durlseys, not the readers. As such, there is a glossary at the end of the chapter explaining all the different Middle-Eastern foods mentioned.

Disclaimer: I do not own _Danny Phantom_, _Harry Potter_, _A Tale of Two Cities _or _Fortune 500_.

Chapter 55

At breakfast on Sunday, March 9, Professor Dumbledore said, "Professor Masters, may I ask what you have planned for the day?"

Vlad blinked. "I had nothing special in mind. I intended to begin coming up with the midterm exams and to consider which novel to have Daniel read next. Why do you ask?"

The Headmaster nodded in thought. "If you had nothing more pressing I'd like to discuss your contract."

The half-ghost raised his eyebrows. "Indeed. When did you have in mind? With all things considered, it would be best for Daniel to attend. I realize that such things between employers and employees rarely need the input of children, but whatever decision we come to _will_ affect his more or less immediate future."

Dumbledore's eyes twinkled. "Well reasoned. Ten this morning would be perfect."

* * *

At ten, Danny and Vlad were seated in Dumbledore's office. "Care for a lemon drop?" The Headmaster smiled as both half-ghosts accepted his offer. "Very well, then. Voldemort is gone, and I can't thank you both enough for your participation.

"But you see, with him gone, the main motivation for your coming here is also gone. He no longer plagues your safety. But… Professor, as I've told you before, you are the best Defense Against the Dark Arts instructor I've had since Remus Lupin, and one of the best I've had over the course of my tenure as Headmaster.

"Your contract specifically stated your position for one year. Could I possibly prevail upon you to stay beyond that time?"

Vlad smiled, thinking of the first discussion they had in July. He keenly remembered the feeling of loss of the upper hand. Now it was clear that he truly had it back. But what should he do with it?

Sitting back, Vlad steepled his fingers. "Hmm. You're right. We _had_ come here, primarily to be in hiding, but also to give Daniel a new start after the devastation in Amity Park. But since then, I've discovered a meaningful way to earn an income – molding young minds to my own agenda. There is something rather addicting about that concept…"

"Papá!" Danny interjected.

Vlad smirked at him. "Be that as it may, my teaching of theory, psychology, history, and background is only useful to the Wizarding audience if my class is supplemented by the practical application as provided by the DA. Considering that Harry, the undisputed leader of that club, has one more year to go… In theory, I have no problem continuing for at least one more year."

Albus frowned. "What you've said makes sense. But why is it only in theory?"

Vlad raised an eyebrow. "Because I have yet to ask the opinion of the person our staying or leaving will have the most influence on. Daniel, what are your thoughts on staying here for the upcoming year?"

Danny stared at his hands in his lap for a moment. What _were_ his thoughts on the matter? "Well… We all know I'm never gonna get better at Charms. The best I could hope for is to figure out if I can make a power do the same thing a spell would. I guess the best I could do _there_ is perfect a level of subterfuge." Vlad smiled. The boy's vocabulary was growing.

"But between Astronomy, Potions, Herbology, Care of Magical Creatures, and History, I'm doing just fine. (Professor Binns has even made suggestions about extra research on Muggle history. Like… When I told him Papá and I were learning _A Tale of Two Cities_, the professor suggested certain books about the French Revolution, and stuff like that.)"

Danny sighed. "The way Papá teaches Defense, English, and math, I don't really see the need to go elsewhere to get that." Vlad's smile broadened. Daniel preferred _his_ classes to those in Casper High. It was just one more thing to bring them closer.

Danny closed his eyes. "But you know… I've made closer friends here than… well…" He opened his eyes. "No one will ever replace Sam and Tucker. But I've had a chance to share more about myself than I ever really could before. It's… I don't know. I just… feel more comfortable here." His eyes rested on his hands for a moment, and then he looked up and smiled. "It's also amazing to hang out with ghosts on a regular basis who actually _like_ me."

Professor Dumbledore's eyes twinkled. "It seems that the Wizarding World agrees with you."

The boy shrugged. "I guess. I still kinda miss computer games and things, but the people… We've got something good going on here." He thought for a moment. "You know… I think I'd like finishing out high school here." He frowned. "I'm not sure how to list this when I'll need to fill out college applications, though."

Vlad clapped a hand across his mouth to keep from laughing. While Daniel might never be the student Jasmine was, he _was_ looking forward to his future, now that he had the luxury to realize he _had_ a future. And he did work hard when he was motivated.

Professor Dumbledore chuckled. "You wouldn't be the first Hogwarts alumnus who needed a reference when applying to a Muggle university."

Danny's eyes widened. "But…"

The Headmaster smiled. "Danny, there are enterprising witches and wizards who desire to combine knowledge from the Wizarding World and the Muggle World. Professor Sinistra told me how excited you were to discover wizards worked at NASA and other international space programs. That isn't exactly _my_ area of expertise, but we certainly would not hold back a student from such a pursuit."

Danny blinked in wonder. "Really?"

"Yes, Danny."

"Then…" Danny turned to Vlad. "You were right. I really _can_ have the best of both worlds."

Vlad beamed. "Ah, my little badger. If things work out as they seem to be doing, you'll have the best of _many_ worlds."

"Um…"

Vlad chuckled and threw an arm around Danny. "So there you have it, Headmaster. We'll be here next year. Looking beyond that, though… It would be irresponsible of me to vacate a position without a prospective replacement."

Albus raised his eyebrows. His favorite DADA professor was about to surprise him again.

"While I hear that Harry Potter-Snape is training to be an Auror at present, I have it on good authority that his new father is trying to convince him that working as a professor would – in theory – give him less need to worry about hazard pay."

"Oh, dear." The wizard covered his mouth. The concept of _Harry_ taking the job as DADA professor after he graduated wasn't one he considered.

Vlad smirked, suppressing the desire to roll his eyes, as the leader of the Wizarding World – once again – missed the obvious. "Indeed. Since its inception, Harry has been an effective student teacher in the club. The boy is amazing – he is patient, firm, practiced, and he has a sense of timing not to be believed. All four Heads of House have commented that the Defense Association has the potential to be emotionally volatile, and therefore can be as dangerous as Potions often is, but Harry works with everyone such that the temptation for misbehavior is minimal.

"In other words, he has experience, skills in time management, classroom management, and lesson planning, and he has patience – at least, when it comes to teaching. If you convince him that the paperwork is worth the effort, you may very well have a teacher of whom your students will be in awe for many years to come. After all, he is _still_ the resident celebrity, and he has the most important thing that… Lockhart, was it? Didn't have: integrity."

Albus smiled. "Professor, you never cease to amaze me. With one fell swoop, you have filled many of my needs and given me a hint of how to fulfill a few desires. Now, I'll have to schedule an appointment with the Snapes to see about setting _that_ in motion, if Harry is willing."

Vlad tightened his arm around Danny and smiled at the Headmaster. "Then I've accomplished my current goal."

* * *

Wednesday morning, a parliament of unfamiliar owls descended on the Head table in addition to the regular subscriptions and correspondence. Severus was surprised by his unexpected owl. He fed the bird a strip of bacon and relieved him of his missive.

_Dear Severus,_

_ I have further cause to celebrate – at long last, I found a full-time job! I'd like a chance to meet you in Hogsmeade for lunch this Saturday. It would give me great pleasure if both you and Vlad came._

_ Once again, thank you for all you have done for me – especially for making me see common sense!_

_Sincerely,_

_Remus_

Severus stroked his chin. "Interesting."

Vlad's eyes lit up. "This _is_ good news!"

Professor Dumbledore looked up. "May I ask what?" He hadn't opened his letter on that matter, yet.

The half-ghost smiled. "Remus Lupin has found a full-time job! He hasn't given a hint to what or where it is, or for whom."

The Headmaster's eyes twinkled. "That _is_ good news, indeed."

Minerva looked to Filius, Pomona, and others whose eyes softened or brightened. "Apparently, he's sent us all the good news, and gratitude for support all these years."

Severus gave no hint of his surprise that no one besides himself, and presumably Vlad, received an invitation to lunch. Then he rolled his eyes; perhaps this was the werewolf's way of reaching out. He wanted to be _friends_.

Then he thought. Without the Marauders, Remus _was_ a decent sort. Further, considering Harry, Vlad, and Daniel, they seemed to appreciate the wolf. Perhaps… Perhaps he could be friends with Lupin. He would schedule time to knock his head against the wall later.

* * *

Vlad and Severus met Remus in the Three Broomsticks. Once they found his table, they seated themselves. Vlad beamed. "Remus! Congratulations!"

The werewolf smiled. "Thank you kindly."

Severus raised an eyebrow. "So what is this full-time job you found?"

"It's a position as a teacher in a secondary school."

Vlad said, "I'm very glad for you. Every professor says that you are the yardstick of quality instruction, particularly in Defense. But how did you get it? Where did you get it?"

Remus grinned sheepishly. "My beloved Dora reminded me of many things that I already knew, but lost as a focus. First (and I really can't thank her enough for this), that for whatever _else _I am, I am a _man_ first and foremost. And that my skills and knowledge don't disappear because some people choose to ignore such things."

He sighed as resignation settled on him. "The Ministry objects strongly to me having a job around wizard children. They don't care at all if I got a job teaching Muggles and Squibs."

Severus flushed in shame, and said quietly, "Of course they wouldn't: second-class citizens, all of you, as far as wizards are concerned."

Remus rejoined wryly, "The joys of being considered non-human, and a Dark creature at that."

The Potions Master widened his eyes, as this was the first time he could remember the man referring to his lycanthropy without shame, self-loathing, or acceptance of society's judgment against him for being a Dark creature. Then he closed his eyes as he painfully recalled Daniel's words.

"It wasn't until recently that such was brought to my attention. It's only been three years, but it must have been a lifetime of hardships I've unleashed against you." He squeezed his eyes shut tighter. "Can you forgive me for revealing your secret?"

Vlad blinked. That was an interesting change he didn't see coming.

Remus smiled. "Considering that you've managed to forgive me for our childhood, I'm certain that I can and will." They shook hands as if they had met for the first time.

Vlad asked, "So where do you teach? What subject are you planning on teaching?"

"In Godric's Hollow, there's a secondary school for Muggles and Squibs. The headmaster is a wizard, and he was impressed that I had taught at Hogwarts. He's managed to keep the students educated without necessarily forgetting their heritage, whatever it may be.

"Headmaster David Solomon knows I'm a werewolf, and without batting an eye, he told me that full moons are what substitute teachers were for. He asked me if I was in contact with a Potions Master, or if he could recommend someone. I was honored to be able to give him your name, Severus.

"But enough about that. Next September, I'll be starting my full curriculum. But immediately after Spring Break, I'll be teaching an after-school elective twice a week to Squib children and students with the headmaster's permission about magical plants and creatures. These students are still part of the Wizarding World, even though it is in a much more limited fashion. Not all of them can be like Argus and Arabella, in the thick of things, but that's no reason to be ignorant of their world.

"But as I said, I'll be starting my full curriculum next September. I'm going to be teaching biology and astronomy, two subjects I'm more than qualified to teach."

Severus raised an eyebrow. "Not chemistry?"

Remus laughed. "The headmaster suggested I take a course in chemistry at a university. The Muggle names for many things are very different than you might imagine, Severus. Or not. I really don't know what your background is in the Muggle sciences."

Vlad smirked. "Biology and Astronomy. That's what I told the people at Wisconsin Child Welfare Services that Daniel was learning at Hogwarts: Botany, Chemistry, and Astronomy."

"Indeed. And I'm intimately knowledgeable about things involving humans and canines, of course, as well as deer, felines, and rodents. Plants are another area I've got a handle on. I may need a refresher on simply Muggle plants and creatures."

Vlad sat back. "I can certainly help you there. I have all of my college textbooks and quite a bit beyond." He looked up and noticed people at neighboring tables. "Severus, if you don't mind…"

The addressed wizard raised his eyebrows and cast _Muffliato_.

Vlad nodded. "Thank you for that. As I was saying… You may be an unusual creature, Remus, but I was absolutely unique for about twenty years. I had to have a crash course (but a disciplined self-directed study) on all things biology, and to relearn how my simple body chemistry interacted with the world, sometimes on a molecular level."

Remus smiled, pained. Vlad tilted his head. "If you like, I can lend you any text you care to see. Towards the middle of the summer…" He covered his mouth with a hand. "Oh, my. It just dawned on me. How would you like to come to the Ghost Zone? I have to schedule Daniel for a pediatric check-up (I've been concerned about his growth pattern, you see), and the creatures involved… well, they've studied biology for centuries."

Remus scratched his head. "I would love to. But we've studied biology for centuries, too."

"Ah, yes. But these people are probably as old as their studies. Such is the nature of ghosts."

Severus sat up. "This would be fascinating. These would be those yeti-like ghosts you said were from the Far Frozen." Lupin's eyes widened with surprise – he hadn't known what to expect to come from this conversation, but Snape's obvious familiarity with this topic left him speechless.

Severus chuckled. "Harry might get a kick out of seeing a literal royal fuss made over someone else." Vlad laughed heartily. Daniel might not be happy with the amusement to be had at his expense, but the more Vlad thought this through, the more he liked the idea.

Remus peaked his eyebrows. This was an arsenal of resources suddenly made available to him. He remembered the last time something even vaguely similar happening, James had offered…

He cleared his throat. "Speaking of Danny and Harry, this puts me in mind of another project I've undertaken." He rolled his eyes. "With the Ministry's blessing, of course. Between my correspondence with both boys, I've come to realize a real need the Wizarding Community has, and I've found a way to fill that need."

Severus tilted his head, and thought, 'I have to hear this.'

"When Harry rejoined the Wizarding World, Hagrid brought him his letter, took him to Diagon Alley, and took him shopping. While poor Hagrid was blindsided by the sheer lack of information Harry started with, the fact is that all Muggle-born or Muggle-raised students could be better acclimated to the Wizarding World if someone took the time to explain things to them.

"Danny got over a month's introduction to his subjects. But the House Ghosts and Myrtle, and to a slightly lesser degree (for not having known Danny's secrets) Harry, Ron, and Hermione, helped to bring Danny to a place where he could more or less fit in seamlessly with even the purebloods in Slytherin.

"After having listened to the student complaints, both as a student and during my year as a professor, it occurred to me that the biggest divide between Muggle-borns and purebloods (besides the historical prejudices) is the cultural difference. If someone took the time to fill in that gap, to explain a bit about how the Ministry works, the money, modes of transportation, owl post, the most common magical creatures they'd be likely to see, some everyday uses for magic once they're old enough to use magic as a convenience, some career choices and leisure activities common for witches and wizards, and the like… The students would come in far better prepared.

"The course could take two weeks, and I'd schedule those weeks perhaps in August, around the waning of the moon." He sighed again. "Professor Dumbledore is thrilled, and with the current anti-werewolf laws on the books, a two-week course for Muggle-borns and –raised children (another population the Ministry… cares less about than others) is exactly what the Ministry will allow. It's a backhanded gesture from the Ministry, but it could be an invaluable opportunity for the students involved. And Albus would pay me, as I'd be performing a service for Hogwarts students.

"Now, all that needs to be done is to find a location and venue. We're aiming for somewhere in Hogsmeade." He laughed as a thought occurred to him. "Perhaps we could renovate and reappropriate the Shrieking Shack. We'll tell the local residents that we've exorcised the evil ghosts of the past. Considering that I'm the only one who 'haunted' the shack, it would be wonderfully ironic."

Both Severus and Vlad stared incredulously. "Remus, that's brilliant," breathed Severus. "Who proposed this idea?"

Remus squared his shoulders proudly. "I did. Once Dora got me thinking of ways to use my talents by thinking 'outside the box,' certain things just clicked into place. Albus said that he never wanted to lose me, and I… well, circumventing ridiculous laws is always an interesting game and a puzzle worth figuring out, especially when staying within the confines of the reported manifest truth."

Severus smirked. "How positively Slytherin of you."

"From you, I'll take that as a compliment."

"Good – it was meant as one."

Vlad thought for a moment. "It occurs to me that this two-week course could benefit the parents as well as the students." He crossed his arms in amusement. "You are sharing your magic and knowledge with Muggles all over the place, with the Ministry's blessing, no less. There is just something so… satisfying about dismantling the purpose of the prejudice with nothing more than education and communication. Well done, Remus. Well done."

The werewolf blushed and smiled. "I'm glad you approve."

Vlad beamed again. "This is cause for celebration. And you have so much to celebrate."

Severus released the Privacy Spell so Madam Rosmerta could take their orders. Once she left, he recast the spell and said, "Remus – you've pulled together a life for yourself that practically bypasses the entire system."

"I've had a lot of help and encouragement from those both in and out of the system. And my Dora…" Remus sighed happily. The joy Tonks brought him on so many different levels defied description.

Vlad steepled his hands in front of his face in thought. "Remus, what kind of plans do you have for your wedding?"

Lupin blinked. "I hadn't really thought too much about it. Between the both of us, we don't have… well, we are planning something small."

Vlad frowned. "Hmm… Is your decision to keep it small a function of your desired guest list or your financial resources?"

Remus looked up sharply. "Why?" His lack of funds was a sore point – that was Dora's parents' only real objection to him as their daughter's suitor.

The half-ghost raised his hands to fend off his friend's anger. "It's not what you might imagine. If money is the only obstacle… let that be part of my wedding present to you. As of this moment, money is no longer an issue for you. Your wish list for your guest list, catering halls or other venues, bands to play, honeymoon resorts, and anything else you can imagine is all at your finger tips." Vlad raised an eyebrow. "For this function, your and Dora's wishes are my command."

Remus's eyes went wide. "Vlad… Why would you do that?"

Severus raised both eyebrows. "Yes, Vlad, why _would_ you do that?"

Vlad sighed contentedly. "Because I can. You are my friend. It took me to bear the loss of the truest friends I've ever had to appreciate what I lost. And despite knowing my… less than savory character, you've given me nothing but support, good cheer, and good advice in all things, from teaching to handling my relationship with Daniel. I suppose you could call it a token of my gratitude and appreciation."

It took a few moments for Remus to reconnect his mouth with his brain. "You don't have to…"

"It's not a matter of 'have to'. I _want_ to. It would make me happy to make you happy."

"I… I don't know what to say."

Vlad looked at Remus earnestly. "Say 'yes'."

Severus sat back. "That is a remarkable value you put on friendship, Vlad."

"Indeed. And I have no intention of taking such things for granted ever again."

Remus thought feverishly – if Vlad could make _his_ dreams come true, he could attempt the return of the favor for his friends. Within a few of what would become his new social circles, he could endeavor to find ladies to give Vlad and Severus the happiness he found in Dora. It would take time, but he was determined…

Severus sighed. Vlad's magnanimity to Remus was well and good, but _he_ was the one who overcame his fear and pride to offer the man his friendship.

Catching the dark man's expression, Vlad said, "And don't think I've forgotten my other friend. I intend to give you deep satisfaction, I think beyond your imagination." Severus raised his eyebrows. "Now that life is a bit more settled, I'll ask you again. What are your plans with Harry for Easter Break?"

Severus had no idea what Vlad had in mind. "Nothing, yet."

Vlad took on a feral smile that made a chill tingle on the backs of both of his friends and tablemates. "Then I think you'll appreciate what I've come up with." He nodded at Remus. "We'll have the Easter holiday to celebrate together, but my plan is far too close to the full moon for you to be a part of it. But I'm sure we can show you the incident via… Pensieved memories, right?"

Severus gave him a sidelong glance. "Right. What did you have in mind?"

* * *

On Monday, March 24, at 10:45 in the morning, Vernon Dursley brought his small family to King's Cross Station to wait for the arrival of Vlad Masters. Vernon and Dudley were dressed in their best suits and ties, and Petunia wore her best cocktail dress and a necklace of pearls.

Dudley asked, "Isn't this a rather odd place to meet a world-famous billionaire?"

Petunia gushed, "Not now, Popkin."

He shrugged a shoulder. "I just feel really overdressed to be in a train station."

Vernon cleared his throat and brushed down his suit jacket with his hands. "Who can know why Mr. Masters would choose to act as he does? He's famous and a billionaire. He has the power and money to do whatever he likes. I don't know that there's anyone who could tell him 'no' about anything, once he gets it in his head to do something."

'I like the way you think,' Vlad thought. That tape recorder of his had fresh batteries and he had more than enough tape for his purposes.

The Dursleys stood between Platforms 9 and 10, looking self-important. Vernon waved off a conductor who asked his business.

Once they were properly distracted, Vlad materialized with his arm around Danny's shoulders. "Ah, right on time. I have high regard for someone who takes his responsibilities seriously."

The Dursleys spun to face the American. Vernon cried, "Mr. Masters! I'm sorry – I didn't see you there. It's an honor to finally meet you, face to face. Today is a proud day for the Dursley family, and I'm glad to have this opportunity. I've been meaning to ask you: how come you chose _here_ to meet, of all places?"

Vlad shrugged. "It helps to visit places unexpected and unannounced, or I would be mobbed by the media."

The Dursleys' faces fell, as they thought this meeting would give them their fifteen minutes of fame.

"This way, our meeting will be much more intimate."

Vernon was mollified and took note of Masters' companion. "And this…" He glanced at the short, thin boy with a mop of black hair, narrowed his eyes, and spat, "You!"

Danny raised an eyebrow at Vernon, and Vlad took umbrage. "Mr. Dursley, do you have a problem with my son?"

The large man noticed that the boy in question had no glasses or scar on his forehead. He stammered and eventually eked out, "No, not at all, Mr. Masters. I didn't realize you had a son. Right charming lad you have there. My mistake. I had him confused with…" He cleared his throat, displaying his distaste. "Someone else."

Vlad tapped his chin for a moment. "Hmm. A lithe young man with raven-colored hair, intelligent, skilled, with impeccable manners and values… Yes. It's easy to confuse my son with another young man who shares these features. Quite the charming fellow."

With that, Vlad raised an eyebrow and nodded at Danny, who released Harry's invisibility as he let go of his wrist. "You must have thought of my favorite nephew, Harry."

Harry wore a dark suit and tie that matched the set Danny wore. "Uncle Vernon, Aunt Petunia, Dudley," Harry said politely, nodding his head at each in greeting.

Vernon temporarily lost the power of speech as his jaw dropped. Dudley shifted nervously – he was torn between wanting to hide from 'that funny stuff' and making a good impression on Mr. Masters, and he recognized they already had a strike against them because Dad yelled at Mr. Masters' son.

Petunia, on the other hand, shrieked in her anger. "You! How dare you do that…"

Vlad cleared his throat. "Madam, you are causing a scene."

Petunia quickly reined in her temper, but said, "Mr. Masters, you… you're not one of _them_, are you?"

He looked at both boys. "A dark-haired individual? Actually, I was. I still have pictures from my college days. It prematurely went white, but I see nothing wrong with that."

Petunia realized she couldn't mention the freak's unnaturalness in a public place, and she realized the impression they were making was deteriorating quickly. She cleared her throat and tried again. "You called _him_," she gestured dismissively with her head, "your favorite nephew. I know for a fact that he _has_ no biological family left…" It felt bitter on her tongue, but she somehow felt compelled to add, "But me."

Vlad raised an elegant eyebrow at her. "First of all, Madam, the boy has a name. Such manners you have! Considering Harry's sterling character, I guess it's no credit to you, who raised him." The indignant 'O' formed by her mouth was so precious to behold, both Harry and Danny vibrated with self-controlled mirth, working hard not to laugh. "After all, he shows all the marks of good breeding. I have yet to see you behave properly towards him."

She turned red with fury, but said nothing in response.

Vlad was enjoying himself enormously. "But in answer to your question, between my son and I, we've seen fit to welcome him into our family, as my nephew and Daniel's cousin."

Vernon was still waiting to see what about him was worthy of Vlad Masters' attention, so he couldn't unleash his tongue against the freak, who the powerful billionaire had inexplicably taken a shine to.

Petunia, who realized that any opportunity for that good impression she sought to make was dead and gone, simply sneered. "I noticed that you like _Harry_ so much, you didn't bother to adopt him as your son."

Vlad laughed darkly. "Oh, dear woman. It's not a lack of affection that stayed my hand in this matter, but a lack of opportunity. The guardianship of this treasure of a boy was already snapped up."

She screwed up her face in a harsh disbelieving glare. "By who?"

Severus pulled off Harry's Invisibility Cloak. "By me, you harridan."

Petunia opened her mouth in outrage. She had no words to put together.

"So good to see you, too, Tuney. And not a moment too soon, I see." He wrapped a protective arm around Harry, and looked down at him. "Perhaps many years too late, but… better late than never, son. You are so very worth having."

Harry glowed with pleasure at the compliment, but a tear escaped each eye. His Dad's words were those he had longed to hear from his mother's sister and family since the day he showed up on their doorstep.

Danny put a comforting hand on Harry's shoulder and glared at Dudley. Dudley, the eldest and biggest of the three teenagers, wasn't quite sure what to do.

Vernon wanted to know who caused this reaction in his beloved wife. "Petunia, who is this man?"

Severus answered. "I am Severus Snape, a professor at Harry's very prestigious school. I'm the leading expert in my field. I also happened to grow up in the same neighborhood as Petunia and Lily.

"I was not fortunate enough to win Lily's hand, but I've been blessed with the opportunity to claim her son as my own."

Vernon turned purple. "Then… you're a freak, too. How dare you come and intrude upon this… family gathering?"

Vlad glared. "He is my very good friend, best friend, in fact, and favorite uncle to my son, although Remus is a close second." Severus grinned. He hadn't been a best friend to anyone in a _very_ long time.

Vlad frowned. "So, let's see… You've managed to verbally assault my son, my favorite nephew, my best friend… I imagine you'll find something personal about me, too, so you'll insult the whole set."

Vernon was very unsettled. Vlad Masters – _the_ Vlad Masters – had come all the way from America and singled him and his family out for an intimate appointment. He _still_ didn't know why, and was duly flattered. But for some reason, Vlad Masters favored _the boy_ and his teacher from that freak school.

One of those odd people showed up at his house to get his and Petunia's signatures for one of those freaks to take guardianship of the boy, and Vernon thought he was well shut of the boy, _his_ crowd, and their unnaturalness.

But it was Vlad Masters that brought the boy back into the Dursleys' lives. Here was a world-class celebrity, conservative in his ways and politics (or so he heard – it was over in the States and had no real meaning for him). If Vlad Masters had that unnaturalness in him, Vernon would expose that, and _he_ would be famous for uncovering the scandal.

With shrewd eyes observing the celebrity, Vernon asked, "Mr. Masters, are you a… a wizard?" Harry gasped. Severus shook his head – they were watching a master manipulator at work.

A chipper smile graced the billionaire's lips. "A wizard, Mr. Dursley? I do believe _Fortune 500_ said I was a wizard concerning finances and technology. But if you were referring to the amazing skill set of my best friend and my favorite nephew, unfortunately I have nothing of _that_ sort about me. They can work a magic of sorts that I can only dream of."

Danny had to cover his mouth to stop the laughter. Papá was good, but Danny had _no clue_ how good he was.

Sensing the fever pitch of embroiled emotions in the stew he aimed to create, Vlad clapped his hands in delight. All eyes flew to him, who looked at Harry and said, "Now pay attention, Harry. As a celebrity, you'll need to know how to accomplish certain things. Watch how this is done."

Eyeing the group, the elder half-ghost grinned. "Now that we're all here, I say it's time for lunch. Mmmm… I'm in the mood for something exotic. How about something… Persian? Yes, I know just the place. It was highly recommended to me by one of my favorite, most traditional business associates here in London."

Harry, Danny, and Severus blinked. That was an interesting way to put it, and they were already primed on what to expect, in a general way.

Vernon, who had too many shocks to his system, remembered his hatred for all things different, and while he heard that the rich and famous had a tendency to be eccentric, he was quite sure that didn't usually cover things… magical. Masters said he wasn't a wizard, but considering his taste in 'friends,' Vernon couldn't be too sure about that type of thing.

"Is it a _normal_ place?"

Vlad grinned dangerously. Danny knew that if he were the recipient of _that look_, he would have flown as fast as he could as far away as he could get. "It is as normal a place as I can imagine. Normal, but not ordinary. Extraordinary and exotic, if you're not used to that type of thing. But if you're not adventurous enough to try for the ethnic, they do have a few more… I suppose you might consider them 'standard options.' Either way, I think you're in for a culinary treat."

Severus smirked. He might not know the details Vlad had on tap, but the results were guaranteed to be interesting. "So, Vlad, where are we going?"

"There's a wonderful place on Regents Park Road in Finchley called Olive."

Dudley shook his head to clear it of all this weirdness. "The Olive Garden is an Italian restaurant, not Persian."

Vlad smiled indulgently at him. "So true. But we're not going to the Olive Garden. We're going to Olive. Since it's in a different neighborhood, I've taken the liberty of hiring a limousine to take us there."

All six of Vlad's soon to be dining companions were fun to observe, as the lifestyle of the rich and famous was thrilling and new to them. Vlad had the pleasure of watching three excited teenagers play with the power windows and explore the other features to be found. Daniel would be acclimatized to such things in time, but it was still all very new for the boy.

Watching the adults with him was also interesting. Petunia and Vernon were proud of 'their Dudders,' ignoring the fact that the sixteen-year-old cringed when he was sure his mother wasn't watching. They looked pained by the fact that Harry was having as much fun as their boy was.

Severus alternately glared at the senior Dursleys for the knowledge of what they did to Harry and grinned, thinking of the fate to befall them. And the best part was that fate would be stultifyingly 'normal.'

When they arrived, Danny and the wizards noticed the word 'Kosher' on the awning. That was all the preparation they had for Vlad's presentation. They entered, and the greeter, a gentleman wearing a dark suit and a black suede yarmulka nodded at Vlad. "Mr. Masters, you reserved the upstairs for a private party at 11:30. Two families are finishing up. The room will be ready in about five minutes."

"Thank you. Very good. That will be fine." Vlad's party of seven stepped away from the doorway, allowing other patrons to enter and exit. They had the time and leisure to observe the other patrons.

Some of the men wore dress shirts and slacks, with four sets of strings playing about their waists and knitted, nylon, or suede head coverings. Some of the men had chest-length beards, knee-length black coats with belts that wrapped several times around, and tall, furry hats. Some of the men wore neatly trimmed beards, dark suits, and black fedoras, with a lock of hair wrapped around each ear.

Most of the women and girls wore neat dresses with high necks that were at least calf-length, and covered their arms below the elbow, or skirt and blouse sets that were similarly modest. Some wore their hair down, some wore their hair in braids. Some women wore hats that covered their hair. Some women wore snoods. Others wore cloths tied around their heads, with what seemed to be a wreath crowning the cloth.

Vernon scowled. "Mr. Masters, I thought you said this place was normal. All these people are…"

Vlad raised his eyebrows and a hand, and cut him off. "They are _Jews_, Mr. Dursley. Fascinating. You aren't just anti-magic and imagination. Apparently, you're anti-Semitic as well. How… disappointing. Unfortunately, it is rather unsurprising."

Danny frowned. Sam was Jewish, and he realized that Harry's natural uncle would have disliked her for no better reason than he hated Harry: a baseless prejudicial hatred. When they got to King's Cross Station, Danny didn't think he could form a lower opinion of Vernon. He was wrong.

When they were led to their private room, they saw that the room could have seated a much larger party. As it was, there was a table set for seven, in the middle of the light, airy room. The Dursleys sat on one side and the others sat facing them.

The waiter gave them menus, and Vlad said, "Give us a few minutes. We'll need a moment to familiarize my guests with the menu."

"Very good, sir." With that, they were left alone.

The menu was a puzzlement to everyone but Vlad. It was in English, but the Persian or other Middle-Eastern names were listed first. Danny was able to pick out what falafel * was, but the _Mirza Ghasemi_ * threw him through a loop. The explanation of what it was didn't help, until he asked someone what an 'aubergine' was; it turned out to be eggplant.

Vernon stared at the list of salads and starters. "Look here, Mr. Masters. I can't figure out what I'm looking at."

With a genteel nod, Vlad said, "Mr. Dursley, the descriptions are right in front of you."

Blowing a frustrated breath, Vernon complained, "You said there were… more standard options."

"And so there are. There's mixed salad, olives, gherkins. The mixed pickles are a delightful potpourri of pickled vegetables. Chips, you know. Chicken soup… there are plenty of options."

Vernon thought that all of those options sounded rather light. "A proper English starter is black pudding. That's what I'd like."

Vlad sighed. "That's not on the menu, Mr. Dursley. On this bill of fare, you will find nothing with blood – the primary ingredient for black pudding – in it." He rolled his eyes in thought. "And you'll find nothing pork-based, either."

Severus, Harry, and Danny explored the menu curiously and settled on various salads with names that were generally unfamiliar to them. Petunia scanned the menu, but said nothing.

Dudley ignored the starters for the moment and eyed the mains. The only things he recognized immediately were the fish – salmon or sea bass, lamb chops, and rib steak. The _kebab e barre_ * looked too weird to deal with. "I'd like a cheese burger."

Raising an eyebrow at the young man, Vlad explained, "Dudley, there's nothing dairy here. I'm sure they can prepare a burger for you, but there will be no cheese."

"But it says there's ice cream for dessert, and that's dairy!"

"No, Dudley. The only ice cream served here is made from soy or rice-based products. There is nothing in this entire establishment that would be served with actual milk. Even if you take milk in your coffee or tea, I promise you it would only be a non-dairy creamer."

Danny and the Snapes sat back, enjoying their education for this culinary experience. The Dursleys became increasingly frustrated with the unfamiliarity of everything they saw.

Vlad sat back and crossed his arms, wearing a superior smirk aimed across the table. "Forgive me, but it appears that I've embarrassed you."

He snapped his fingers and then raised one. "Aha! That's it. Perhaps it is your embarrassment at your lack of inter-cultural dining experience that explains why you've not taken Harry out to eat before."

Harry and the Dursleys jumped in shock – this was a turn in conversation none of them anticipated.

Vernon blustered, "What? No, how could you…"

Vlad frowned and cut him off again. "Then I fail to see the difficulty. I can tell from the make of your finery that a lack of money wouldn't have been a source of embarrassment." He stared off to the side for a moment. "Madam Dursley, were you worried for the table manners of your husband and son? No?"

He stroked his beard. "I truly don't understand it. You couldn't _possibly_ be ashamed of Harry. There's no fault in him to be embarrassed about. And my sources are accurate – you've never taken Harry out to dine."

Harry's eyes widened as he realized what Uncle Vlad intended to do. He turned to Danny and mouthed, 'Is he really going to…' Danny nodded and patted Harry's hand.

Vernon cleared his throat. Enough talk about the boy – he wanted to get down to brass tacks. "Mr. Masters, in your initial letter to me, you told me that you wanted to discuss my handling of my intimate responsibilities. What about my business practice did you want to discuss?"

Vlad sneered. "You incompetent moron. Whatever gave you the idea I wanted to talk to you about your work in Grunnings? The intimate responsibilities I brought you here to discuss have to do with _Harry!_"

Vernon and Petunia blanched and cringed. They had no idea what to expect, but they suddenly realized that this meeting wasn't geared to be the honor they imagined it to be.

Harry trembled – he'd never seen Vlad angry before. The way he reprimanded the Slytherins _sans_ Danny about the werewolf letters was _nothing_ compared to this.

Danny patted his hand again, but Severus put his hand on Harry's shoulder. "Now would be a capital time for the three of you to look out the window. The adults have begun the business part of this meeting. You'll know when it's over."

Dudley looked at his mother, who said stiffly, "Dudley, go join them." The three teenagers got up and once they stepped away from the table, Severus cast _Muffliato_.

The boys walked over to the leaded window. It served more as a light source than a portal to view the outside. After they looked at the vases and flowers, they looked at each other. Danny put an arm around Harry's shoulder. "I don't know the details Papá has up his sleeve, but I can tell you that they've had this long time coming."

Harry shrugged uncomfortably. "Maybe." He _knew_ that the way the Dursleys treated him was wrong, and being adopted by Dad would have ended that. The idea that someone would tell them off for how wrong they were never really occurred to him.

Even Professor Dumbledore's words last summer didn't look like they would help. It was a gentle admonition, if anything. The tongue-lashing Uncle Vlad was giving them was anything _but_ gentle. Dad let Uncle Vlad take the more active role here, but it was clear that as much as Uncle Vlad was in control, Dad was on the same page.

Dudley looked at Harry and Danny and recognized that they cared about each other like brothers. They even _looked_ like brothers. He thought about what Mr. Masters said: 'Between my son and I, we've seen fit to welcome him into our family.' Between himself and his parents, Dudley realized that the Dursleys _never_ made Harry feel welcome.

He watched what appeared to be silent gesticulating at the table and gulped. "I guess Mr. Masters and Mr. Snape are angry with Mum and Dad."

Danny rounded on Dudley and stepped closer, putting himself between Dudley and Harry. "No, ya think? And _I'm_ not thrilled with what you've done to Harry either. My big sister loved me and protected me, sometimes a bit _too_ much. You used your size and your age to _bully_ Harry at every turn. You and your gang created 'Harry-hunting' against your younger, smaller cousin. What kind of animal are you?"

Dudley was stuck between wanting to apologize to Harry and wanting to put this kid who was even smaller than Harry in his place.

"And what do you think you're gonna do about it?" Harry raised his eyebrows. He could see Dudley wrestling with himself, and his bullying nature won out.

Danny realized that all of the Dursleys were aware of wizards and magic. They would not necessarily know about Danny and Vlad being ghosts, but showing off an unexpected power wouldn't go too far amiss.

Danny raised an eyebrow and crossed his arms (and Harry was remarkably reminded of Uncle Vlad) and said, "I _do_ believe that last time I was tested, I could lift eight thousand pounds."

Dudley blinked and shook his head in disbelief. "So you can steal a lot of money."

Harry took a shallow, audible breath and explained, "No, Dudley. That means that Danny can bench-press four tons of weight. Dad and Uncle Vlad have seen it with their own eyes. That is several thousand kilos more than I can imagine lifting with magic. And Danny doesn't need magic to do it."

Dudley gulped. He couldn't remember an act of bullying that went so badly wrong since… since… two summers ago, when… well, he couldn't rightly say what happened, but he felt like he'd never be happy again. And the things he was forced to remember…

He sighed. "Right then." He studied one of the vases for a moment, thinking of what was going on at their table. He avoided looking at Danny and turned back to Harry. "You know, I've been thinking about the things your professor said this summer. And… I guess I always kinda knew it was wrong. But Mum and Dad…" He glanced back up at the table, and his parents seemed to be between furious and cowed.

Dudley shrugged. "I've got no good excuse. Even before Mr. Masters said all those things, I just wanted… It's far too little, far too late, but I just wanted to say I'm sorry, Harry."

Harry widened his eyes and raised his eyebrows. That was… unexpected. He looked to Danny for a cue, but Danny just covered his eyes and shook his head, muttering, "Just two seconds away from a life-time of payback."

Harry peaked his eyebrows. "You really mean that, Dud?"

Dudley looked Harry in the eye. "Yeah, I do. I kinda had in mind to take you tea in the summer when you got back, and stuff. But you're not coming back, are you?"

"No, I'm not. I'm going to be living with Professor Snape, my newly adopted father. Oddly enough, he said that his decision to become my guardian started because he couldn't believe all of you _didn't_ want me. So he decided that _he_ did."

Dudley looked pained. Danny threw an arm around Harry's shoulder again. "Well, _we_ want you, Harry."

"Thanks, Danny." Harry gave Danny a warm smile. Dudley felt left out, but he had no one but himself to blame.

Dudley rubbed the back of his neck, which made Harry blink with surprise. "So, will we ever see you again?"

Harry gulped. "Probably not Uncle Vernon and Aunt Petunia. But you? Probably, if you want to."

Dudley smiled shyly and Danny sighed, "Everyone deserves a second chance." Then he glared up at the senior Dursleys. "But they've run out of chances."

Dudley nodded. "Even I can see that. Harry, what did Mr. Masters mean when he said that you were a celebrity?"

Harry took a breath. "On the night that my parents died, the evil wizard who killed them tried to kill me, too. But something went wrong with his plans, and the spell backfired. He was out of commission for at least ten years after that."

Dudley nodded. "That's what the giant who gave me the pigtail said."

Danny jerked his head. "He did _what_?"

"He pointed his umbrella at me, and I sprouted a pig's tail that poked a hole in my trousers. The day we dropped Harry off at King's Cross so he could go to that fr-, um, magic school, Mum and Dad took me to a surgeon here in London to have the tail removed." Danny covered his mouth, but couldn't hide his laughter. "It's not funny! It hurt to sit down for days afterwards." Danny laughed harder.

Dudley frowned, but with all things considered, he couldn't do anything about it.

When Danny's laughter subsided, Harry continued his story. "Yeah, well… Because the evil wizard disappeared and was out of power, I became famous in the Wizarding World. While I was your favorite punching bag," Dudley cringed in remorse. "I was being touted by the public in the Wizarding World as 'the Boy Who Lived'." Harry rolled his eyes. "My parents were killed, and I somehow became famous for not dying when they did."

Dudley's face contorted in emotional pain. How many times did Mum, Dad, Aunt Marge, or Dudley himself tell Harry that it would have been better if he would have died along with his parents?

"So, when Hagrid brought me back to the Wizarding World, you might imagine my surprise that I went from 'zero to hero' just for existing. I've discovered that books were written about my defeat of Voldemort, and I was a household name."

Danny interrupted. "Really?"

"Yeah, and Hermione read them all. She once said that if it were her, she would have made sure to learn all about it. While I appreciate her interest, such a thing was kinda hard to do when I was forbidden to ever ask questions."

Dudley covered his eyes. The discovery of exactly HOW badly they treated Harry just got better and better.

Harry rolled his eyes. "Yeah, well, about this fame business… I didn't ask for it. I didn't want it. I just wanted a chance to be _normal_, and not a _freak_." Dudley winced again, keeping his eyes covered.

Danny raised his eyebrows and thought, 'That's interesting, and yet another similarity between us.'

Harry scoffed, "It was complicated and annoying." Dudley uncovered his eyes. Whatever followed couldn't possibly be his fault. After all, _he_ never annoyed Harry about being a celebrity. "Especially when the Wizarding newspapers decided I was front page news, whether they liked me or hated me."

Dudley nodded. The tabloids were full of gossip about the stars of his favorite movies, and both good and bad news got them on the front page as well.

Harry sighed. "I guess that Uncle Vlad wanted me to pay attention – he's a celebrity, as you well know. But he intended to use his power of influence to get what he wanted. If he's going to get all kinds of attention, he can control what kind of attention he gets, based on his choices." He thought for a moment. "I don't know that I would use my fame in quite that way, but the concept is that it's a skill. It would be my choice in how to use it."

Danny blinked. "Yeah, Papá would say so, too."

Dudley thought again, and Harry cocked his head. It was an expression he wasn't used to seeing on his large cousin's face. "You've been calling Mr. Masters 'Uncle Vlad.' If you're, somehow, Danny's cousin, would that make Mr. Masters my uncle, too?"

Danny raised his eyebrows. The same logic that made him and Harry cousins, and made Danny and Draco cousins, would, in theory, make Danny and Dudley… he sighed. "Kind of. But I'd wait until you've been given permission to try it out."

Danny's jaw dropped as a thought occurred to him. "Harry, I wonder what Draco would say if he knew that, through this complicated thought process, that he would be as related to Dudley as I am, if not a bit closer?"

"Oh, my. I hadn't thought of that."

Dudley furrowed his brows. "Who's Draco?"

Danny smirked at him. "A wizard who, until recently, felt as strongly against all Muggles as your family feels against wizards. Life has gotten complicated, making the three of us natural orphans, but the choices we've made put us together with a few unexpected results."

The three of them had quite a bit to reflect on as their attention turned back to the inaudible conversation at the table.

* * *

Vlad stared the Dursleys in the eyes, and they shuddered. This wasn't some freak they could bully and blame. This was a perfectly normal, perfectly respectable businessman who was taking them to task on… that boy.

Vernon narrowed his eyes. "How would you know anything about… that boy?" He quickly figured out that Mr. Masters would not take kindly to his referring to Potter as a freak.

Vlad waved his hand in a sweeping gesture. "The project that I've been working on has me spending large amounts of time in both Scotland and England. The students in Harry's school don't spend every last minute in school. A guardian signed a permission slip for Harry to visit the Scottish countryside. I've seen the rags you've seen fit to dress him in.

"What, in the name of all that is good and holy, possessed you to neglect a boy in your care when you so obviously take care of everyone else in your family? Do you honestly believe that it's _normal_ to indulge one child – the child, your spouse, your sister, her dog, whatever have you… at the expense of one child?"

Vernon glared daggers at Severus, who Petunia explained exemplified all that was freakish with that magical nonsense. "We never asked to take him in. We've had to deal with his unnaturalness since…"

"Ah, yes. You never asked to take in the orphaned child of Petunia's sister. I suppose the decency required for a solid Good Samaritan has escaped your sense of normalcy. Rags that are so big they practically fall off the child… It's clear to me that you can afford better. You just decided the boy wasn't worth it, so it was obviously _normal_ to take a child and keep him in a boot cupboard for ten years when you have four spacious bedrooms. So very normal. The most natural thing in the world." Vlad narrowed his eyes. "You overgrown degenerate."

Both Petunia and Vernon gasped. Petunia said, "How would you know about the cupboard? The child is a…"

"A congenital liar?" Severus interjected. "I don't know what passes for public schools in Surrey, but there is no way you can have both boys attend the same school and have _no one_ notice the severe inequitability between them while it is known that you are the guardians of both of them. Who did you pay off to turn a blind eye to your criminal neglect of the boy? How did you manage to convince every teacher, aid, and staff member to ignore the bullying? I know from experience that some things can slip under the radar, but only if the adults involved are predisposed to ignore the plight of the victims or favor the perpetrator."

Vernon spat, "How dare you accuse us of such things? You have no proof."

Vlad gestured grandly with his hands. "Ah, but you're wrong. Between Severus and I, we've made sure to correct the sartorial neglect you forced upon the boy. For Christmas, do you know what Harry's favorite and most meaningful present was? Not that you would know in general, as you've never given Harry a worthwhile gift.

"Of the many things he received, the one thing he most enjoyed receiving was an entirely new wardrobe: shirts, slacks, sweaters, suits for formal occasions, pajamas and underclothes that fit him. And why might such things, the dread of most children from affluent families – clothes their guardians picked out – have merited such high regard from the boy?

" I'll tell you: because the gesture made him feel _normal_. You couldn't be bothered. They made him feel _wanted _and _loved_. There was nothing in his past that made him feel that way. But you see… that's not all.

"Severus had no clue of the fate that befell the elephantine clothes you forced upon poor Harry. I brought the clothes, with a tip-off of what is going on, to the British authorities. They've taken DNA and other forensic samples – they know what the boy has been through.

"Photos have been taken of the cupboard, of the locks on the door, of the bars on the window, of the cat flap on the door. A _cat flap!_ For the love of sweets, this is _normal_?"

Petunia sputtered, "But… but how do you have such pictures? I lost the keys months ago!"

"Private investigators and hidden cameras have done wonders… which brings me to the next item I wished to discuss: the Masons."

Vernon roared, "The boy lost me that contract!"

Vlad clucked his tongue three times. "Did he really? On Harry's twelfth birthday, you fed him a lump of cheese and toast, while you had a sumptuous feast: you, your wife, your son, Mr. and Mrs. Mason, while Harry was consigned to his bedroom, making no noise, pretending he didn't exist."

Turning purple, Vernon hissed, "How can you possibly know that?"

"I asked him. Ah, ah, ah! Before you try to wish this away as a matter of hearsay, I understand that the cold cheese sandwich was the least of the indignities you forced on poor Harry.

"Honestly. He destroyed a pudding in the kitchen. And I imagine you had him clean it up, and then restricted him from dessert for the week. That would have made sense as a normal punishment."

Vernon sneered, "What makes you think he_ got_ dessert during the week?"

Petunia covered her eyes. "Not helping, love," she murmured.

Gesticulating with his hands, Vlad growled, "But you wouldn't know normal if it smacked you across the face. No – because of the destroyed pudding and an owl scare of some sort, you put dead bolts outside his door and locked him in. You put bars on his windows. And you were set to starve him to death with nothing but a can of soup, toast, and an apple a day for the boy and his owl.

"This indignity and lack of nutrition for an adolescent boy wasn't punishment enough. No, you put a cat flap on the door to pass in a 'feed-up tray'. What kind of message were you attempting to send with that? And in your reflection on the matter, you decided all of this 'was too _good_ for him.' Treating a boy worse than an animal is normal…how?

"And out of the goodness of your heart, I'm sure, you let him out of his room twice daily to use the bathroom, and again – upon greater reflection, you would have left him nothing but a litter box." Vlad gritted his teeth. "If you had your druthers, a twelve year old boy should have used a litter box to go to the bathroom, and you call this _normal!_

"And, let us thank God that he only made a mess in the kitchen. Heaven forfend he would have stumbled and dumped the pudding on your guests' heads – or your punishment of him would have been worse. Really? With your depraved indifference to human life and dignity, I really can't see how!"

Petunia and Vernon stared at each other. Petunia's face fell. "How could you possibly know all that?"

Vlad sat back and smirked. "Electronic bugs and micro-recorders are amazing things. If I remember that particular conversation, 'The boy was lucky you gave him the scraps and cupboard – the food and board – he got.' Oh, my. Your generosity knows no bounds. But you were so ridiculously wrong to say that no one would have expected you to provide the boy with better.

"To be honest, Scotland Yard and Child Protective Services were _very_ interested in the series of tapes regarding your _normalcy_ regarding your handling of one Harry James Potter. Between the tapes, the photos, the ratty oversized clothes, the broken toys from the cupboard… You are ashamed of _Harry?_ Hmm, interesting, that.

"While the Mason incident happened years ago, the joyous way you relish having delivered such punishment unrepentantly clearly shows a pattern of ongoing emotional abuse and neglect bad enough to be physical abuse."

A siren was heard outside the window. Vlad looked at his watch. "Ah. It's noon. There is quite the party going on. There are people from the media and press to record this historic appointment of ours."

Vernon's face fell. A mere half an hour ago, the mention of the press to record this landmark lunch would have thrilled him to no end. Now… the media would show up just in time for him to be publicly shamed and humiliated.

Vlad put a finger to his lips as if in thought. "Oh, yes. I remember. There's one more thing to mention before our guests arrive. I'll make it known that VladCo, DALV, and every other Masters Incorporated subsidiary will drop all accounts – internationally – with Grunnings and its international subsidiaries and outlets for the duration of your natural life."

Vernon stood up. "You can't do that! The Masters Corporation is Grunnings' largest set of accounts!"

"Hmm. Is it? That really is too bad. But I've seen what your managerial skills have accomplished. If you can't manage to properly finance a family of four, horrifically neglecting a young child living in your house, squandering any resource that could have been used for his betterment, how can you be expected to manage hundreds of thousands of pounds worth of the fine drills used for constructing my very detail-oriented technology? You are a disgrace to the title manager, guardian, and human. I have no use for you or your business. And I will have no problem letting the world know what a freak of nature you are for treating the boy in such an unnatural fashion."

"But…but…"

At least six police officers entered the dining room. Severus silently lifted the Privacy Spell. "Mr. Vernon Dursley and Mrs. Petunia Dursley, you are hereby under arrest for the abuse and criminal neglect of Harry James Potter-Snape. Come quietly, and we won't cuff you in front of the children."

The boys stood staring at the sight of police officers surrounding the senior Dursleys. Petunia cried out, "But Dudley! What will become of my baby?"

Severus raised his eyebrows in curiosity. He had no idea what Vlad had in mind.

Very nonchalantly, Vlad said, "He'll have lunch with the rest of us – unlike _some_ people, I believe all children deserve proper nutrition. Afterwards, we'll deposit him with his Aunt Marjorie. Let us hope that he will be treated better there than Harry was ever treated at the hands of any adult bearing the name Dursley."

A sea of cameras and microphones waited at the foot of the stairs for the Dursleys and the police to descend. The boys saw the flash of cameras from the top of the stairs when Severus called, "Come away from there." He steered the three boys back to the table, and they sat quietly until the roar of the media died down. The drop in noise level signaled that the circus had left the restaurant.

Harry, Danny, and Dudley were shocked. This was something that happened on television, not in real life, to people you know. Dudley looked between Vlad and Severus and gulped. "Mr. M-masters, I heard what you said, but what will happen to me? Aunt Marge will be there, but does she know? What does she know? Are… my parents ever coming back?"

Vlad was impressed with the cogent questions asked. "These are discerning questions, Dudley. After lunch, we'll give her a call, then we'll visit your home to collect a few belongings. You won't be able to take much, as your house is officially a crime scene, but I'm sure some spare changes of clothes won't…"

"That's okay," Dudley said quickly. "I have some things at Aunt Marge's house."

"Very good – then we'll drop you off directly afterwards."

Harry and Danny were curious to know if that was all Vlad had coming to Dudley. Harry was ready to forgive him, but Danny wasn't, and Vlad was known to carry grudges.

The waiter came in to take their drink and appetizer orders. Dudley chose the chicken soup. Once the waiter left, Harry and Danny's curiosity was settled once Dudley asked, "So… Mr. Masters, once I'm at Aunt Marge's, will I see you again?"

"I really don't know. Perhaps in time. I'm a very busy man, and between getting back to the States for business purposes, sightseeing with Daniel, other things involving Harry and the professor… I suppose it's possible, but probably not this summer."

Harry could almost smell the wood smoke burning as Dudley made a few calculations. It was hard for him to see what Dudley ultimately wanted, but it was going to be interesting to watch him try to get it.

"Well… could you, maybe, bring Harry and Danny to visit?"

Severus decided that he was impressed. It wasn't clear whether the Muggle was truly repentant in his behavior towards Harry, but it was more than obvious that he wanted the honor of the world-renown celebrity visiting him. Severus nudged Harry and whispered, "This is how, as an adult, you deflect those who would exploit your fame. Pay attention."

Vlad looked thoughtful. "Perhaps if either Daniel or Harry wish to meet you, I'm sure a meeting could be arranged. But considering that your Aunt Marge is quite content to allow her bulldog Ripper to use those she considers 'undersized boys' as chew toys, I can safely assure you that none of the four of us will darken your aunt's door until she has that vicious beast put down."

Danny looked to Harry in fear and disbelief, and Harry nodded. "It's what she's always said and done. I was once in a tree until well after midnight, until Aunt Marge finally called off Ripper. Everyone else thought it was a laugh."

Danny stared at Dudley and made a face of disgust. What kind of a deranged person gets pleasure out of this type of thing?

Dudley cringed. He thought of that time that Harry mentioned, or when Ripper was, on the whole, treated better than Harry was. At the time, he thought it was funny. But now, looking back on it, he could see this from Danny's perspective, and wow…

Then he groaned. Aunt Marge loved her dogs, and Ripper was her favorite. There was no way she was going to part with that animal for the pleasure of seeing Harry and/or Danny, regardless of the fact that would mean passing up a chance to see the great Vlad Masters. But considering that Mr. Masters had his parents arrested, she might not be all that interested in meeting him. And… Aunt Marge would be saddled with him… Isn't that how Mum and Dad called having to take in Harry?

Dudley never stopped to realize how badly Harry felt at being made to feel like an imposition on them. Aunt Marge always doted on Dudley, true, but then she left. Would she like him as much once he couldn't go home?

He figured out that he'd have to give up the twenty-pound notes for allowing her to kiss him. That was a given. Mr. Masters made it clear that after this outing, spending time with Dudley was an imposition on Mr. Masters. The billionaire clearly liked Harry and was willing to build his schedule around him, but Dudley was barely worth an afterthought.

It wasn't fair, but then again… How was Mr. Masters' proposed treatment of himself different than all of the Dursleys' treatment of Harry? Well… For one, even if Mr. Masters barely tolerated him, he would make sure Dudley's most basic needs were met.

Actually, Mr. Masters might be cold and distant to him, but he made sure that Dudley would be placed with his aunt who loved him, and who would (hopefully) willingly provide for him. Dudley closed his eyes as he realized that he, as a virtual orphan, would be treated FAR better than Harry ever was.

Mr. Masters cleared his throat. Oh, right – he was waiting for a response. "I… understand, Mr. Masters."

Harry thought that Dudley's forlorn look might mean that he had a quick lesson in humility. But he _did_ apologize before, and Harry _did_ forgive him. "Listen – Dudley, if you like, I can write you."

Dudley gave a mirthless laugh. It was odd – years and years ago, the Dursleys mocked Harry about people wanting to write him. Now it seemed like a very attractive option. It wasn't because Mr. Masters would care, or out of a hope that Mr. Snape would look less forbidding. It was just that Dudley's sense of normal just flew out the window, and Harry offered to serve as an anchor.

"I'd like that, Harry. I'll write back. And… maybe I can write you, too, Danny. I don't really know you yet, but… I'm on my school's boxing team. If you can bench-press as much as you said you can, we might have something to talk about. Where do you go to school, anyway?"

"Currently? Hogwarts."

Dudley gulped. "But…" He looked confusedly at Vlad. "But Mr. Masters said you aren't… a wizard." The word, especially as it referred to people in the real world (characters in movies didn't count), was foreign. Mum and Dad didn't like it, and they never allowed Harry to say it.

Danny shrugged. "No. Papá said _he_ wasn't magical. He said nothing about me." Dudley looked pained as he realized that Danny was right. "But you're right. I'm as Muggle as you are. But for his own reasons, the evil wizard Voldemort targeted me, and Headmaster Dumbledore said that Papá and I would be safer in Hogwarts."

"Whoa."

"Indeed, Mr. Dursley." Severus studied Dudley intensely. This is the boy who unabashedly bullied Harry for as long as Harry lived in the Dursley household. But for some reason, Harry decided to give him a second chance. The professor raised an eyebrow.

Then it occurred to him – every person at this table was afforded at least a second chance. Between Dumbledore and Harry, Severus was granted a chance to redeem himself.

Vlad… Daniel gave him a second chance; the elder half-ghost was still villainous - he just used that value set more judiciously.

Daniel… Severus wasn't precisely sure the boy did anything wrong, but this Clockwork character gave him a chance to redeem himself from one unethical choice that _could have_ snowballed and led him down a dark road.

Harry hadn't done _anything_ wrong, but he was granted yet another chance to live. (The boy seemed to have nine lives, but Severus was determined not to let him use up any more.)

And now, Dudley Dursley was being granted forgiveness by the boy who was mercilessly bullied by him. Severus inwardly cringed. If Harry could forgive not only Severus, but Dudley, it stood to reason that Severus really _could_ forgive James and Sirius. Honestly – it was a boyhood series of trials, tribulation, and torment, and Harry had to deal with his cousin and _his_ gang for far longer than Severus had to put up with the Marauders.

As the adult, Severus should have set a good example for Harry. But it seemed that the two dark-haired boys beside him set the standard for the adults around them. Severus felt shamed, chastened, and humbled.

The waiter came back, delivering their drinks and appetizers, and took the orders for their entrées. Vlad confidently ordered _Kebab e barre. *_ Danny tried a chicken _shishlik._ * Severus ordered _Ghormeh sabzi, * _and Harry tried the_ Choresht bademjoon. *_

Dudley stuck with the rib steak.

After they ordered and started to eat, Severus decided it was time to shift gears. "So, Vlad… You mentioned a trip to the States over the summer. What did you intend to do there?"

Vlad smiled. "We have several stops to make. I'll have to take a tour of the factories, outlets, and business headquarters. I've been following the news, and operating long distance has been working well, but seeing things first-hand does wonders for productivity.

"Then, we'll stop by Amity Park. Daniel has a few friends he's been writing to who would like a visit. Personally, Ida Manson will be one of my favorite acquaintances to visit."

When Dudley heard the name, he thought, 'I wonder if Ms. Manson has any connection to Isaac Manson. I remember when Dad made a comment about selling drills to the Mansons' family business for the cellophane machines. He was proud of that account, and we all went out to eat… without Harry.' The more he thought about the past, the more he realized that Harry really was left out of everything good.

Again, at the time, Dudley thought it was funny. Now… It was just painful to think about.

Vlad continued, "I wonder how that diamond-encrusted scooter basket worked out."

Danny smirked. "She loves it. It casts rainbows in every room she enters, and… well, Sam's parents have had their 'attitude of gratitude' adjusted. Grandma Ida uses it with pride, and thinks of us with love."

Vlad nodded. "Then I'll mark it as a job well done. Further, Daniel needs to take college entry exams."

"What?"

Vlad smirked. "That's right. You will take your SATs – they are required in the top schools associated with astronomy. True, the undergraduate experience will likely involve a bit more on the liberal arts side, but all of that involves critical thinking and problem solving. And it will give you an insight into character development. There are some characters you can't afford to lose track of."

Danny sighed. He hated when Vlad made sense, as there was no arguing with him about these things.

"Further, we'll get tickets for a few Green Bay Packers games. I already have season tickets from now until 2010, when I'll renew them for another fifteen years, but I need to extend that to include a place in my box for you and a few friends. Without the danger presented by Voldemort, I don't see why a few weekend excursions would pose a problem. And next Christmas Break, depending on the phase of the moon, I'll bring Remus, Dora, and Draco with the four of us to my box for at least one game."

Harry worked it out quickly. Apparently, regardless of Remus's disposition, Uncle Vlad was planning to procure the best, most expensive seats in the stadium for both Snapes as well as both Masters. "Thanks, Uncle Vlad."

Dudley squirmed. He didn't like being left out, but how many tantrums did he throw about Harry, loudly complaining against his cousin's inclusion in any vacation arrangement? Aunt Marge might think of something, but… Dudley sighed.

Vlad continued, "Regardless of what we do and where we go, we _will_ be back for the Lupin and Weasley weddings. A little wish fulfillment can go a long way.

"But enough about me. What are your plans, Severus?"

Professor Snape thought for a moment. "Both weddings are high on our priority list, but Headmaster Dumbledore wants to start the summer holidays with a trip to Godric's Hollow. It's geared to be a significantly emotional destination."

Dudley asked, "Where is Godric's Hollow? Why is it so important?"

Harry looked down for a moment. "It's a village in the West Country, not far from Cornwall. It's where I was born, and where my parents are buried. Professor Dumbledore said that while those two facts alone make the trip worthwhile, my father's family has even longer history there. He said we'll discuss all kinds of things while we're there."

Dudley sat quietly, thinking. "Harry? Mr. Snape… could I come with you?"

Both wizards shared a glance. What was this? Harry asked, "Um… Dudley, why do you want to go?"

The blond closed his eyes for a moment or two. He opened them and took a deep breath. "For as long as I can remember, you've always lived with us. Yeah, we treated you worse than an unloved…" He couldn't think of anyone that stereotypically was treated as badly as they treated Harry. "Which was wrong on all counts, but… the idea that you had parents, real parents, was never really _real_ to me. Forever, I've heard you call my parents Aunt Petunia and Uncle Vernon. But I've never had a chance to even think about… Aunt Lily and Uncle James. Those are their names, right?"

Harry raised both eyebrows. "Yes."

Dudley scratched his head. He had a little under two years to think about this since those demento-thingies made him think of just how miserable Harry must have felt, and this is the first time he verbalized some of those thoughts. "I know you felt cheated out of your family since forever, but when your… Professor Dumbledore came to get you last summer and mentioned that my parents mistreated _me_, it made me think of a few things. You never got to ask about your parents, and I kind of realized… I was cheated out of knowing about them, too." Severus raised an eyebrow at this.

"I mean, the only way I even know their names is that – once, while you were doing yard-work, I snuck into your room and saw your photo album."

Harry felt betrayed, and his sense of privacy was violated. "You did _what_?"

Dudley raised a hand. "I probably shouldn't have, but… I dunno. I just looked. I promise! I saw a picture of what looked like a grown-up version of you, and a prettier, red-haired version of Mum. On the back, it said, 'James and Lily Potter,' and it gave the date, and I realized that these were real people.

"Mum, Dad, and Aunt Marge didn't say anything about their names, or anything useful at all about them, even to me, even when you weren't around. Only… you know…" He looked up, embarrassed, at Mr. Snape and Mr. Masters. "That they were freaks and lay-about drunks. But the people in your pictures didn't look… like that."

Dudley took a breath. "I want to go to Godric's Hollow with you. I'd like… You know, I've had friends who visited cemeteries. Not just knocking about on Halloween but to visit grandparents' graves. Not like it made much of an impression.

"But you know… Mum and Dad never made mention of a cemetery. I knew your parents were dead – we heard all about the car crash that never happened. But… I dunno. I guess if I saw their graves, it would… make it real. I kinda… want to know more about Aunt Lily and Uncle James. I know that Aunt Lily was Mum's sister. I just never really got why Dad's sister was so loved and Mum's sister wasn't mentioned.

"It's weird. When mention was made of her at all, it was always 'your Mum,' and never 'my Mum's sister.' I just… I dunno. But I'd like to visit your parents, if you'll let me come."

There was silence at the table for a few minutes. Harry was sure that this was more conversation that he'd ever heard from Dudley… well, ever. Even Danny was impressed.

Harry found himself nodding. "Sure, Dudley. If you'd like to come, I'd…" He swallowed around the lump that formed in his throat. "That might be nice."

Severus narrowed his eyes at the Muggle. "You're saying that you are interested in being _family_ to Harry?"

Dudley squirmed, shrugging one shoulder and then the other. "Yeah. It's like, fifteen years late in coming, but… like you said, Mr. Snape, it's better late than never. I'd like to actually know more about my natural cousin than how fast he can run."

Harry stared at the boy. This was a side of Dudley he'd never seen before. He closed his eyes and ran a hand through his hair. "I guess I'd like to get to know you, too. I meant what I said about writing you before, but… I think I might like to know the new you." Dudley flashed a shy smile at him.

Vlad rolled his eyes. He supposed one more in his Packers box wouldn't hurt…

* * *

Glossary

Falafel – fried balls made primarily of ground chickpeas. Olive spices theirs with coriander and dried herbs.

_Mirza Ghasemi_ – barbequed eggplant mashed into a garlic, egg, and tomato sauce

_Kebab e barre_ – skewers of tender lamb shoulder pieces

Chicken _shishlik_ – succulent chicken thigh

_Ghormeh sabzi_ – a rice dish with fresh herb sauce, with kidney beans, sun-dried lime, and can be served with or without lamb

_Choresht bademjoon_ – a rice dish with eggplant in a mildly peppery tomato sauce, and can be served with or without diced lamb


End file.
